Time machine

MUCH HAS changed since 1989. In the intervening 33 years we’ve seen the rise and fall of the compact disc, plus the dramatic fall but surprising recent rise of vinyl. Smoking in public has become less acceptable than not rewinding videos used to be, while only the military and my dad use old-fashioned paper maps or phones still attached to a wire.

One thing that hasn’t changed, though, is this 1989 XJ40 4.0. Having covered under 6,000 miles, I doubt it looks any different from the day it left the Browns Lane assembly line, resulting in a unique and fascinating car that’s as close as you’ll get to a brand-new example of Jaguar’s still maligned saloon.

In late 1989, Jaguar introduced a series of updates for the XJ40 in an effort to keep the now three-year-old car fresh. Central to these was the new 4.0-litre version of its straight-six