By Classic Yorkshire correspondent Tony Lofthouse
It had to come. The last ever Jaguar petrol-powered sports car will soon roll off the production line at its Midlands home.
The Jaguar F-Type was introduced in 2013 almost 50 years on from the demise of its famous predecessor, the E-Type.
The end of the road for this modern ‘classy cat’ will consign 75 years of sports car history at Jaguar into the record books.
Starting with the XK120 in 1948, Jaguar have rolled out a range of coupes and roadsters to try to emulate the E-Type. These include the XJS, XK8 and XK.
The decision to end production of the F-Type is wrapped up in Jaguar Land Rover’s move to all electric and ambitions to challenge in the very high luxury market.
The F-Type has certainly been a highlight for Jaguar, displaying clear links with the E-Type and coming with impressive six and eight-cylinder options. On the road, the F-Type will be remembered as an exhilarating drive with great balance and steering.
It had competition, not least from Aston Martin and the Porsche 911. But, Jaguar invested time and resources in the model, adding a stunning coupe version to the F-Type convertible. High performance R and SVR models followed.
To celebrate 75 years of Jaguar sports cars, special edition F-Type 75 coupe and convertible models are on sale, powered by a supercharged 5-litre V8 engine. As part of its swan song, the ‘75’ comes with some new elements including distinctive black badges, special sports seats, gloss black wheels, stunning Windsor leather upholstery and stylish bodywork F-Type motifs.
There is no doubt in years to come the F-Type will be a real collectors item, but for now it seems this lively cat has just used up its nine lives!
To find out more about the F-Type and 75 editions visit https://www.jaguar.co.uk/jaguar-range/f-type/index.html