Daimler Double Six/Jaguar XJ12 Series 3: A V12 Luxury Masterpiece for Sensible Money | Full Review

If you’re a fan of The Great British Classics, The Daimler Double Six (Jaguar XJ12) is the car for you. The XJ series 1-3 models offer a supreme combination of ‘Space, Grace and Pace’. Powered by a V12 engine, it’s ready to go as soon as your foot hits the pedal, all the way up to 150mph.
Get behind the wheel of the Daimler Double Six with Fuel Up Classic, as I take this stunning masterpiece of British engineering out for a drive to give you the lowdown of everything you need to know.
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[@thomaswillmann8306]

Thank you very much for the great video.I can understand your enthusiasm very well. At the age of 25, I bought my first XJ 6 Series 3. A year later I sold this one and decided on the XJ 12, which I usually drove on weekends. I was still very young and thus invested a large part of my salary in this car and was infected by the XJ virus. Now at the age of 52 I'm driving in Germany a regency red Daimler Double Six Serie 3 built in 1992 with only 42.000 miles. The Double Six has a very charismatic lines and offers an elegant princely suite. The rolling men's room on wheels! BMW or Mercedes look like wallflowers. I love the old Jag's and this great dreamcar. Thank you Sir William Lyons for the great styling. No other car in the world has more charisma. I am very happy to drive this car. Best regards from Germany!

[@fuelupclassic]

Thank you. The XJ virus is very real, and once you own one, it’s very hard to imagine owning anything else. I will be featuring a lot more Jaguars on the channel very soon. I hope you continue to enjoy your Double Six.

[@calsurflance5598]

Agreed Sir Lyons had a way with his pen. Some of his styling ques lived on in other Jaguar models. Sadly, I don’t see those lines in todays sedans. You have the last of the best .👌

[@thomaswillmann8306]

@@calsurflance5598 Unfortunately, this is how it is, the current models have no charisma. Thank you for the compliment.

[@thomaswillmann8306]

@@fuelupclassic I would be very happy about that. Thank you very much, every trip is a pleasure.

[@theoriginaljc-j]

Wow, I have a similar story and I'm a similar age. The only difference is I now have a Silver Spirit which I absolutely love, but I would welcome another V12 into the fold.

[@adamradford8973]

Speak to any well known car afficionado....they will always have one of these Daimlers in their Top 10 of greatest cars ever made. Utterly wonderful.

[@fuelupclassic]

They're wonderful things :)

[@petermyers5793]

The most beautiful car ever made for any purpose, at any price. Perfection from any and every angle. Soulful, like Albert King, OV Wright, Elvis Presley.

[@calsurflance5598]

About 25 years ago, my wife and I restored a very abused 1979 XJ6 series 2. The only working fuel tank was hanging out of the left fender. The car had been used as you would a farm truck, literally in the fields. We had been looking for a project, and really found one. When we finished, I took it to a concourse de elegance in the Sacramento area and took best of class. I agree it’s one of the most beautiful sedans ever built. I sold mine about 18 years ago for less than half of what I had spent, not including my time. I also agree, buy the best one you can find. It will be cheaper in the long run. Best of luck on your new channel! I’m looking forward to your Defender “work in progress” project . 👍👍

[@fuelupclassic]

That is a great story! Sometimes the satisfaction of bringing one of these great cars back to life becomes far more important than the financials. I hope you enjoyed every mile in your XJ. Thank you for your kind words about the channel and I hope you enjoy the content.

[@petermyers5793]

Yes, I own one. Have previously owned XJC’s and the Daddy; TWR XJ12 ZF 5 speed manual with Forward Engineering’s 6.0. Divorce forced me to sell it.

[@udodonald]

I am glad to have actually in my little collection the Daimler DS from 1989, but also the V12 X305 from 1955, the XJ-S from 1985, the XJ-R from 1995 and the XKR from 2007. Before these cars I have had the XJ40 3,2L (1993) and the XJ-S from 1976. With both my love for Jaguar/Daimler started.

[@fuelupclassic]

A wonderful collection :)

[@markcarter9476]

As I get older I am finding that I appreciate comfortable luxury barges more and more. I have always loved the look of the XJ, with its timeless classic Jaguar appeal. The luxury barge slot is currently being filled by a 2000 Mercedes CL500 which I love, however, after enjoying your entheusam for the XJ it is firmly back on my radar.

[@gregharvie3896]

Hi from Sydney, Australia. Mark, there is nothing quite like a giant 60's designed Jaguar, if Sir William Lyons & his small but faithful band of British Boffins designed it, it was bound to be terrific, beyond par with ANYTHING else. I'm a 66 yr old Doctor now, as a 6 yr old kid my mum bought a new 1961 Jag mk10 we collected it from the Jaguar plant in Coventry and it was shipped back to Mosman, Sydney. Whilst it was readied to drive away in, Norman Dewis held my hand and walked me around the factory, it was fantastic. The mk10's were all in one area on giant wheel-able dolly's being HAND BUILT not on a conveyor like mk2's, E types & Daimler 250 v8 sedans. my mum replaced it with a 1971 model 420G. As a 19yr old I bought a LHD 1965 mk10 4,2 litre Jag only affordable as it was left hand drive & just before all cars in Australia had to be RHD or off the road in july 1st 1975. It had a mere 52,000kilometres on it, like new, I pushed that to 250,000k's, before which I had bought a long wheelbase late series 1 xj6. Only 700 odd of the 4.2ltr RHD Jag versions of this longer body were ever made, I owned it 32 years. Only sold it as I had the opportunity to buy a 1owner Aussie delivered 1967 version of a mk10 (where BMC ownership of Jaguar shares had caused a re-naming to 420G) a 420G as it was also 1 owner it had in 2012 a mere 52000miles on the clock. Let me say that although I own a variety f other cars , NOTHING drives like a big '60's Jaguar, forget a MK2 as they are a '50's car and nowhere near as serene to drive, you need the longer wheelbase and the IRS, it really does make those cars. Consider this, a high output race spec version of the 4.2litre Jag engine with the bronze head has almost the same power as a basic v12 Jag engine. Also out of the 2600 odd series 1 LWB XJ body shells few were "dealer floor plan cars" near all were special order vehicles. If you are looking for something really special look for one of these, as all were from the days of Lyons himself running Jaguar and these were ALL no compromise cars and near all hand built. I rate the mk10 higher, as when new they could be had with Koni gas shocks from the factory which vastly bettered the handling dynamics plus if you picked the bronze head higher compression ratio version, you near knocked out any aluminium touching steel issues creating head gasket failures.

[@Sindimindi]

Without any doubt, this sedan is one the most beautiful cars ever buildt. But maintenance costs a Fortune!

[@isaacbroome5472]

I have owned examples of the Series 3 since I was 18. My first car was a tatty 1983 Jaguar XJ6 3.4. But tatty as it was, it was a magic carpet ride with a driving experience that I have yet to have experience better in any other car, even more modern Jags. I fell in love with the Series 3 and I have owned the 3.4, 4.2 XJ6 and Sovereign as well as a 1988 Jaguar Sovereign V12. The V12 engine is absolutely effortless on the road, but the fuel consumption is horrific. The 3.4 is a bit underpowered and not as economical as it might appear to be with a smaller engine, as it still trying to push the same 2 tonne weight. The 4.2 XJ6 / Sovereign is the best compromise in terms of performance and fuel consumption for an every day driving car. I currently own a 1983 Jaguar XJ6 4.2, a 1984 Jaguar Sovereign 4.2 and a 1982 Jaguar XJ12 HE. Agree too with the comment about buying the best example you can afford. I know from experience these cars can cost an absolute fortune to restore when they are in need of restoration and it certainly pays to find a good mechanic who knows these cars and knows what they are doing, and to keep them stored in a garage (preferably not the mechanic's..) out of the weather.

[@fuelupclassic]

Very true! I really enjoyed my 4.2 series 3 but now I have experienced the v12, I was really impressed.

[@1Z50railtourinfo]

They're actually not expensive to maintain! It's a myth. Any good home mechanic can work on them. I had one in my 20s and learnt to do many servicing jobs on it!

[@leeparry1450]

same

[@kingkreole9121]

Spot on. Agreed.

[@nicholaswoodward8191]

Lovely thing. I also owned a series 3 xj6 when I was young and poor here in Cape Town. Nearly killed me financially. The double six can be made to sound amazing with some discreet exhaust mods. Nice vid thanks!!

[@fuelupclassic]

Thank you 🙂.

[@garethhanna9173]

It's only a matter of time before these things become as sought after as the 60's Mk II, they are a supremely elegant car. The last models built in the early 90's were more or less built to order and the Ford quality control ensures that they don't rust to bits like the 80's models. Still a deep wallet needed to maintain and run one, but money well spent.

[@checker3694]

Buy a Japanese import one like this one, then tend to be just as clean underneath as they are on top, due to climate they come from ,the only downside is sun damage, faded walnut, and hardish leather, but compared to UK cars that's a small price to pay, over rusty underside that need heat to loosen everything off, and nearly always rust somewhere. Round trims and door bottoms, unless it's a summer car.

[@paulie-Gualtieri.]

The steering wheel let's the interior down

[@dham629]

Nardi steering wheels are perfect to compliment the interior. It's the same steering wheel used in Rolls Royce Silver Spur/Spirit cars. It's considered an upgrade over the OEM leather wrapped one that came in both makes.

[@michaelbarlow3686]

Thank you so much for a great video. I bought a S1 Daimler Sovereign when I was 23 yes it was expensive in the 1980's but hey you cannot can that experience without driving an XJ and the V12 is the ultimate. I'm seriously considering a V12. I think they will only increase in value. Just shutting the door is an experience. I consider the S3 to be the best of the range, it excelled everything culminating in an exceptional experience.

[@fuelupclassic]

Glad to hear you enjoyed it and thank you for watching.

[@davidboysel4509]

Nice to see a KZbinr who is enthusiastic and loves the classics my father always wanted to own a jaguar when he was in Europe in the service back in the late fifties and early 60s you could ship cars home and he often told me his biggest regret was not buying a jaguar and shipping it back to the States his reasoning was you would need to abduct a little Englishman to carry in the trunk because Jaguars in that era we're very unreliable and very expensive in the United States to fix it seems like they're expensive to fix no matter where you live but what a lovely machine they make

[@fuelupclassic]

Thank you and I hope you enjoyed the video. They certainly do look fantastic! The biggest problem is when they aren’t used regularly problems develop and they can be expensive to fix. It’s really only been in the last few years with values rising that the XJ models in particular have been worth restoring but even then it can cost a fortune.

[@kingkreole9121]

I peg to differ regarding fuel economy. I've had more than 10 Jaguar XJ12 and Daimler Double Sixes series III with V12 HE. I've easily done more than 20 mpg, 25 mpg on motorways. They are not that bad on fuel economy. I've had Series II XJ12 and early series III with pre-HE engines, and they did about 15 to 20 mpg. But no, even pre-HEs they never ever did go anywhere near single digits, even though I normally cruised at about 95 to 105 mph. Service them properly and they will run fine. Thanks.

[@Vince_uk]

Magnificent Cars Subscribed.

[@fuelupclassic]

Thank you! Plenty more Jaguar content on the way

[@martingibb517]

Great video, as a fellow XJ nut I totally agree with you.I have been watching that particular car on that garages website for a long time. Its tempting but I cant make space for another one !

[@fuelupclassic]

I fully understand! After driving the Daimler, I really wanted to take it home, as it was that good. I have self-imposed a strict one car in one car out policy to stop the obsession spiralling out of control.

[@cliveadams7629]

I would quite like an XJR, definitely over the V12.

[@Paul-fx4hb]

I can’t believe he used the word reliable in this video

[@fuelupclassic]

Was yours not reliable? I've always found with any of my old Jaguars as long as you look after them properly, they're generally very good.

[@ladyhock1954]

Beautiful. ❤

[@demetridar506]

150 mph is a bit optimistic. The earlier car had a 3.42 diff ratio, and simply would run out of rpm around 135 mph. Later cars had 3.07, and could do a bit more. But the aeros and only 290 hp just does not get you there. The XJS was a lot closer to 150 mph, it had about 10% lower CD and a bit less frontal area.

[@fuelupclassic]

Jaguar have always been a little 'economical' with the truth when it came to their claimed top speed. Nonetheless i'd shake anyones hand who was willing to give it a go.

[@demetridar506]

@@fuelupclassic I agree that 135-140 mph is plenty. That is about what the Benz 6.9 could do, and the benz was much more expensive. And Jaguar was not the only optimistic company with respect to top speed. I think most German sporty cars claimed excessive top speeds.

[@abbsgarage.9676]

A 5.3 ls would be awesome in this car for functionality and parts

[@okeyezeilo6187]

Lovely...but not entirely smitten with that steering wheel...

[@julianadams2206]

Nice review. My Dad had the Jaguar variant of this car in a similar colour in the early 90’s. A lovely car but such a shame they never fitted it with a 4 speed auto. The later XJ 40 V12 with the newer auto was a much better drive. Sadly nothing like as pretty as the earlier model features in this video.

[@fuelupclassic]

Glad you enjoyed it. A four speed auto would have transformed the car and I imagine improve fuel economy too. I hope to get a later XJ40 and X300 V12 models on the channel for a comparison in the near future.

[@danieleregoli812]

You can too see the petrol gauge move as you drive on my 6-cylinder 3.6 XJ40, so I can only imagine -in my nightmares, that is- what fuel consumption on a V12 can be, especially for someone who likes to enjoy a good drive on an empty, curvy, Italian road!

[@paulypilot]

Fuel consumption on my low mileage DD6 is fine - 16 to 21 mpg on a good run, often driving quite fast. It's nonsense that they're excessively thirsty. Single digits only applies on short, local journeys. Read the contemporary road tests, in normal driving these cars achieve 16-18 mpg, which is comparable to other high performance cars.

[@PeterRoos]

Lovely car - they sure don't make them like this anymore. Gas mileage actually isn't all that terrible, it's in the same ballpark as my 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee with the 5.7 liter V8 hemi engine.

[@lukespector5550]

Arfur Daley dips his crombie...........

[@fuelupclassic]

Love it!

[@Schlipperschlopper]

you cant use any Jaguar V12 because they drop exhaust valve seats any 20000 KM!!!

[@julesmarwell8023]

yep a masterpiece in OIL LEAKS

[@fuelupclassic]

All part of the charm ;)

[@paulrandomview]

I have a low mileage, Japanese import V12, and it does 18-22 mpg on a run, driven sensibly. These cars are amazingly economical for the size & weight. Contemporary road tests confirm this. You're probably driving a worn-out, poorly maintained, high mileage car. Hence why you're getting poor fuel economy.

[@fuelupclassic]

This is also a low mileage, impeccably maintained Japanese import car and in my experience over a mixture of driving conditions a combined figure of 15mpg is about right. 20 (ish) mpg is achievable on long steady runs.

[@paulypilot]

​@@fuelupclassic Thanks for the clarification. I was reading a 1982 road test of the V12 Jag/Daimlers, and they said a key point is that the fuel gauge only shows the fuel in one tank at a time. So the gauge appears to be dropping rapidly, but is only showing one of the two 10-gallon tanks, toggled from a switch on the dashboard, as you know. This is why a lot of people think the cars are excessively thirsty, when actually they're not. As you suggest, journey length is key. Around town, and short journeys, you're lucky to get into double figures. But once you've covered say 30+ miles, the trip computer starts showing remarkably improved fuel consumption. I did Bournemouth to Reading & back in one day, and was staggered to find my average consumption had been 22mpg! And I didn't hold back on speed either. Cruising at 60mph seems to produce similar fuel consumption to cruising at 80mph, for example. Overall, stunningly beautiful cars, and the Jap imports are insanely good value, and in timewarp condition. Mine drives like a 3-year old car. The MoT garage couldn't believe it, saying the underneath has zero corrosion, and is "mint"!

[@clausmadsen6754]

Seems to be sagging a bit towards the driver’s side?

[@fuelupclassic]

That's probably because the driver's side fuel tank was full and the other side empty.

[@TheMuzikall]

A v12 in UK or Europe is a NO NO✅

[@fuelupclassic]

Why?

[@jonathanpardoe8722]

With two disastrous 7 series BMW's behind me , I wanted a car that would be better then the 7 series in every respect and reliable with no electronic issues that so besett the BMW I bought a 1992 Daimler Double six S3 from Japan last year with 20 k on the clock . At first , after I had it serviced and commissioned for UK roads , it was perfection . Its what the 7 series could only ever dream of . but after it had done 30 k , I noticed a hum from the rear axle ....which turned into a rumble . Its now back from a respected transmission specialist who knew only too well the trouble with the Salisbury limited slip diff and has cost me £1500 for a new axle . Car is now back to perfection , silent and majic carpet ride . I wouldnt swap it for anything else on the road , but the polish has been taken off the job with the axle problem . After all said and done, I am still happy to report that the S3 XJ 12 is still the best car in the world . subsequent 40 series Jags , German and Japanese stuff are not in the same league .

[@evo5dave]

To me, the series 3 was peak Jag. My uncle briefly had one of these but got rid of it due to the 10MPG!

[@Haffschlappe]

Dont use HE V12 Jags they have heads Made in India and drop valve seats!!!

[@WolfiePeters]

A comfortable luxury barge .... that would out corner a contemporary 3 series Beemer. And no 4-door car is more beautiful inside or out.

[@rizmirza1829]

What a beautiful car, I remember the sovereign 4.2 just sumptuous

[@petermyers5793]

A thoroughly superb review of automotive perfection.

[@fuelupclassic]

Thank you

[@bruceburns1672]

Like the E Type, both front and rear has perfect styling, a lot os cars have one end perfect but the other incapable of matching the excellent styling of the other, the E Type is perfect both front and rear as is the X J's, perfect.

[@fuelupclassic]

Couldn't agree more! Thank you for watching.

[@paulypilot]

You couldn't be more wrong about the steering. I own a DD6, and the previous owner replaced all the suspension & steering bushes. Result? The steering is stunningly precise. Get the bushes replaced (costs £3k), and your tired, sloppy example will be like new! It's worth every penny.

[@fuelupclassic]

Tired bushes are a common issue on these and the difference between a tired example and one that has been completely re-bushed throughout with OEM parts (as this one has) is night and day. I however have always found all the examples of XJ and XJS we have in the family (currently on number 15) to have incredibly light, overly assisted steering, but never sloppy. It suits the nature of the car very well in my opinion and they are an effortless drive. Road holding and grip levels are very good and the ride remains one of the best available. However, a sports car with incredible steering feel it is not, and nor would I want it to be. Behind the wheel of a well-sorted example is still a fantastic place to be, and of course they offer a certain charm and character like no other.

[@NewtonInDaHouseYo]

These cars really do have a very light servo steering. However, in my D6 I feel that the steering ratio is very low as well which makes cornering a bit adventurous. I read that there is a Jaguar quick ratio steering rack (probably from the XJS): Anybody got experience with that?

[@kcsi1]

If I had an invention with which I could save humanity, I would ask for the restart of the production of the Jaguar XJ 2 and 3 series in return.

[@terencegamble4548]

I had an MGC GT auto back in the 1970's and that only averaged 15 MPG and 19 MPG on a run. That makes the Jag V12 look economical!

[@paulholland3869]

I had a Series 3 Daimler Double Six Vanden Plas in the 90’s. A local garage made me an offer I couldn’t refuse, the owner of the garage convinced me that he wanted to do a concourse restoration on it (it was in great condition anyway) and add it to his personal collection, like a fool I sold it to him, I never saw it again, or spoke to him again and to this day regret selling it. I used it for high days and holidays and it was quite affordable to use it like that.

[@geoffclarke8934]

Beautiful looking car with a brilliant engine only let down by the poor 3 speed auto gearbox.

[@fuelupclassic]

I don't mind the old 3-speed automatic but I would love to have a go in one that has had a 5-speed manual conversion. I'm told it transforms the driving experience.

[@cristianseres1353]

My Daimler Double Six is in a car museum for the winter, but I am very eager to drive it already. It is -10 °C now, I'll have to wait a bit more.

[@fuelupclassic]

Hopefully you will not have to wait too much longer.

[@iconicetiquette4546]

Love theses cars

[@garyestcourt2377]

Always loved these car's my uncle owned an XJ12 in the 70s , how reliable was your XJ6 you had for 4 years ?

[@fuelupclassic]

They are great cars! I can’t say my XJ6 was very reliable at first, but it had been stored for a number of years before I bought it, so problems cropped up as I started using it. The big expenses were a cylinder head rebuild and having the rear brakes completely overhauled. I wasn’t confident working on it in myself in those early days, but eventually taught myself (because I couldn’t afford to pay anyone) to fix things as I lived with it. I’d have another one in a heartbeat and it’s the car I miss the most.

[@garyestcourt2377]

@@fuelupclassic Thanks for the reply 👍 and yeah that does make sense they say the worse thing for them is not to be used , but I'm sure you already know that tbh ✌️

[@simonread732]

Wonderful cars my dad had a magnificent s1 Daimler double six vdp which was beautiful then a s2 4.2 and back to a brown v 12. Then he discovered Mercedes and spent less time in the garage or the petrol station. The Jags though we’re and are still magical!

[@fuelupclassic]

They certainly have a charm all of their own. I understand your dads decision to move to Mercedes though!

[@ernestjoseph7720]

Love these jag/daimlar double 6`s.Must have one.🙂

[@m5p944]

Cool but double headache

[@richardelson3261]

Fabulous

[@richardelson3261]

Gorgeous

[@jeangenie68]

Beautiful car but it will rust as quickly as it drinks fuel.

[@checker3694]

Not that one, it's a Japanese import. Always half a dozen for sale in UK, from specialised importers, UK ones tend to be though.