I was recently watching a video of Chris Harris (he of YouTube and Top Gear fame) driving a Jaguar XJS. He briefly touched on something I found incredibly insightful, which crystallised a thought that has been forming in the back of my mind for some time. With the gradual move away from British-designed and built cars, we have lost a unique combination of ride and handling suited to our British roads. This is particularly apparent during the winter months when potholes and broken surfaces seem to be at their worst. Let’s face it, our roads are not great.
Having driven many modern cars, I find them very refined, but it seems to me they have been designed to perform well on smooth roads. They are great for eating up motorway miles, but put them on a narrow country road lined with potholes, and the whole experience becomes rather unpleasant. Heading out in an XK, by contrast, feels far more confidence-inspiring. I think this is, in no small part, aided by the bigger sidewalls that classic car tyres generally have. However, I also believe that the suspension was designed to soak up the abuse a car takes on our imperfect roads.
Although Jaguars certainly set the standard for this combination of ride and comfort, they are by no means alone in this trait. Having recently been out in a Morris Minor, I was struck by how well it absorbed the bumps, even if it lacked the handling characteristics of sportier classics. Certainly, you can go out and buy a Porsche or similar car with superior handling, but this often comes at the cost of comfort and practicality.
What do you think? Have we lost something with the onward march of technology, or am I romanticising the golden era of British cars built for British roads?