Robert Hughes, a dealer in classic Jaguars, sometimes agonises about the sort of 'home' his cars are being sold into. Oonagh Charleton has the details
Is there such thing as the right kind of customer when you are selling classic Jags? Apparently so, but based on the premise that Robert Hughes, who sells some truly exceptional Jaguars, finds comfort in the knowledge that they are going to a good home.
Fear not, for if you are looking for a 1970s series 2 XJ or even a 1980s XJS, chances are Robert will hand you the keys, pat the bonnet and send you on your way. But, there are some very special classics, like a 1962 2.4 litre Mk2 manual with under 10,000 miles on the clock, that demand a good home.
Hughes goes to great lengths to explain his process of "instinctive selling", explaining that some cars are almost too special to sell: "They can be cherished for 40 years and then ruined in seven."
An understandable attitude from a man who has written extensively about Jaguar, and published a book on Daimler/Jaguar. "I am a car enthusiast," he explains, "I do pull out all the stops to get hold of special cars and I don't want to see them get ruined."
During the 1980s, he supplied film sets with classics and was even brought in occasionally as an extra to play the chauffeur.
Hughes, who owns and runs Robert Hughes Automobiles in Weybridge, Surrey, invests serious time and energy "cosmetically refurbishing" classic and not-so-classic used Jaguars and Daimlers.
With models ranging from Mk2 S types to three generations of the XJ series, he has access to a range and variety of Jaguars to satisfy his customers' interests.
But it is his concern for where his cars go that strikes you when you meet him first. In particular, the older models he has in stock. Why? Well, perhaps because many of them will find their way, eventually, back into his hands.
Several classics have passed through his hands over half a dozen times. Since 1983, Hughes has earned a reputation as an international trader in classic Jaguars, and during that time has built up an impressive contact list in Ireland, where 40 per cent of his Jaguar fleet is sold.
Interest here is enormous, with his first show in Dublin proving an unqualified success.
Hughes, who remembers his first attempt to stage a Jaguar exhibition in Dublin, grins wryly. It was almost a disaster. At the last minute, with dozens of cars lined up and waiting to cross the Irish Sea, he was informed by the relevant authorities that on this occasion, he was only entitled to bring four cars across, for what had been advertised as a large Jaguar showcase.
Over 600 people turned up on the first day, and despite only four cars present on a humble forecourt, each one of them was snapped up and Robert returned home with a long list of excited Irish buyers waiting to be contacted.
His most recent sales exhibition in Dublin late last month, drew large crowds of Jaguar enthusiasts with about 700 visitors milling through a pristine array of classics and Jaguars of more recent vintage.
Selling five cars, including a 1969 V8 Daimler, he described the showcase as a definitive success which was "more like a party at one stage."
"The amazing thing was," he enthuses, "people hung around chatting for hours."
The Mk II Jaguar, one of the principle showpieces, is still for sale as Robert awaits "the right person with the right home". Described as respectable but wickedly fast, it is regarded as the last proper sports saloon that Jaguar ever made, with a straight-six, 3.8 litre engine and a top speed of 125 mph. And an interior to die for.
The Jaguar club of Ireland also attended, displaying members' cars and answering hundreds of questions from an enthusiastic crowd.
Robert's only gripe was the loss of his contact book that held the names of several potential customers interested in the purchase of a lifetime.
Hughes Automobiles now operates as an Irish company and, according to Hughes, the business performs well here with interest growing mainly through word of mouth.
So to the obvious question: what's his favourite Jaguar? Hughes plays safe: "Every day I drive what is sitting at the front of the showroom. There are cars that I use a couple of times during the week that I enjoy, like the 1962 Mk2."
His most popular sellers are the XJ saloons from late 1994 to 1998, with nothing in his fleet costing over £40,000. Earlier XJs, like the XJ6 and some of the last V12 XJ Saloons built in 1991, can also be accessed. The six-litre V12 XJS that replaced the E-Type in 1975 was hailed as a positive successor, but never grabbed the public imagination to the same extent. With styling based on the XJ12 saloon, performance was excellent but space was a problem, especially in the back.
It's very simple. If you have always wanted a Jaguar, feel you can provide one with a good home, and if you are capable of "taming" some of the V12s out there, by all means contact Robert Hughes.
Clients can purchase to order or by visiting the showroom, or visit the website to browse the potentials at www.roberthughes.co.uk