Historic Jaguar XJ convoy heads to the Paris Motor Show

A unique convoy representing the past and present of the Jaguar XJ will journey from the Jaguar Castle Bromwich plant in the U.K. to the Paris Motor Show to celebrate 50 years of the flagship luxury saloon.

The lineup will feature all eight generations of the XJ produced since 1968. The special collection will be led by the car that started it all, the Series I, and finish with the most recent XJ50 special edition, which was revealed earlier this year.

The convoy will also include significant models such as the Series II Coupe and X350 XJR.

Starting at Castle Bromwich, where the luxury saloon is produced, the 839km drive will take in a series of important locations.

The locations include Jaguar Classic, Bicester Heritage Centre and the Goodwood and Le Mans race circuits, which have played a significant role in the life of Jaguar and the XJ. Journey's end for the convoy is the Paris Motor Show, where the Jaguar XJ Series I made its debut in 1968.

Paris has a special significance to the Jaguar XJ. In 1968 the XJ made its debut at the show, with Jaguar Founder Sir William Lyons revealing his vision for a saloon car with the handling of an E-type. The luxury model was a revelation with its compelling combination of beauty, poise and performance. Since then, the presentation halls of Paris have played a regular role in the life of the XJ – the XJ 'X300' was unveiled at the event in 1994 and the revolutionary XJ 'X350', with its lightweight aluminium monocoque made its debut there in 2002.

Returning to the Paris Motor Show 50 years after its first appearance on the show stand caps a series of celebrations for one of the world’s great saloon cars, which has been the choice of business leaders, celebrities, politicians and royalty for five decades.