Junkyard Gem: 2005 Jaguar X-TYPE 3.0

During the Premier Automotive Group phase of Ford’s ownership of Jaguar, it seemed to make sense to create a Jaguar that non-oligarchs could afford. By taking the Ford Mondeo (sold as the Ford Contour/Mercury Mystique on our shores) and adding luxury touches plus Jaguar styling, the X-TYPE came into being and hit American showrooms starting in the 2002 model year. Fast-forward a decade or two and it’s no sweat to find entry-level European luxury sedans lined up in your local Ewe Pullet. Here’s a decal-enhanced ’05 X-TYPE 3.0 AWD I found in a yard near Pikes Peak a couple of months back.

This car shows signs of having been loved dearly by its final owner. Since the paint is Topaz Metallic, which is sort of a gold shade, its name became Goldie.

Goldie was sweet, it would seem. Perhaps the dripping-blood decal indicates that Goldie’s sweetness was alloyed with cruelty.

Paw-print, bloody-claw-mark, and Jaguar stickers abound.

Goldie has eyes both at the top of the windshield and on the front bumper. Her headlights appear to leak blood.

Those who might criticize these customization touches come face-to-face with this message at the windshield’s lower edge.

How would such a treasured machine end up in a place like this? As we see here, at some point Goldie got hit hard in the right rear, and the crash damage was too severe to be worth fixing. I hope everyone involved was wearing their seat belts.

The interior looks to have been pretty nice before junkyard shoppers began prying off trim parts.

Someone bought the stick-on hood scoop and the “Leaper” hood ornament.

You can’t have too many JAGUAR emblems!

This is the newest junked Jaguar I’ve documented; the oldest was a 1969 XJ6.

Sometimes the best part of giving is the thank-you you’ll receive.