Got an old Jag? We have good news. If your 3.8-litre straight-six goes bang, Jaguar will now sell you a brand-new one. Yep, it has resumed production of the ‘XK’ motor, which back in the day was fitted to the XK150, XK150 S, MkIX, Mk2, MkX, E-Type Series 1 and S-Type. You’ve not been able to buy a new one since 1968.

The new cast-iron blocks are supplied by Jaguar Classic (the team behind the continuation XKSS, D-Type and ‘reborn’ E-Types among others). They cost £14,340 each and are supposed to be direct replacements for broken engines.

So annoyingly you can’t just buy one to stick in whatever car you fancy - buyers actually have to provide Jag with documentation proving they own a car fitted with an original XK motor before they’re allowed to buy a new one.

You can choose to keep the serial number of your original engine (with an asterisk to show it’s a replacement) or have an entirely new one stamped into the casting. Each one leaves Jaguar Classic with a minimum 12-month warranty (that’s void if you go racing. Boo) and certificate of authenticity.

STORY Tom Harrison