It occurred to us here at Influx towers that with the release of the new XJ imminent, that it is time to celebrate the passion for innovation and design in British cars. The XJ did after all, achieve its designation because it was thought of as an ‘Experimental Jaguar’.

It feels good to feel good about Jaguar again, and with a new corporate partner in Indian company Tata, an exciting projected lineup that includes a D-Type reimagined on modern mechanics, as well as a boxster-beating drophead in addition to continuous evolutionary manifestations of the superb XF, the future seems to be looking increasignly bullish for the cat badge.

This new-found fascination with the forthcoming fleet of new Jaguars have had us lusting after all sorts of old Jags, especially the playboyish XJ12C and the beefy XJ40 their erstwhilet Arfur Dalyish image notwithstanding.

Though the visceral reality of the new XJ is in Orwellian lockdown for the moment, we love the idea of it, and the more we look at it’s aggressively stylish nose, the pulchritudinous rear three quarter and the sweeping lines that link them, the more excited we become.

Hail the power of automotive design and branding.

Here are five more British cars that should be celebrated for their boldness, innovation and forward thinking vision:

1: The Aston Martin Bulldog

Cancelled custom order or doodle-time indulgence. The Aston Bulldog was the revolution that never was

2: The Farbio GTS

Carrier of the Marcos legacy Chris Marsh’s lovely pocket supercar, pieced together in a stable in South Gloucestershire.

3 TVR Tuscan

Full bloodied English hooligan, and as fashion-conscious as a football casual too.

4 Bristol Fighter

The height of British eccentricity. The fighter looks madly strange, but we want one anyway.

5 Lotus 7 Series 1

Stripped down and perennially outrageous. Simple and superb as egg and chips.

The Farbio GTS is a supercar with a difference. Not only does it have a better power to weight ratio than either a Lamborghini Gallardo or a Ferrari F430, it will it easily accommodate a 6’6″ driver complete with friend and the inevitable golf clubs. And on top of all that it’s made in Britain, in a sleepy South Gloucestershire village.

What’s more, and say this quietly, despite having a name reminiscent of a hunk of Italian beefcake, this is a supercar that actually has more than a modicum of taste, and as a result you can’t see it attracting the kind of snobbish disparagement reserved for the Italian stallions.

We felt the space in the magazine was best served with a full profile of the finished product, but we also visited the factory, and it provides quite a contrast with our visit to Bentley.

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