V12s can be a lot of things: big, powerful, smooth... but cheap isn't one of them. At least, not usually, anyway. But this one is.
Listed for sale on JamesEdition is a 1995 Daimler Double Six – which is not, despite what the name would suggest, a Mercedes. As you could probably tell from looking at it, it's a Jaguar.
Specifically a Jaguar XJ, from early in the X300 series that saw the return of classic (some might say “retro”) round headlights, but before the celebrated AJV8 engine was introduced. Back then, the XJ was available either with a straight six (supercharged in the XJR's case) or a V12 displacing 6.0 liters, like a good V12 should.
Britain's Daimler Motor Company dates back to 1896, acquiring rights to the name from what would become Mercedes' parent company. It passed through a string of owners until Jaguar acquired it in 1960, using the name to designate more upscale versions of its own models – not unlike what Mercedes, somewhat ironically, now does with Maybach. But it ended the practice about a decade ago.
In its day, the Double Six was the very top of the line. But as this one goes to show, they haven't exactly held their value very well. This light blue example is located in Rome, and after three owners, is listed for €9,400. That works out to about $11,230, or less than a thousand dollars per cylinder.
Of course, you could get a new XE with a turbo four producing nearly as much as the 311 horsepower the Double Six offered when it was still new, but then you'd pay a good three times as much, at very least... and wouldn't get the pleasure of driving a V12. (Color photos below from the listing, black-and-white from the Jaguar archives.)
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