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‘People usually believe that the car is a hearse. As almost every car is now a hatchback, she does not generate that much attention anymore, but Jaguar folks are all highly amazed that there was ever a five-door XJ’.

And this is quite understandable for the marque expert Georg Dönni owns one of the most exclusive cars ever to wear the famous Daimler fluted grille.

Ladbroke Avon Ltd. of Warwick undertook the conversion, and their work was awarded a Gold Medal for Specialist Coachwork at the 1980 NEC Motor Show.

Here was the ideal car for the motorist who required a modern interpretation of the shooting-brake and who did not need the 4WD of the Range Rover.

It virtually goes without saying that the prospective buyer would have almost certainly regarded the Granada Ghia Estate as a tad ‘nouveau riche’.

The coachbuilder’s previous Jaguars included the beautiful  Avon-Stevens XJ-C convertible of 1979 whose designer Anthony Stevens went on to create the Estate.

Browns Lane officially supported his work, and they also issued advice on the rear spring rates.

Ladbroke-Avon ingeniously employed the frame of a Renault 5 hatchback attached to the XJ’s boot panel for the tailgate, and with the rear sear folded there was space for 58 cu ft. of luggage. 

Jaguar’s warranty also covered the Estate.

The well-heeled buyer was now able to have his/her Jaguar or Daimler transformed what was ‘arguably the fastest and most refined estate car in the world’ (to quote the PR material).

Naturally, such a magnificent conveyance was far from inexpensive and as Declan Berridge points out on https://www.aronline.co.uk/:

‘The basic conversion work cost £6,500 (plus VAT) and included the installation of an electric sunroof, vinyl roof, inertia-reel rear seatbelts, rear wiper/screen washer and the extension of the car’s central locking system to include the tailgate.

The rear-facing child seat added £475 to the bill, while Dunlop chrome wire wheels could be added for a further £428 (again, plus VAT).’

Avon intended to build 250 units, and by 1982 they offered a “Mk.2” version fitted with a split rear seat, improved ventilation and a modified tailgate.

However, only twenty examples were to leave their Warwick factory, and  Georg came by his car circa 1993.

At that time, one of his friends spotted it ‘in an English magazine.

I then agreed with the seller that he would drive her to Switzerland. 

On the way, he had to pick up some parts from my suppliers in the UK.  

As always, I overdid it a bit; the boot was almost scraping along the road’.

The Daimler was initially destined for one of Georg’s customers, and a new job was to remanufacture a new boot lid ‘as the old one was rotten but still there. 

That was not an easy job but knowing that the upper part was Renault 5 and the lower XJ facilitated the project.

The client then decided to ‘do the car up himself, which he never did, and I bought the car of him in 1999’.   

Georg was the fourth – ‘or sort of the fifth’ custodian, and the second owner was the film producer Andrew Birkin, the brother of Jane.

Mr. Dönni also met with Graham Hudson, the owner of Ladbroke-Avon - ‘but unfortunately, he did not remember much about these cars anymore.

But we bought two sets of rear glasses which are unique to the car’.

A first task was to rectify the colour scheme for when the Avon arrived in Switzerland in February 1994 it ‘sported many layers of paint.

The original looking silver shade came off, then BRG, then black and finally its original silver underneath’.

Georg decided on a new shade of black ‘to give this car the aura of my hearse I used to transport Jaguar parts’.

However, when the Sovereign left the works in 1982 ‘there was no plain black, and only “Sable” was available - a new colour at the time with an old name as it used to be “Brown”’.

The Avon was eventually finished in the distinctive shade of  “Black Metallic”, a process which involved the respray of the outer skin, four new doors, a new bonnet and extensive panel work on the conversion.

Georg also removed the power plant to facilitate the cleaning process - ‘my wife did not like the messy engine bay’  - and it was then he saw the Estate had previously suffered ‘a serious accident.

There are rumours that Avon received the accident-damaged cars of Jaguar to do their conversions’.

To effect repairs, Georg needed to remove the front and rear suspension and replace the floor reinforcement panel, but he, fortunately, owned ‘a Celette jig to get it all as it should be back together again’.

The trim presented a further challenge as it was ‘finished in the incorrect shade of red, but today it is now the proper shade of black.

The only missing thing is now the rear window’s Metro wiper motor and the restoration of the roof’; the sliding panel has been sealed-up.

Georg also notes that that vinyl covering is ‘quite practical as it can be used as a table while performing breakdown services on classic car rallies’.

As for the Avon on the road:

‘When the car arrived in Switzerland, I had an S3 as a daily driver.

When I drove this car to the Customs, it was a different kettle of fish, as it is a manual.

No relaxed driving anymore, all of a sudden I was behind the wheel of a quick car.

Over the years, a few things have happened - she received an AJ6 modification to the engine management, a longer rear axle and a tow ball.

The car is a great cruiser and has mighty torque. I love her a lot.

Once we pulled a Jaguar C-Type XKC, 023, through Germany to a meeting. What a sight!’.

Words which could apply to the Dönni Avon on all occasions.

With Thanks To: Georg Dönni  http://www.jaguarclassic.com/_PORTAL/portal.htm

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