If you’ve ever restored a car (or a bike, a plane, even a piece of agricultural equipment), have you ever looked at it again after all the time and money was spent and wished it weren’t so perfect? Glass-smooth panels with gaps between them more uniform than they ever came from the factory, coated in beautifully unblemished paint that picks up every reflection with unwavering clarity from bonnet to wing to door—it’s hard to imagine trading back to the blemished starting point once you’ve come out the other side.

This isn’t a manifesto against restoration, and this particular Jaguar makes a case for both sides of the argument. Few topics divide classic car enthusiasts more than the issue of whether a restoration brings back former glory or simply erases history. For a time, this argument was part of the characterization of the stereotypical Americans and the stereotypical Europeans; all shine and wax versus the slightly decayed gentleman’s club look. Look at almost any car scene in the world today and you will find representations of both sides,