2006 Jaguar Touch Up Paint (22 OEM Colors)

The 2006 Jaguar Vibe

By 2006, Jaguar was trying to shake off the "grandfather's sedan" image while keeping its dignity. It was the year of the sleek, aluminum-bodied XK and the classic-but-refined XJ. With 22 colors in our vault, it's clear they weren't holding back on the drama. You had the mandatory heavy hitters like British Racing Green and Ebony, but 2006 was really the year of the high-tech metallic. Shades like Liquid Silver Metallic and Indigo Pearl Metallic were everywhere, designed to look like liquid jewelry under the streetlights of London or Los Angeles. It was a sophisticated palette for a brand that was finally starting to look forward.

Paint Health Check

Welcome to the Thin Paint Era. By 2006, the robots in the factory had become dangerously efficient. They figured out exactly how many microns of paint they could get away with to make the car look "showroom glass" without wasting a drop. While the finish on a Platinum Metallic XK looks spectacular, it's brittle. Because the factory coats are so thin, those beautiful 2006 finishes are magnet for rock chips. If you've got a chip on one of the aluminum-bodied models, don't wait-aluminum doesn't "rust" like steel, but it will oxidize into a white, chalky crust that lifts the surrounding paint faster than you can say "Coventry."

Restoration Tip

When you're touching up a 2006 Jag, leave the "blob and go" attitude at the door. Since the factory clear coat is thinner than a post-it note, a big heavy drop of touch-up paint will stick out like a sore thumb. You need to build your layers like a fine lacquer. Apply your base color in two or three whisper-thin coats, letting them dry until they're tacky between rounds. Once the color is level, the clear coat is your real hero-it's the only thing standing between your Black Copper Metallic and the elements. Build the clear up slightly higher than the surrounding surface, let it cure, and then level it off. Patience is the difference between a repair and a "blemish."