Jaguar Hong Kong is enjoying: last year sales rose by 60 per cent.

The new limited edition cars are distinguished by sport badges on the back and front, alloy wheels, and a spoiler on the boot lid.

The main part of the car is standard XJ6 and has all the grace, pace and space that made Jaguar famous.

Though Ford now owns the British car-maker, the products have not changed much. Jaguar still handles interior fitting with exceptional skill, and the combination of a smooth pliant ride and silky power makes the Sport a pleasure to drive.

Just sitting in the cabin of a Jaguar gives a sense of well being: the interior has the kind of comfort that few cars can offer.

Why this should be is a mystery. The leather of the Sports upholstery is harder and less fragrant than many of its rivals and wood trim is now common in Japanese executive cars.

But somehow Jaguar gets the combination right, and many of the cars from Coventry are sold as soon as the potential buyer has plopped down into the driver's seat, grasped the wheel and admired the surroundings.

One of the secrets has to be the chrome that adorns the XJ6. When the metal plating had gone out of fashion and could hardly be found at all on other cars, Jaguar did not forget that customers liked chrome and were disappointed without it.

The Sport has an abundance of the stuff: the windows are framed in chrome, the bumpers are topped with broad bands of the shiny metal, and, of course, the Jaguar grille sparkles with chrome.

The effect is to make the Sport seem precious and special. It sets off the lustre of the paint work, and it makes the cars seem so desirable.

Car buyers are impressed by sophisticated specifications, new inventions and innovations. But most of all, they want a product that makes them feel good, and this is where Jaguar is strongest.

The 200 brake horsepower of the 3.2-litre engine is not the strongest in the Jaguar range - the 4.0-litre delivers much more horsepower and torque - but the Sport's straight-six engine purrs beautifully at low revs and rises to a snarl when provoked.

Jaguar Hong Kong claims for the Sport a 0-100km/h time of 8.5 seconds and a top speed of 210km/h.

Stirring the four-speed automatic gearbox through its ratios is the best way to get the best from the engine, but no amount of enthusiasm will unsettle the rear-wheel-drive chassis.

The Sport has enough suspension compliance to provide comfort, yet it musters the solidity and control to push through corners at speeds worthy of the car's name.

Front-wheel-drive cars are now common and the front-wheel-drive chassis has been made to work well.

It is only when a good rear-wheel-drive chassis comes to be tested that I am reminded of the traditional layout's benefits.

Putting the power through the rear wheels leaves the front wheels to steer unhindered by torque.

The result is clean, crisp steering that allows the driver to place the car exactly through corners.

Jaguars will not always be this way. Soon, Ford will be forced to make the British company more economical and cost-effective.

Ford will replace the rear-wheel-drive with a front-wheel-drive that will probably be shared with its own cars.

Ford is bound to cut the time Jaguar takes to make its cabins so comfortable and charming.

Until then, Jaguar Hong Kong should continue to reap the rewards of selling a marque that invests each car with heritage style.