Wednesday Trivia Question

Who drove a Regency red 1960 Jaguar Mark 2 2.4L car with number plate 248 RPA?

This is a very specific question about a very specific character and a very specific car. I don’t want to offer too many clues lest I give the game away. Suffice it to say, the character who drives said vehicle is a well-known character whose series was aired as part of a long-running anthology. The character was British and was known for solving crimes. Surely, that narrows it down some but still gives you plenty of possibilities. I think fans of the series will recognize it instantly, of course.

So who was it? Who drove a Regency red 1960 Jaguar Mark 2 2.4L car with number plate 248 RPA?