Jaguar produced 115,000 examples of its long, low XJ-S over two decades, and like all cars with long production lives, some variants were pretty rare. This Signal Red coupe with matching red wheels is one such example. Jaguar produced just a few hundred of these Rouge special edition cars for just two years, and sold them only in the US. Along with the corresponding Majestic XJ6 special edition, Jaguar hoped these cars would stir up interest in its product line at a time when sales were stagnating. Whether that strategy worked or not is up for debate, but seeing one of these unusual examples around town is cause for celebration. Or at least an excuse to look back on the XJ-S’s unlikely path through the 1980s, culminating in the very red coupe.
When introduced for 1976, Jaguar officials were adamant that its new XJ-S was not a replacement for the iconic E-Type. Jaguar described its new coupe as “a 2+2 with the performance and handling of the more expensive sports cars and the quietness and comfort of luxury sedans.” In other words, rather than a sports car itself, this was a grand tourer competing with the likes of Mercedes, as well as other extravagances like boats or aircraft. And a unique grand tourer at that.
Unique, but not breathtakingly beautiful in the tradition of its E-Type and XK120 forebears. Some loved it; others thought it unworthy of the marque. Road & Track’s first impression was that the XJ-S drew influences from Ferrari’s Dino and Citroen’s SM – a peculiar combination guaranteed to generate strong opinions both pro and con.
Design controversies notwithstanding, for the XJ-S’s first few years, Coventry met its modest annual production goal of 3,000 units. After that, demand crashed. The inflationary late-1970s economy wasn’t sympathetic to an expensive, thirsty V-12 coupe, no matter what it looked like. In 1980, Jaguar sold just over 1,000 of these cars worldwide, and it looked like the XJ-S might be a short-lived experiment. In reality, this cat had used up just one of its many lives.
Throughout the 1980s, sales rebounded, helped by an improved economy, Jaguar’s HE (High Efficiency) engine upgrades, build quality improvements… and maybe buyers warmed up to the styling, too. Whatever the causes, XJ-S sales increased tenfold by the end of the decade, and the car found itself being a living legend – a model that seemed like a classic right on the showroom floor. 1988 and ’89 output both topped 10,000 units, with just under half of those sold in the US.
Though both the XJ-S and Jaguar itself staged a remarkable comeback during the 1980s, some disquieting signs emerged during the decade’s last few years. Sales of the sedans fell as buyers were slow to embrace the new XJ40 versions. And XJ-S sales, while generally robust, were propelled almost exclusively by convertibles. Sales of the XJ-S coupe fell to half of its mid-’80s highs.
Jaguar devised a quick solution to stir up some excitement in its lineup: Two limited edition models. The Vanden Plas Majestic and the XJ-S Rouge were announced in June 1989, going on sale shortly afterwards.
These special editions were appearance packages only. Though Jaguar executives would recoil in horror at the suggestion, these were akin to Lincoln’s Designer Series cars. The idea was simply to provide a bit more resplendence than with an “ordinary” Jaguar. In the words of Michael Dale, Senior Vice President for Sales and Marketing at Jaguar Cars Inc., “Even a Jaguar customer is often interested in a ‘special car.’” He noted that the XJ-S Rouge would “offer the buyer all of the desirable features of the XJ-S plus the exclusivity he or she is looking for.”
That exclusivity manifested itself in Signal Red paint matched with color-coordinated basketweave wheels, red piping on the magnolia leather seats, and gold-colored badges. Certainly not extensive upgrades, but a few hundred customers thought it desirable enough to spend an extra $3,000 on top of the “standard” XJ-S price. Rouges listed for $51,000 in 1989.
This particular car seems outwardly solid, but has a few loose trim pieces, both the hood and trunk lid are cracked open, and the tires are a decade old. All of which point to a likely project car, maybe one that’s recently been purchased. If that’s the case, I wish the owner luck, since these Jaguars aren’t the easiest cars to work on. Regardless of its status, we can use this example to check out not just the special Rouge features, but also those characteristics that make the XJ-S so unusual.
Let’s begin with the buttresses, which are the XJ-S’s most unique – and polarizing – design trait. Sweeping back from the C-pillars, this design feature, penned by Jaguar aerodynamicist Malcolm Sayer, was intended to improve the car’s slipperiness and stability. While it’s unclear whether the buttresses did their intended job, they certainly created an interesting piece of automotive art.
The XJ-S defied every bit of marketing logic during the 1980s. From its low point in 1980, sales began taking off, even though the basic shape hadn’t changed much from its mid-1970s introduction. Between 1982 (when the HE engine was introduced) and 1988, Jaguar made virtually no changes to the XJ-S except for a few new colors, yet sales ballooned. Convertible sales added even more XJ-S’s to the roads.
Seeing this car in a modern context highlights just how unusual its dimensions appear against contemporary vehicles. At just under four feet high, the Jaguar’s roof doesn’t even come up to the window line of the Silverado next to it. Compared to current cars, the XJ-S is about a half-inch lower and several inches longer than a 2026 Corvette. The Jaguar’s hood (sorry, bonnet) itself is 51 inches long, with its flat shape making it seem even longer. These were all unconventional dimensions when these cars were new, and are even more striking today. Between the styling and the dimensions, no one ever mistook this for another car.
While the rest of automobiledom blandly downsized to six- and four-cylinder engines in the 1970s and ’80s, Jaguar bestowed the XJ-S with a V-12. In its 1989 form, this engine generated 262 hp and 290 lbs/ft of torque, both extremely impressive for the time. Or, in the words of Jaguar’s brochures, “incredibly smooth yet savagely strong.”
Now let’s take a look at what makes the Rouge unique. The most visible distinction is its Signal Red paint with matching wheels. XJ-S’s were available in bright red throughout its production run, though the names and shades kept shifting. Signal Red was offered in the 1970s, then gave way to Sebring Red and then to Grenadier Red. In 1989, Signal Red returned – it was the most vibrant of these reds, and a fitting shade to proclaim a special edition.
Then there’s the wheels. By 1989, Diamond-turned, lattice-type wheels replaced the former Starfish wheels throughout Jaguar’s lineup. On the Rouge, the hub area and the spokes’ inside portions were red to match the car’s body.
Other special Rouge features showed up inside – red piping on the Magnolia leather seats, and polished burl elm on the dash and door panels (other XJ-S’s received burl walnut).
1989 US-market XJ-S’s were burdened with motorized seatbelts. This car’s driver-side belt is likely broken, since its buckle appears stuck in the closed position, necessitating the driver to latch the lap and shoulder belts separately. So much for safety.
Jaguar debuted a new steering wheel for 1989, replacing a more delicate-looking design on the older cars. More changes would come the next year, when the car got an airbag, new control stalks, and the ignition switch moved to the steering column instead of the dash. But 95% of this interior looked just like it did when introduced in the 1970s. There’s plenty of ’70s quirks too – such as the vertically calibrated gauges between the speedometer and tach, cruise control activated by a rocker switch on the console, and giant pushbuttons for controls such as the rear defroster and hazard lights.
The rear seats were comfortable, except for people with legs. Maybe suspecting that XJ-S owners rarely even looked back there, the Rouge edition’s rear seats featured no red piping or other distinguishing hallmarks.
Around back, we see the final extras that Jaguar offered with the Rouge package – gold-colored badges. In my opinion, this is the least tasteful of the special edition’s trimmings, not just because I’m not enamored with gold accents, but it seems to contrast poorly with chrome trim just inches away.
In any event, the gold XJ-S and “Collection Rouge” badges stood as testaments to this being a special edition. And special it was – just a few hundred of these cars were sold for 1989 and ’90. The Standard Catalog of Jaguar states that 213 Rouges were sold during the 1989 calendar year, 145 during 1990, and then 10 during ’91. Other sources estimate slightly different figures, but anyway it’s looked at, this is one of the least common XJ-S variants produced over the model’s two-decade lifespan.
Love it or hate it, the XJ-S was one of the more distinctive cars of its era. These Rouge models added a bit more distinction on top of owning a low-slung sports coupe with buttresses. While a mere footnote in the XJ-S’s long history, these special edition cars are notable due to their rarity, and serve as a fitting way for the XJ-S to conclude an eventful decade.
Photographed in Fairfax, Virginia in July 2026.
Related CC reading:
Curbside Classic: 1989 Jaguar XJ-S – Cat O’Nine Lives
Vintage R&T Intro: New Jaguar XJS
Vintage R&T Review: Jaguar XJ-S – The Brougham-Era Replacement for the E-Type
Mom’s Curbside Classic: 1995 Jaguar XJS Convertible – T-Bird Substitute
CC Outtake: Jaguar XJS – Still Iridescent Five Years Later
Vintage Review: Range Rover , Lister Jaguar XJ-S NAS
Interesting trim variant I never knew about. I am with you on the gold trim clashing a bit with the chrome. I usually really like basket weave rims but these look good but slightly odd. Maybe the red?
Regardless, I have always thought these XJ-S coupes were fantastic looking machines. Great to see one in good shape still.
I do think the red on these wheels is just “too much red.” I think on other Jaguars the basket weave wheels look great, but these don’t do the car design much favors, in my opinion.
I had long forgotten about this special edition or more likely never even noticed it as I was not a fan of the XJ-S. Quite the find, and I wish the owner good luck keeping it going.
I will join the club of those who had no idea these existed. Maybe it’s because I have a troubled relationship with bright red cars, but I have always thought these looked best in darker colors.
I had also forgotten that these date back to the late 70s.
Those are the worst classic car plates I’ve seen. What percentage of cars does VA have on the road from the 20s?! Fugly!
Virginia gives antique car owners two choices for antique plates. These black-and-white plates evoke Virginia’s first license plate design from 1906 – when Virginia first issued antique auto plates in the 1950s, the state used this design, which made sense back then.
About 20 years ago, VA added the blue-on-yellow plates as a more modern option. I don’t know how many of each type are issued, but just based on my observations it’s about 50/50. A lot of folks still like the old-timey plate design.
I like the black ones. Reminds me of my long, gone, youth.
10-4, thanks for the reply
I vividly remember when these cars came out. BL bought an ad in the local paper that was glossy brochure. I was utterly shocked that the car did not have a manual transmission available.
We had a few of these cars come into the family garage. The V-12 was a service nightmare. It barely fit in the engine compartment, making any service very difficult. It also had a stone age fuel injection system. The real problem was you could not diagnose the FI if the car was not running. If said car was tow-in, all you could do is replace parts until you got the right one.
When running right ( a rare condition for a Jag) the V-12 was amazing, with smooth power delivery and zero vibration. It also used gas at like 12 MPG.
What/who is “BL”? (t/y)
British Leland, the nationalized UK conglomerate that owned Jaguar in the ’70s and ’80s.
I helped to put a new radiator in one of these. There is a giant plate on top which hides all the ugly radiators (one for trans and one for engine IIRC) and other bits, but also has almost a dozen pipes connected through it. It is the most infuriating job. You would not believe.
I really began to dislike the XJS after that.
I think that these days you just rip out the the old Lucas FI with its strange distributor thingy, and put in an aftermarket one that actually works reliably, and for less dough than trying to make the old one do its job. Not sure if this applies to later ones like this car.
Jaguar never did anything easy. The center of the V is where the alarm clock sized distributor is located, along with the spindle that operates and balances the throttle bodies. That means that the intake manifolds curve over the top of the cam covers and the throttle bodies are on the side of the engine. Bad enough with F.I., but imagine this with carburetors! The fuel injection and ignition are not the real problems with this car. The Teves ABS system and pump, not to mention the ABS computer, are serious problems in that replacement parts are no longer available, and you can’t easily revert to the earlier pre ABS brake system. The suspension is also poorly designed, the bushings are a joke and very short lived, and the springs and suspension arms are very hard to service. I liked to describe the under hood view as looking like a giant shark that swallowed a nuclear reactor!
I had a ’89 convertible and the ownership experience was to say kindly; eye opening.
I’m working on one of these right now. It’s not a simple car to work on, but not nearly that bad either. I’m still figuring things out, but I’ve been able to get mine to run well enough to proceed with the (extensive) other deferred maintenance. I fought with it some, but I think the biggest issue was iffy grounds. Wiring issues are definitely a problem, and I suspect most of them would instantly be more reliable and less quirky with the wiring redone. Looking at all the cracked wire insulation in the engine bay, I’m wondering if I’ll have to bite that bullet – much as I don’t want to…
That “stone age” EFI was very advanced when it first appeared, and not really outclassed until the 90s. It’s a similar story with Bosch K/KE-jet mechanical fuel injection that many love to hate on. They require a different approach to troubleshooting than OBD-era stuff, but they’re no more difficult once you understand then, and perfectly reliable if they’re sorted and kept up well. That and run on good gas – ethanol-free premium if at all possible. Ethanol is deadly to these classics. I’ll leave the question of whether that’s coincidental for another time.
This Special Edition does the car not any good in my opinion. The red is too red, and I never was and am still not a fan of the BBS style wheels (too much BMW style). According to the Jaguar forums, many do like these wheels though.
Combined with the gold touches it all is a bit too much (kitsch).
A couple of years ago I was a Majestic XJ40 offered and I was tempted but again could not stand the gold and BBS. The XJ40 did have a better red color though, much darker.
Completely agree with you. I have always liked the XJ-S, and the original style (like were on my ’84 XJ6) and the starfish look great. If XJ-S would have been available with 3 pedals and a 4 or 5-sp, I probably would have owned a used, very depreciated one.
Never heard of these not surprising though as its a Nth America only edition, kinda prefer them in dark green, but the V12 thirst isnt in my wheelhouse feeding one would be impossible and worse than ever now 95 is $12.50 per gallon today and that is the discount day price.
Think if they’d a skipped the red wheels the car would look much “Jag” ier.. Interesting info never the less.
The wheels ruin it for me too, much prefer the original starfish design.
And proving yet again that the world is full of other people, I always really disliked the chunky starfish jobs, which belong in the sea. I was relieved when the BBS-type ones turned up, even though they also turned up on everything up to and including shopping trolleys in that era.
That said, not these ones. The red looks like crappy overspray.
A friend’s father had an ’87 XJ-S in some sort of dark green-blue with dove grey interior. It was a cool smooth ride when his father would let us take it out on Friday or Saturday nights in high school for cruising and girl getting. With four guys, we had to move the front seats forward to make leg room in the back. And that was back in the 1980s when we were all relatively thin! One thing that really stood out for me was how fat the center console was.
In any event, a quick spot check of these on the classic car sales websites shows they have not gained fans over the years in becoming collector cars based on price. And with the notorious problems associated with classic Jags, that’s no surprise. The E-type is an exception depending on condition.
I’ve always been kind of mixed on the XJS. Not bad, especially back when Jag was still something of a performance car, but the flying buttresses were over the top and not to my taste. And who was it, Bob Tullius, who raced them with some success. And it had the misfortune to follow one of the all time classics, the famed E type, even if they said it didn’t, we all knew it did. There’s nothing worse than following a legend.
Still, there’s something to be said for a V12 Jag, and I wouldn’t kick one out of the garage if it just happened to appear there. At least not until I started finding crazy prices for unobtainium parts that were required for daily driving.
It’s been said of both Jag and BMWs, there’s nothing more expensive than a cheap V12…
The sales suggest that you can slap as much rouge as you like on a dead cat, but it still stinks.
I’ve come to quite like the XJ-S as an eccentric part of the motoring landscape, even though you cannot find an honest owner who ever had a trouble-free run with one.
For a late ’80’s/early ’90’s special, this Moulin Rouge job’s pretty tasteful, in the sense that there’s no wonky spoiler or color-coded doorknobs and aerials, but like every package from that era, it’s still a bit shit.
My late great-Uncle bought one new in 1984 and had a completely trouble-free run with it Justy! Mainly because it cost so much to run that he barely drove it, using his Vauxhall Chevette instead. I was 10 when he bought it and I still remember him taking me for a drive in it, being so low meant it felt breath-takingly quick to a kid. He opened the bonnet and showed me everything in the engine bay, I vividly remember the spaghettiesque wiring and piping everywhere. I was gobsmacked with the styling though – it was so unlike anything else on the road. Nowadays I still love the styling – you’d never call them pretty, but they’re handsome and have quite a bit of presence. Never heard of the Rouge edition, but painted basket-weave wheels were certainly the rage in ’89.