Can it be that we’ve not had a fully-fledged CC on the Jaguar XJ-S? We can’t have that! It may have its issues and its detractors, but this big old cat saw its maker through extremely troubled times, surviving in the range for over two decades. So if only for that reason, it deserves a deeper look.
And that’s one of the things that many thought at the time, too: why did the XJ-S not look better? Most Jaguars were handsome as well as fast and luxurious (I have reservations about the S-Type, but that’s just me), but when it debuted in 1975, the XJ-S was met with muted acclaim, to coin an understatement.
The problem with the XJ-S was that it was born in particularly inauspicious circumstances. First off, it was to replace the legendary E-Type – a true masterpiece is a hard act to follow. Secondly, the mid-‘70s were a tough time for any carmaker whose main target audience was in the US due to that market’s regulatory peculiarities.
This meant massive shock-absorbing bumpers were applied to all models, no matter where they were sold, and that the planned convertible died in the womb (only to be resurrected years later). Sealed beam headlights, on the other hand, were reserved for US consumption and other markets got their XJ-Ss with composites that looked a little bit better.
The First Oil Shock did not help things, of course. Nor did the second. The Jag’s thirsty 5.3 litre OHC V12 was not known for being the most reliable, either. Yet it took Jaguar eight years to include a 6-cyl. variant of the XJ-S. The old XK engine was suitable enough for saloons, but no longer fit the bill (or the low hood) of the sporty coupé, but its 3.6 litre replacement, the AJ6, took many years to get into production.
But then the XJ-S itself took a while to get the green light. In the late ‘60s, Jaguar were in a state of flux. The carmaker’s treasury was running low and the number of planned models was ballooning well beyond reason: Jaguar was to launch a V12 and a related V8, reinstate a unique Daimler saloon, complete the XJ6 range with a drop-top, launch a smaller “sports sedan” to replace the Mark 2 and three variants of the E-Type’s successor. It’s amazing how little of these plans actually came to fruition, but then this list was established circa 1968, right when Jaguar boarded the Titanic that was British Leyland, albeit in a first-class cabin.
Jaguar stylist Malcolm Sayer headed the project for the E-Type’s successor and worked very hard at the aerodynamics of the design, but a number of problems were encountered along the way. One was that the front end needed a complete redesign when Jaguar learnt of draft US legislation to outlaw retractable headlights. Another was that Sir William Lyons, the company’s founder and director, was clearly thinking more about retirement than anything else. To compound this grim tableau, Malcolm Sayer died suddenly in April 1970.
The result of this protracted and difficult birth was a very difficult first few model years. The V12 was a groundbreaking achievement, as it potentially put Jaguar in the rarefied realm of Ferrari and Lamborghini, but Jaguar had spent a fortune on its development and failed to develop a V8 from it. They even attempted a slant-6 (i.e. half a V12), but this was also deemed unsatisfactory. The old XK block and the completely unrelated V12 were thus what Jaguar had to work with, especially since they had already discarded the Daimler V8s.
The V12 was a powerful beast, at least. In European spec, the early XJ-S had 285hp (DIN) to play with. Customers on the other side of the pond had to make do with 244hp, but the improved aerodynamics did help. But sales remained rather dismal: just under 4000 XJ-Ss were made in 1977, but by 1980, after Oil Shock number two, production dropped to just over 1000 units.
But Jaguar were in no position to give up. For starters, they were part of the (now nationalized and in steep decline) British Leyland experiment, so they lacked the autonomy to make these sorts of decisions. But they did not sit idly on their hands: Jaguar listened and decided to give their peculiar grand tourer a makeover for MY 1982, including a welcome return of a touch of chrome on the bumpers and the introduction of wood in the cabin.
But the big change was under the hood, with the “high efficiency” (HE) engine. A new head was devised that simultaneously upped the V12’s output to 300hp (in Euro-spec cars) and improved fuel consumption. This was enough to bring global sales back up to the 3000-unit mark, which was the XJ-S’s aim. But then Jaguar didn’t stop there: for 1983, the new all-alloy 3.6 litre 6-cyl. was made available in the XJ-S, and a so-called XJ-SC Cabriolet was added to the range. The XJ-SC failed to make much of an impression, but sales gathered pace all the same, leaping to over 6000 units in 1984, even as Jaguar was surgically removed from the rotting corpse of British Leyland.
Even more wood found its way into the console for 1988, as sales plateaued north of 10,000 units for that year and the next, just as a genuine convertible finally made it into production. By this point, the V12 was detuned to 291hp, but the Jag’s extra glitz meant this did not matter much to anyone.
The rest of the story is probably familiar: Ford bought Jaguar in late 1989 and pressed ahead with the big coupé’s planned (and somewhat overdue) second facelift, which was unveiled in the spring of 1991 and included a new tail, along with other changes under the skin to make the car cheaper to build. The nameplate also lost its hyphen in the process, for some reason. Now the XJS, it carried on until April 1996.
Personally, the XJ-S is not in my top-ten. The rear end is just too awkward for my taste. But I’ve warmed to it considerably over the years, especially the first facelift cars like this one. I’m clearly in the minority. Judging by the number one still sees around Tokyo, it seems as if a lot were sold here new and many are cherished, just like any 12-cyl. coupé ought to be.
Kudos to Jaguar for having snatched victory from the jaws of defeat with the XJ-S. Five years into its run, the car was in a rut. Any other carmaker would have probably thrown up their hands and taken the loss, but Jaguar were in no position to do so. Failure was not an option. So they listened to the critics, pulled a couple of surprises and turned what was a potentially fatal misstep into the cat’s pyjamas.
Related posts:
Mom’s Curbside Classic: 1995 Jaguar XJS Convertible – T-Bird Substitute, by Tom Klockau
CC Outtake: Jaguar XJS – Still Iridescent Five Years Later, by PN
CC Outtake- Jaguar XJ-S, No California Cachet, by David Skinner
Driveway Outtake: The Jaguar XJ-S Gives Way To The New Family Member, by PN
Snowyside Outtake: Jaguar XJS Hess and Eisenhardt Convertible – “IV Sale”, by Brendan Saur
CC Outtake: Big Miss Sunshine, by William Stopford
Vintage R&T Intro: New Jaguar XJS, by PN
Vintage R&T Review: Jaguar XJ-S – The Brougham-Era Replacement for the E-Type, by PN
Vintage Review: Range Rover , Lister Jaguar XJ-S NAS, by Yohai71
COAL: 1993 Jaguar XJS – BRG, Biscuit and Bond, by Michael Ionno
COAL: 1988 Jaguar XJ-SC – 1 of 41 Crazy Cats, by Importamation
Thank you Tatra for filling in this omission!
“Warming up” also describes how I saw and see them. Not much interest for them until a couple of years ago when I realized that they truly have their virtues and are a dying species. I like the low and long silhouette, always liked that strange rear end. Something different back then, and very different now compared to more modern machinery.
For the first few years they were too much the bearers of the doom period, with the all black bumpers and wood-less interiors. But the change in the early eighties changed that and for me, these (series 2?) 80’s until the the facelift version are the nicest ones. So I began to research them. While the V12 basically is a strong engine, it is let down by difficult and complicated injection and ignition systems which do not wear well. There are lots of stories of non-running V12s, mainly because of this. This is why I am much more interested in the six cylinder versions (the fuel consumption is also much more reasonable of course). These 6 cilinders can have a 5 speed manual or an automatic.
European delivered cars rust quite badly which is why I turned to the US as a source for finding a coupe. But the 3.6 was never officially imported to the US, only a handful for testing purposes. I found one of these, a manual in pretty good condition and imported it to our country (Netherlands). It needed new seat covers but not much else. Hope to have a good time with this car.
A red North American spec XJS coupe with the 3.6 L six and 5-speed manual appeared at Lone Star Mercedes in Calgary when I worked there in 1994-95. It stayed on the lot for a year. We “celebrated” its anniversary. Got to drive it a few times, even took it home once. Very much enjoyed the Sunday early morning drive. Fine shift action with a smooth surge of power made for a classic grand tourer. 0 interest from potential customers in a manual transmission. Think dealer finally sent it to auction.
One of these shares the UG carpark with my own car. I get to look at it a few times a week and have done for a few years. The mysterious thing about the car is the huge length and hopeless interior. Then there is the fact that it is at least four cars in one: from the rear it looks like a French vehicle (if you ignore the risible detailing of the lights and number plate lamp cover). From the side you see two cars. One below the waistline and one above the waistline. And then at the front a grille and lamp arrangement for a car that the sides and rear do not prepare you for. I don´t dislike it. 10 metres away from the Jag is a 450 SLC. The only thing a little amiss is the badge on the boot. It´s 5% too big. And the little chrome garnish underneath is a bit clumsy. Apart from that, the 1971 design has nothing that needs adjustment and every part looks related to every other part. When Mercedes saw the Jaguar they must have had a big laugh or were plain puzzled.
Poor Jaguar. Everyone having expired or retired, and the whole outfit having been consumed from within by the three hundred committees of Bilious Loonies at every section of the eponymous BL, there were few cat people left by ’74, and frankly, they were not of highest ilk. Nor were they sober, what with the many strikes and such, and thus, the XJ-S, in all its inglory.
” ‘eadlights off Quattroporte unpopular? Nah, Frank, fit ’em, they’re old stock, an’ cheap, and add some of them tug-boat buffer discards you got from your cousin at the wharfs as bumpers while you’re at it. Let’s see now, what next? Needs a wide slot of no int’rest at all as a grille – it’s only for air, innit? – that’s it, and la-de-da ‘arry-the Toff, even you’d have to call it a face fit for a supercar, now wouldn’t ya? Be-yootiful! Me ole mum awlways said I was full of style – no, you pillock Bargy, it wasn’t another word what started with the same letter.
Oh, we’ve made the the aero fail, ‘ave we? An all that work wotsisname done earlier, gawd rest ‘is soul, oh deary me. Quick, get that large plastic-bin over there, Den, and cut it up into a spoiler, no-one’ll know, and that’ll go unseen in black (and no, I don’t care if you fink it’ll spend its life like a dirty and cracked bib). Bob’s your Uncle. Lovely! Now, next – yeh, cheers to you an’ all Frankie, don’t mind if I do, nice drop, that – chuck on a decent landin’-strip of a bonnet, yeah, off them US cars them fellers ‘ad, also ‘elps to ensure any cabin room is, like, sporty, y’know? Yeah, yeah, like none at all, yeah, that’s it. Nice an’ long an’ low, Pete, and yes, let’s top it with a steep curved screen off that 1964 proto – nah, it ain’t too upright – and lavish it with chrome, ay? It’s nowhere else on the car, is it? Lovely-jubbly!
Oh dear oh dear, it’s not pillarless, you says (even though the XJ-C beneath was)? Alright, Arfur, get some classy blackout paint, but not the ‘igh-priced one, mind, bung it all over the frames, and let’s make sure the glass’ouse has, hmm, let’s see, more of that bin-plastic glued past the rear side window, Den, and end it in a pointy shape, that’s it, so the whole thing looks George, wiv ‘is hat always too big and slid back. Classy! Now, Paddy, stick in a reversed Mk2 front screen at back, lovely, oh – oh, it’s fallin’ out? Fit some buttresses, then. Blimey, it still is? Well, I dunno, stretch the bastards awl the way to the very end of the car, call ’em them wotsits, y’know, flying nuns – oh, buttresses, is it, well ain’t you fancy Tezza.
Now, boys, er, clock’s tickin’, let’s finish ‘er off wiv more of them tug-boat off-cuts across the bum, and job done! Engine, you say? No worries, engine’s some yuge, complicated bollocks fing outta expery-mental – nah, nah, Tezza, buyer’s’ll never know – me little boy’s done the interior, very talented lad ‘e is, for a seven- year old, I’ve bribed some of the unemployed Allegro boys to build it, I’ve got me cousin Arkie the Sparky to wire it, and fellas, we’re good to go.
Now, ‘oo’s beatin’ me to the Crown an’ Anchor?”
Magnificent postulation as always!
+1, if not +100!
The best thing about this car is that it’s probably the cheapest V12 out there. Wouldn’t you take a chance on it for at least a year?
When I think of the least attractive, and most contrived wheel design seen on a prestige car, I cite these. A wheel design, you’d expect on a Ford Pinto. What were they thinking?
Never liked the chrome-finished A-pillar trim. They may have felt it added a classic touch. I just felt it helped date the design.
Wonder whose ’66 Falcon they nicked those from?
I have always hated the XJ-S.
As a child, I was 5 when they came out, and the front, reminded me of a Frog or Toad. I expected it to go Ribbit at any moment.
The rear, with those buttresses, designed for a mid engined car, as well as the rear lights cluster that echo English Churches Arched Windows. Urgh
Compare the XJ-S with the beauty of the XJ Coupe. Its not there. The only time an XJ-S looks okay, is the side view of the full convertible.
It was a true Grand Tourer, meant to do the London to Monaco run (or Los Angeles to San Francisco) for a long weekend, after setting off on a Friday afternoon. For those who couldn’t afford an Aston Martin DBS V8, Jensen Interceptor Mk2, Ferrari 365 GTC/4 / 365 GT4 2+2, or Maserati Indy.
But in period, the BMW (E-9) 3.0 CS & CSi / 6 series or Mercdes-Benz (C107) 450SLC were the Cats main rivals. Both better built. Both better designed.
But the XJ-S ultimately sums up everthing wrong with the Britain in the late 60’s & 1970’s.
Government interference. (The idiot Labour Wilson Governtment had this big plan to merge all these companies into one whole to take on the world. Stupid. Germany, never merged, Audi, BMW, Borgward, Glas, Goliath, Lloyd, Mercedes-Benz, NSU, Opel, Porsche & VW, into one group). Then when, the plan to make 40,000 workers redundant out of the new grouping, closing manufacuring plants, Tony Benn MP, went nuts, stopping any jobs being lost.
Incompetent management. Lord Donald Stokes (really don’t need to say more)
Short sighted union leaders. (Only care was how many members they had working a car plant, and ensuring new machines didn’t replace jobs)
Failures to invest in new technology. (when Ford bought Jaguar in 1989, for a £1 Billion, they didn’t know whether to close it down and write it off as a tax loss or invest in new equipment.
And
Lazy workers, who were awkward, and unwilling to change work practices, not forgetting the wild cat strikes, disruptions and walkouts before 1980’s Conservative government industrial legislation.
Even when, Pininfarnia showed what could be done with the XJ Spider, which triggered the in house XJ41/42 programme.
The money, wasn’t forth coming.
Awful, and the one thing a Jaguar, never should be. Ugly.
I broadly agree with your comment, except this:
But the XJ-S ultimately sums up everthing wrong with the Britain in the late 60’s & 1970’s.
Government interference. (The idiot Labour Wilson Governtment had this big plan to merge all these companies into one whole to take on the world. Stupid. Germany, never merged, Audi, BMW, Borgward, Glas, Goliath, Lloyd, Mercedes-Benz, NSU, Opel, Porsche & VW, into one group). Then when, the plan to make 40,000 workers redundant out of the new grouping, closing manufacuring plants, Tony Benn MP, went nuts, stopping any jobs being lost.
I’m not sure that the blame can entirely be laid at the feet of the Wilson government. The main chunk of British Leyland was BMC, i.e. Austin + Nuffield, which merged in 1952. The other bits added to the mix — Standard-Triumph, Jaguar-Daimler, Rover — did not represent a huge addition to BMC, which was a dysfunctional entity from the start. Should we blame the Churchill government for that?
I’m not aware of any plan to merge BMC or BL with Rootes, Ford, Vauxhall, Rolls-Royce, Aston Martin and whoever else into “one big company.” So your whole premise about Germany not having merged every carmaker into one is odd. Consolidation and mergers took place in all carmaking nations, especially in that era. In the ’60s and ’70s, Citroen ate up Panhard and Berliet, then got shotgun-married with Peugeot, which then picked up Simca. The French government at the time was far from Labourite, by the way. Look at Germany in those years: VW took over Audi and NSU; BMW took Glas; M-B took Hanomag. In Italy, De Tomaso caught Maserati and Innocenti, while Fiat hooked up with Ferrari and took over both Autobianchi and Lancia. Are we noticing a pattern here?
This was not limited to the automotive sector, by the way. There was a governmental plan in the UK to merge a bunch of companies together to create a world-class outfit. That was in the aircraft sector. And it was enacted under the MacMillan governement. Similar plans were drawn up in France, Germany and Italy, ultimately culminating in the creation of Airbus.
I’m not saying that Wilson or Tony Benn did everything right, of course. But there was widespread agreement within Whitehall — and beyond that in most of Europe — that consolidation should be encouraged in the automotive sector. Even the Japanese were thinking along the same lines in those days (see Nissan/Prince and Toyota/Hino/Daihatsu). The view was that a fragmented automotive sector was counterproductive and that fewer large companies could potentially withstand economic headwinds better than a lot of small ones. It’s not completely idiotic. It just wasn’t piloted very well in BL’s case, but that goes back to the foundation of BMC as well as the other points you raised.
I always kind of liked these, as they were one of the few interesting cars one might see in the U.S. apart from a Porche.
The biggest thing that bothered me and has always bothered me was the blacked-out “thing” on the C-pillar. What was/is it? Is it a vent? Can one open it from the inside? Why not just make it a window? Why didn’t they ever do something about it over all the years it was in production?
It’s easy to beat up Jaguar as a company, especially during this period. But it was too small to be really competitive, and too big to be a cottage industry, a rich owner’s plaything. Unlike Aston Martin, which has spent the first three quarters of it’s history periodically going broke, being put into receivership, then being rescued by a rich individual. All while producing a small output of legendary cars.
The problem with the XJS for most hobbyists, is that it doesn’t deliver enough satisfaction for all the effort, hardship, and expense, of owning one. I had a ’89 V12 convertible for several years.
For many, the styling isn’t the stuff of dreams. It’s a personal thing, but I find them handsome.
For all of their pedigree and racing success, they aren’t particularly quick, but they are fast on the top end.
You will need to find a very knowledgeable mechanic, willing to work on it. This is one of the biggest hurdles, as there are some jobs that you will not want to attempt on your own. Like rebuilding the suspension. I was not successful in this area. Many shops will refuse to work on a car older than 20 years, or even 10 years old. Or one without a complete service history, you’ll hear many excuses.
While you can successfully DIY with this car, it takes a dedicated and committed owner. It will not be cheap. Especially with the V12. The ABS systems are problematic, as are all aging electronics on cars.
The final six cylinder models are the best, they used the most advanced six Jaguar ever built, I had one in my ’97 XJ6, it is a superb motor, and it is paired with the four speed GM automatic. Buy a GOOD car, not a CHEAP one!
I suppose that if I had been more committed to the car, I’d still have it. With my car, the engine was in fine shape. I’d replaced the transmission myself, in my garage, lying on my back. I had serious concerns about the ABS system. But I really did not want to dismantle the springs to renew all the bushings, which it needed. Owning, maintaining, and preserving one of these cars is not a casual undertaking.
Minor correction: The regular XJ6 did not have the GM 4-speed. It had a ZF 4-speed.
The ones that had the GM 4-speed were the XJ12 (V12) and the XJR (supercharged I6). And that’s because the GM 4L80E could handle the torque of these higher-output engines. Bentley and Rolls-Royce used a version of it, as well, on their amazing 6.75-liter V8.
And even the GM transmission in the Jaguars was a derivative, with a custom bell-housing and wiring harness, and probably a unique final drive. I actually just had to have mine rebuilt (at great expense!). Thankfully, the prior owner rebuilt the ABS system on mine, which I’m told is related to the one FoMoCo used in the contemporary Mondeo.
Just like its XJ sedan this is a very beautiful car. I recall the guy in my Montreal apartment had a cabriolet version of XJS. Frankly I couldn’t know how he could afford that car with a salary of low level civil engineer. Back in 80s, in my opinion XJS, Porsche 928 and 911, Audi 5000 and Mercedes 300E were the most recognizable vehicles on the North American roads.
Some cars are objectively good. Some cars are objectively beautiful. Some cars are objectively fascinating. The XJ-S is in the third category, and this is its allure. At least for those who are willing to be fascinated by a car that may not be beautiful or good.
I am among those who has long been fascinated by these. But I am long past the stage in life where I would be willing to take the plunge into a relationship with one. Testimonials like that of Jose Delgadillo, above, ease my mind about this.
Much of what has been said above can be agreed with, and the certainly the 1975 reaction was not great (in the UK), but with some perseverance Jaguar eventually made a nice car out of it, if you liked the styling. The XJ-SC looked a bit clunky and a bit too Triumph Stag but the later Cabrio was fine and even the Coupe aged well, especially after the Ford facelift cleaned up the rear side window shapes. Examples we see now are, IMHO, ageing well and even the not very Jaguar interior is looking attractive. And it has a V12, and a nice one at that
Or am I biased? Just don’t buy one with a bodykit, please!
I always thought the targa convertible XJ-S was odd, and was surprised it took so long for Jaguar to do a factory convertible with the proper look. But Princess Diana did drive the targa for a while, and she made that car look better than it otherwise would have.
The XJ-S (and later XJS) was never as well-regarded as the E-Type, but I’ve always liked it. The XJ-S was also supposed to get a replacement in the stillborn XJ41/XJ42 in the late-80s/early-90s. But after Ford bought the entirety of Jaguar in 1989 and saw how much modernization its Browns Lane facility would need, it killed the XJ41/XJ42. However, Aston Martin picked up the engineering–which was mostly finished–and massaged it into the DB7, which Jeremy Clarkson once derisively called “The Jag in Drag.” After that, Jaguar used the foundations of it to create the XJS’ eventual replacement, the “X120” XK8 (1997-2006).
As for the V12, it was always a scary proposition compared to the I6, so resale values of V12 models have always been in the toilet…especially for the carbureted, pre-HE 5.3-liter version. That said, I just acquired a Jaguar V12 product of my own, and it’s a peach. It seems rather easy and straightforward to work on, honestly.
You are a brave man! I look forward to hearing more.
Count me as an XJS fan! My late Great-Uncle bought a bright yellow V12 HE in 1984, and as an 10-year-old I thought it the coolest thing! I was staying with my grandparents at the time, and remember my grandmother showing me an XJS in a Daily Express World Car Guide and saying “Uncle Billy’s bought one of these!”. I still remember him showing me the engine bay (so, so much stuff jammed in there) and taking me for a quick (in both senses of the word) drive in it. He said it cost too much to run, and sold it after a year or two..
So although it was a brief part of my life, it started off a love for the XJS that has stayed with me until today. Even my husband, who’s not into cars at all, recognises them and loves them (albeit with the original pre-’91 taillights), and it’s one of the few cars we both agree we’d like to own (in convertible form).
Sadly I see more of these in junkyards than on the streets these days, yet they are always worth a walkaround. The prettiest Jaguar coupe? No. Interesting though? You bet, and always worth a thought of who might be or have been behind the wheel. Buying one isn’t a casual undertaking (or at least it should not be), and owning one can’t be for the faint of heart. But where there’s a wallet, there’s a way; or however that saying actually goes.
Walkinshaw actually raced one (well, multiples I suppose) for a few seasons, and I believe I’ve driven one or two like the posted example, many decades ago when I was a pimply-faced valet at random upscale events around the more fashionable of Los Angeles’ areas. Always at night, never for very far, but enough to take in that intoxicating scent of rich leather, caress that spindly little shift topper, and feel it rather than hear it purr its way down the road, hopefully there wasn’t a spot to park it all too near…
I don’t want one, but I’d enjoy having one I think. Just like I enjoy looking at every one I see. Thanks for sharing it.
Dreadful looking car that never improved. I’m amazed to learn that sales took off as I mentally blocked in my mind.
But then I remembered driving a friend’s. For the period, flooring the V12 was rocket ship territory. Everything in the rear mirror disappeared, the road in front vanished and being a Jag if felt perfectly safe. Even better, inside you couldn’t see it.
However, the XJ12 was still available so why would you bother.
The world’s first ugly Jaguar.
I never got the point of these. They supposedly didn’t replace the E-type (could anything?), but were supposed to be an addition to the range, we were told – yet BL took away the E-type at the time this appeared, so it sure seemed like a replacement.
But it didn’t look like a Jaguar. The US bumper style being foisted on the rest of the world did it no favours – and this thing was in dire need of every favour it could call in. I thought the style was unworthy of a Jaguar, with quarter vent windows cluttering up the greenhouse (C’mon guys, quarter vents on a brand new design in 1975?) to the awkwardness of the rear side window/black panel treatment and C-pillar buttresses (they should’ve had a gander at the Aussie Valiant Charger to see how it could have been done), to the taillights and random chrome treatment above/below/around/across from them which looked like someone went to the local wreckers for inspiration. And parts.
Why did it take until 1991 to make it the way it should’ve looked in the first place?
I have driven jaguars since 1971 when I was 21. My first was a 1968 E type. What a car. I have had every model since and they have all been worth it despite their faults.