A 1985 Jaguar XJS. Car and Driver magazine said the XJS was so quiet and refined that it "never seems to go fast, even when the speedometer needle is pointing out three-digit numbers."
It's about time car collectors are discovering the 1975-96 Jaguar XJS, which was replaced by the new Jaguar XK8 sports car in 1997.
The XJS succeeded the last version of Jaguar's revered 1961-75 E-Type sports car, commonly called the "XK-E" in America. But, while the E-Type was a sleek out-and-out coupe and convertible, the XJS was much different when it arrived about six months after the last E-Type was built.
The XJS disappointed many sports car fans because they expected a direct successor to the aged E-Type. Instead, they got a larger, heavier and quieter four-seat coupe, with a heavy emphasis on luxury. There was no convertible version in sight because it also was felt that convertibles would soon be outlawed for safety reasons.
William Lyons, who was the Jaguar company's savvy founder and chief, felt stiff new federal auto regulations in America -- a huge Jaguar market -- would pretty much kill sports cars such as the E-Type. That car arrived long before most of those regulations came in the early 1970s -- ending the market for U.S. muscle cars and virtually killing the one for fast foreign sports cars in this country. Also, increased traffic congestion was making it harder to enjoy sports cars.
Lyons also saw a growing buyer preference for four-seat cars with more safety, refinement and luxury -- so-called GT (Grand Touring) cars. The GT market was larger and more profitable than the sports car market. The XJS interior thus was quiet, very comfortable and sumptuously trimmed with leather.
The XJS was the last Jaguar influenced by Lyons, who retired in the early 1970s, and the last Jaguar designed by veteran Lyons colleague Malcolm Sayer, a brilliant aerodynamicist.
The E-Type was derived from Jaguar's wildly successful D-Type sports/racing car of the 1950s, but the XJS had no such colorful heritage. However, it did have the E-Type's powerful V-12 engine, which initially was developed as a race engine. It produced 244 horsepower and quick acceleration, and worked with a smooth three-speed General Motors automatic transmission (although a four-speed manual gearbox also was available in Europe). Horsepower increased to 262 and fuel economy was improved by 20 percent in 1982 when the V-12 got a special "Fireball" cylinder head.
No other automaker except exotic, limited production Ferrari and Lamorghini offered a 12-cylinder engine, and prices of those cars were over the moon. The 1976 XJS cost much less, at $19,600.
Most E-Types had a potent six-cylinder engine, but the 1971-75 Series III E-Type got the V-12 to provide strong performance when new U.S. emissions regulations began sapping power from the six-cylinder. While heavy at approximately 4,000 pounds, the XJS did 0-60 mph in a brisk 7.5 seconds and could reach nearly 140 mph. High-speed highway cruising was effortless.
Car and Driver magazine said the XJS was so quiet and refined that it "never seems to go fast, even when the speedometer needle is pointing out three-digit numbers." The British Autocar magazine said the new Jaguar handled "superbly" and was "sensationally quiet" and "certainly fast."
An all-independent suspension from Jaguar's XJ sedans provided a smooth ride and was modified to give the XJS more precise handling expected of a GT car.
The XJS had unusual, smoothly curvaceous styling that seemingly gets better as years pass -- perhaps because the car looked distinctive when introduced and because many new autos look too much alike. The XJS shape was partly determined by wind tunnel testing for the best aerodynamic efficiency.
The XJS' styling would have been a bit more cohesive if not somewhat compromised by the "committee-think" design approach of creaky British Leyland, which had absorbed Jaguar. The car also had to make concessions to new U.S. safety regulations such as barrier crash and lighting standards, which raised the hood's height a bit. Still, no other car ever has looked like the XJS.
An XJS "semi-convertible" was introduced for 1986 as a two-seat Cabriolet with fixed window frames, center "Targa" bar that resembled a roll bar and two removable rigid roof sections that stored in the trunk. But a full convertible finally arrived in America in 1988 and effectively replaced the Cabriolet.
Race versions of the XJS developed by outside outfits did well. A 195-mph version captured the 1998 Trans Am championship in America. Another had won the 1984 European Touring Car title, which led Jaguar to help create a production-based XJR-S with a 318-horsepower V-12. It could do 0-60 mph in 6.5 seconds and reach nearly 160 mph.
After a long, happy life, the XJS finally was discontinued in 1996. It was offered with a six-cylinder engine from 1994 to 1996, but the most desirable models have the V-12. They're valued with that engine from $12,675 to $17,475 if in very good condition, with convertibles worth the most.
In the end, Jaguar's William Lyons was right -- the XJS far outsold the E-Type Jaguar sports car.
JEDLICKA ON JAGUAR XJS:
