I wanted to share a few thoughts of what makes the XJS so special to me and get your feedback on what makes it special to you.

I have always liked a good under dog. Rocky comes to mind because you have a guy who was not the most talented but had heart and hung around against the odds.

Maybe that is what I find so fascinating about the XJS. It followed the E- type(hard for any car to do), was not a "true sports car" but rather a heavy GT , did not start out as a convertible, did not have any options on engines but a rather thirsty V-12 at a time when gas was hard to get and the XJS cost $19K in 1975, which was over double what the last E type roadster cost at $9200 in 1974. Oh, and on top of all of that started out at a time when quality and reliability were not known attributes of British cars. Even Sylvester Stallone did not give Rocky that many disadvantages. Despite all of this and more this unique and unlikely Jaguar ended up being sell able for 21 model years.

So needless to say when I set out to find a special car 4 years ago the XJS was not the highest on my list. To be perfectly honest I was not even really considering a British car when I got started but, like it has done so many times before the XJS hung in there and showed why it was worth taking a second look at. Yes my budget of what I had to spend played a big factor in me keeping the XJS on the list of possibilities but it was the XJS as a whole package that ended up making it the best choice. Here are a few of the many things that made the XJS stand out: uniqueness, options, style, quality, drive-ability, safety, beauty and smooth power. On top of all this comfort was high on my list as I am almost 6' 5" tall so I had to find a car that I could fit in which if you are not of this size range you would be surprised how many so called sports cars you simply do not fit in.

Yes, there are cars out there that in almost every single category I have listed are better at something over the XJS but as a complete package in my opinion the XJS is very hard to beat.

So how about you-what drew you to the XJS and what makes it so special to you personally ?

 

I certainly enjoyed mine....after spending quite a bit time sorting everything out :-)

Favorite attributes? Hmmm. Here are three.

1) Uniqueness. Few were seen on the road 10 years ago. Even fewer today

2) Roadholding. While not a nimble sports car I felt that the car had a very stable, glued-to-the-road feel. At over-the-speed-limit speeds it always felt totally rock solid. It was a very secure feeling.

3) Comfort. My '88 had the early torture rack seats but a simple modification (spacers under the front seat bolts) fixed that easily enough. The cabin and driving position just seem to fit me well and had a very comfortable feel.

Cheers
DD

 

To be perfectly honest, I don't love the XJS. I love Jaguar. I only bought my XJS because it has a manual transmission behind the six. So it is pretty easy on gas and fun to drive. I know it isn't strictly a sports car but it has the best ride/handling/brakes etc of anything I have owned. I love my XJS and will keep it as long as I can, but for years I bought other cars and never considered an auto-trans XJS. If I have to have an automatic, I'll go for another XJ6.

 

In 1975 my dad took me to the London Motor Show at Earl's Court, a fantasyland for this up and coming teenager There was a lot of interest at the Jaguar stand as this was the introduction of the XJ-S. Something spoke to me about the car, it was so different from any other Jaguar and from any other car really. It was love at first sight

19 years later, having moved to the US, I went to my local dealer and ordered a brand new MY94 Conv with manual gearbox. I had the choice of buying a number of different cars but the XJS still spoke to me and it's combination of elegance, refinement, sporty characteristics and, still to my eyes, sexy looks made it an easy choice. Almost 20 years further down the road, the love affair continues and in fact I probably appreciate my car even more today than I did new. So for me it's been a 38 year old love affair

 

I just bought my 1994 XJS and am still learning a lot about it. I was looking for a project car and a friend of mine had this one that she had wrecked... just cosmetic damage... So she went and bought her another one just like it. She sold the damage one to me. I love it. Lots of get up and go... Handling is fantastic... and the comfort is great...

 

I recently shared this on another post, but, I've copy/pasted it here, for the sake of participating in the discussion:

I've had a love affair with the XJ-S ever since I was a teenager, and first saw one parked at an upscale hotel near the concert hall in Birmingham Alabama when I was there to see THE WHO in concert in 1976. I have long since forgotten most of the details of that concert, but, the image of that gunmetal grey XJ-S sitting in that wet parking lot, just before sunset with fresh raindrops beading up all over it's crisp sheet metal, is an image and a moment of my life which I will remember forever. It literally changed my life. Even though I was a poor kid living in an 800 square foot house in rural Alabama, I vowed to myself, and to my best friend, that I would own one of those cars ''someday''.

Another indication that I had "the Disease" was when I was in the Air Force, and went back to my mother's home on leave one year, to discover that my old neighbor had bought a new white XJS. This was mid to late 80s, so I'm thinking it was an '86 or '87. It didn't have the active seat belts, so I know it wasn't an '88. It was just sitting there under his carport, with dust all over it. He wasn't home, so I couldn't talk to him about the car, but, I wasn't about to let it remain filthy. I got his garden hose and some of my old car wash supplies, and ended up spending the next 2 hours washing and drying his car, caressing and admiring every curve, as if it were a woman. The thing is, that I did this on more than one occasion, over the course of a couple years. He eventually tossed me the keys, and told me to take my wife for a drive in it. That was the nail in my coffin. I had to have one. Today I own 3.

My' 88 (Demon) will remain pretty much stock, because I enjoy the smooth quiet ride that is so unique to the XJS. However, my '84 (JagZilla), with all it's modifications, when finished, will be my version of a more performance oriented XJS sub-model that Jaguar never built, but, (in my opinion) should have built--I like to use Jaguar's current performance designation, and call it an XJS-R, as opposed to the XJRS designation. I also hope to include a few undisclosed modifications which should make it a novel vehicle to drive in parades as well.

 

I have noticed over the last four years or so of owning a XJS how much more attention these big cats are getting at car shows etc. They just have a presence about them. I enjoy parking next to rather expensive older cars and being surprised at the interest this car garnishes. People do not see them often on the road.

 

We got our '85 Coupe V12 in 1994.

Daily driver??, along with 7 other Jags.

The XJ-S simply has that aura about it that simply will NOT go away.

We traveled nearly ALL of Australia in that car. NEVER, EVER let down by it.

Numerous discussions around "bush campsites" about the sanity of the driver to be so far away from any Dealer support. NO idea some people.

Some 17 years on, and it was sold. It was NOT for sale, but constant pestering saw it go. VERY sad day. My physical inability to maintain teh car as it deserves aided the parting somewhat.

The following Jags, X300, and currently 2 S Types, and as nice as they are, and easy for me to maintain, they simply are NO match to the awesome XJ-S with the REAL engine.

Tempted again 3 weeks ago with a '95 6ltr Coupe, buuuuuuut, something said NO.

 

Oh, heck yes!

For many years I lived in the West Los Angeles/Santa Monica area where there was a car dealership, seemingly, on every street corner. In the early/mid-70s E-types were just "used cars" and ranged from $2000-$3500.

Of course some were a bit clapped out and $2000-$3500 was actually not an insignificant amount back then...as used cars go.

I seem to recall that it was the early 80s that E-types started to take off.





Right !





We'll just have to wait and see what the future brings.

As I've said in other threads I'm not particularly interested, personally, in seeing XJSs taking off in value.

I'm reminded of the musclecar thing where years ago we reached the point where fewer and fewer people can afford to buy and enjoy the cars. In many cases they've simply become a receptical for the well-heeled to "park their money" for a few years.

I'm not disparaging the well-heeled, mind you. Nor do I want to go off onto tangent about socio-economics and the like. However it does seem a bit of a shame that the majority of people who love (and used to drive) these cars can now only wishfully and wistfully read about them in glossy-paged magazines.

For decades one of the main Jaguar selling points has been that you get a lot of car for the money. Heck, that was the big "plus" with the E-type. Even to this day the new Jags are usually priced below comparable competetion. And we see the same today with used XJSs and other Jag models. IMHO, "may it ever be thus".

One (totally legitimate) counter argument is that appreciating value makes it worthwhile to spend money on neat older cars....and therefore more of them are kept out of the scrapyards. I get that. But we already have many enthusiasts who are perfectly willing to (blunty put) dump money into XJSs *simply because they love their car*.... and with zero anticipation that the car will appreciate enough to even break even. There's certainly nothing wrong with that. It might not make sense from a practical standpoint but the motivation is as pure as it gets.....and I think that's great.

I'm a bit worried that enthusiasts of rather ordinary means (that would be me, for one) will get edged out of the Jaguar thing....just as we were edged out of the musclecars, E-types, and Corvettes. And, yeah, I'll be honest enough to confess that there's just a tinge of resentment there. Notice I said "tinge". I'm not a bitter person, I promise. I'm really just a guy who loves old cars (Jags in particular) and would like to see the hobby remain accessible to as many people as possible.

Enough rambling


Cheers
DD

 

Its an event to see an XJS. They seem to be able to draw crowds, mainly out of curiosity. We frequent a little coffee shop at the weekend with street parking and outdoor seating.... We usually take the XJS so the dog can come along. While sitting enjoying our coffee its interesting to watch peoples reaction to the car. Young and old, male and female all can get interested in it. It's not the same reaction as something exotic, its more friendly. The other part I love is the car sits and ticks and makes noises as it cools down. You can even smell it..... That unique smell of lots of things getting very hot at the same time type of smell. It reminds you you got there by lots of barely controlled explosions.... About 24000 a second if you want to try and count them. The battery power here was driving the starter motor and not the wheels which is how it should be.

The other thread running about the value of XJSes brings up some other points. I think the XJS is amazing value for money if you get a nice one. I'm glad they are still accessible too as Doug said. I bought a cheap one and spent a "fortune" on it, but at the end of the day I know everything about the car now (because I've had to fix most of it at some point), I've got a ton of satisfaction out of bringing the car back and to be honest, for the price of a new corolla (that's about what I've spent overall) I'm convinced my smiles per $ is way better.

 

we also refer to our jaguars as a SHE, like a woman!

"ask and you shall receive"

 

I just hate having to get out of my 1992 XJS. If I could sleep and have meals on wheels delivered, I would probably live in it. I have had six Jags and enjoyed them all, but there is something about the cabrio with top down that makes all the worries go away. Great handling, smooth ride, quite and the nicest car i have ever owned. It eats the British Columbia hyways up and makes driving a pleasure.

 

I love the elegant GT lines of the XJS plus, plus there is a certain aura associated with fine V12 automobiles for me. I'm looking to add one to my stable soon!

 

SARC,
I know exactly what you mean, but, I'm not following your math here. At 3,000 rpm I count 18,0000 explosions per minute coming from those 12 cylinders. That's 3,000 (rpm) X 12 (cylinders) ÷ 2 (2 revolutions are required to produce combustion per cylinder). That's a lot, but, it's nowhere near the 24,000 per second that you site. What am I missing?

 

All my Jaguars are special. My XJS and E type are special because my grandfather gave them to me. My X type is special because she allows me to have a daily driver that is beautiful and still has that Jaguar "je ne sais quoi" lol

But my XJS is the most special (I hope the others did not hear that and decide to plot against me by breaking down!!). Something about my XJS makes her just a little more special to me than my E type. I think its because the XJS, specially in the late facelift form, has a XK150-ish quality that I personally appreciate very much....it's more stately and elegant than sporty and fast. The body lines, the crease running from end to end. It doesn't scream 60's upheaval and rebellion but rather late 70's to mid 80's opulence and decadence. When I drive the XJS I feel like I should have rose petals being thrown on the pavement by two Victoria's Secret angels in front of me for my tires to drive on while another feeds me Beluga Caviar in my mouth while sitting in the passenger seat. (We might have to revisit the Victoria's Angel feeding me caviar inside the car because it would really make my cabin smell bad )

The interior of the XJS is also very special to me. It had one the last truly "handmade" feel of any mass production car out there. It's a car that looks like it costs 200k dollars but can be had for 2k.

And that is my XJS "Playback Theater"

 

Funny you should say that about the XJS vs E, Mark. One thing I love about my XJS is that it is an excellent GT whereas older cars I've had like the Mk2 Daimler were more work to drive. It's an eight hour drive to visit my sister, but not at all tiring in the XJS. Great fun.

 

you guys are really SOMETHING ELSE!! damn its great to be alive.

bet the wives are jealous.

 

The first thing in regards to the XJS “aura” is the very fact that it is a Jaguar. The marquee, the Jaguar name alone, regardless of its resale value or collectors’ potential, has a certain “mystique” to it. When non-Jaguar owners refer to the Jaguar brand, they do so with a certain air of admiration, regardless of how low the market value of the particular model may be. So, yes, the XJS has a head start just by being a Jaguar first.

Now, the fact that I also own an XJR makes it a little difficult in regards to certain XJS attributes other than its looks. Why? Because the XJR maneuvers a heck of a lot better and it has a smaller turn circle and better power assist than the XJS. It is also way faster (unless I turn on the nitrous). But I do like the “straightline” drive feel of the XJS, along with better brakes.

To me, besides the fact that it is a Jaguar, the first thing that struck me was its shape and stance. Even today, after so many years of ownership, I’m still amazed by its stance. Once in a while, I take the XJS with me and I park it at the Esplanade (by the beach), where I do my jogging. When I’m working my way back, towards the car, I can see its front from far away and I am almost in disbelief that something I’ve owned for almost 14 years can still make such impression on me. It’s the same every time, as I’m in total awe with the true exotic, low stance of the car and it gets better as I come closer to it. Needless to say, there always are viewers who stop to take a look up close and I don’t interrupt while jogging by…

All cars look better after cosmetic enhancements and upgrades, be it new paint, glass, chrome, wheels, etc. but IMO, the XJS somehow multiplies this effect with just similar improvements. I don’t know what it is, perhaps its special shape, dunno, but an average-to-neglected XJS will shine brighter than other cars when equivalent upgrades are incorporated. This is what I tell the occasional XJS owner at car shows when they bring in a so-so example: “You put a little money and love into this car and it will respond in a way that few cars would, attracting more admirers exponentially. Maybe this is the very reason why I love my XJS so much. As enhancements have been made, cosmetic or otherwise, the car has become progressively more attractive, more interesting to me, kind of like a wife who keeps re-inventing herself to keep the “attention”?

I just wonder whether the relationship (i.e. my XJS “affair”) would be the exact same today, had I bought the car cosmetically near-perfect and no enhancements of any kind performed on it (i.e. little or no “quality time” spent together….). I've seen older guys selling their beloved XJS because of age issues. I sure hope that it never happens to me before is time to go.

Cheers,

 

I hope we keep this thread going for a bit as I am really enjoying reading all of your responses. I still cannot get that image out of my head Mark of having a hot young Victoria Secret model riding in the passenger seat feeding me whatever-see you had me at Victoria Secret.

I wanted to do this thread to remind us that whether you were given this car, bought one used or purchased new this car has a way of becoming a part of you. Like I said before many cars are faster, lighter, handle better, are easier to maintain, etc. etc. etc. but as a complete package this is a unique and distinctive car. I have had the fun over the last few years of taking one of my XJS' to a car show and or drive and been able to park next to many different cars including MG's, TR6's, XK120's, E types and XK8's etc. I like them all and always long for the older sports car that was simple and sporty or the oh so sexy older Jaguars. They are all special in their own right. I will say though how many times I have had owners of these other great cars approach me with questions about the XJS and after finding out how reasonable they are to purchase have told me they are planning on buying one to add to their stable.

I really enjoy seeing a XJS being driven as they have such a great stance to them-low long and wide. I seldom get to see mine at a distance so it always hits me how great they look being driven. I know I cannot compete against a E type when that bonnet gets lifted. I just have to remind myself that I am into my XJS for about one tenth of what that E type owner is into the E. I call the lifting of the bonnet the 90K lift-LOL!!!

 

For me my XJS is the perfect blend of classic elegance and modern convenience.
It suits me perfectly, comfortable, fast, elegant, easy to drive. I would choose an XJS over an E Type any time.