How can you tell if a 1996 XJS 2+2 Convertible is a "Celebration Edition" ... ?

While researching earlier tonight and looking for some small parts to bring our newest cat back to perfect condition (having to replace a missing headlight washer cover) I ran across information about the Celebration Editions...


The last XJS models were built as special model "Celebration" edition.

These special models could be recognized externally by their chromed side view mirrors and headlight border strip. Other features were the all-over wheel rims, steering wheel with wood sections top and bottom separated by leather on the sides and air bag, the wooden selector lever for the automatic transmission, the black hand brake lever with full leather cover, a Jaguar "leaper" embossed into the leather centered in the upper part of the seat backs, and contrasting piping around the seats and boot cover. The very last series of the “XJS Celebration” had been fitted with an aluminum engine block and the XK8-transmission.


When I was looking for parts and came across that article and the pictures of Celebration editions that went with it my eye was caught right off because of the leapers on the upper seat backs which ours has. My '95 V12 has small leapers over in the upper corners of the seat backs... not centered and not as large as these, I also thought only V12's got the contrasting piping around the seats and boot cover but our new one has it as well even though it's a 4.0L. So our newest Sapphire blue cat has all of those things mentioned except I do not yet know which transmission we have and have no clue what they mean by "all over wheel rims". I do know that our full-sized spare matches the wheels of known Celebration Editions I found online, even though the four on it have been changed to the 20 spoke diamond turned wheels, but we knew when we bought it the original owner had bought new wheels and put on it. He said the original wheels which looked like the spare we still have was "gawd awful ugly" so back when it was still fairly new he had he dealer order him a new set of the 20 spoke wheels but never changed out the spare.

 

SouthernGypsy,

The term "Celebration" is a bit of a misnomer. With XJS production due to finish in 1 years time, Jaguar changed a few trim items at VIN number 221855. Therefore every XJS built from May 1995 to the end of production is a "Celebration" XJS. The trim spec is the same on all 4 litre cars with only a few items as options. 6 litre cars had additional autolux leather on seats and other areas.

All 4 litre cars in this period had either the Getrag 290 manual 5 speed gearbox or the ZF 4HP24E 4-speed automatic gearbox. 6 litre cars all had the GM 4L80E automatic gearbox.

Hope that helps

Paul

 

Hi if you have a look at the photo on my Signature, you will see my 1995 XJS 4.0L Celebration Convertible fitted with the Original 'All Over Wheels' which were diamond turned Aerosport.

Just to confuse things even more, this car was supplied with a 'Space Saver' Spare wheel as Standard.

 

SouthernGypsy,

I'm not sure which publication you were quoting, but, as mentioned, all 4 litre XJS Celebration continued to use the same engine and ZF gearbox as earlier AJ16-engined cars. The XK8 transmission is completely different to the XJS.

There are a number of trim differences but the very simple way to identify the changeover point to 4 litre Celebration VINs is embossed leaper headrests, wood & leather steering wheel and Aerosport-type or option 5-spoke chromed wheels. 20-spoke wheels were 6 litre standard fitment. In the UK, space-saver spares had already been introduced earlier as standard with full-size spare wheels an extra cost.

Hope that helps

Paul

 

Yea, that's the same wheels that our car still has as a spare which is what it had on all the wheels when it was new the original owner said. Want a full sized matching spare? I want to find a 20 spoke to put in ours as a spare so it matches the rest of them.

 

Ours must be a Celebration Edition then, it has all of those, or at least did until the original owner changed the Areosport wheels to 20 spokes but the spare is still an Areosport. He gave us some pictures of it back when it still had the Areosports on it before he bought the 20 spokes. I thought something was unusual to have body-matched grille (instead of black) but have chrome headlamp bezels instead of also being body-matched.

 

SouthernGypsy,

Remember that body-coloured grilles came in before Celebration.

Just look at the last 6 of the VIN on your windscreen plate. If it's 221855 or later, it's a Celebration.

Paul

 

Thanks, and our VIN number is WELL after that number.

When did they make the last XJS anyway? Does anyone know what the year/month and VIN of the final XJS produced was?

If anyone happens to know I've also always wondered what the year/month and VIN of the final V12 version of the XJS was as well. We got our Flamenco Red V12 car from someone quite famous and she said they had to wait almost 9 weeks for it because they custom ordered somethings about it, such as Sportspack for one, and I forgot what it was called but some other package supposedly only available in English cars but a few of which made it over here into the hands of people with enough money/influence to get them. She said that instead of being brought on a ship it was actually flown over in the belly of a plane when it was ready and she got to meet the Jaguar rep and see them unload it out of the plane. She said it was supposed to be one of the very last V12's but I have never confirmed it. I tried to do a search once for the build date of the last V12 XJS but all it came up with in a web search was the date of the VERY last V12 in any model.

 

SouthernGypsy,

The last 2 XJS were made in April 1996.

VIN 226644 is a 4 litre convertible
VIN 226645 is a 6 litre V12 Coupe

Both of these cars were immediately gifted to the Jaguar Heritage museum.

When "Celebration" became the norm at 221855 in May 1995, the V12 became available only as a special order car. A number were built though, including 2 convertibles that were made in 1996, one LHD, one RHD plus the last Coupe mentioned above.

I guess your '95 V12 is what the Americans call a 1995 Model Year car, but maybe not one made in 1995? (which is how we would refer to a 95 car). All the V12s made at this time (Coupe and Convertible) had Sportspack springs and shocks, so that is not what justified the "special" build.

I noticed on another forum that you mentioned your 4 litre convertible had Sports suspension. Are you sure about that? It would indeed be unusual in the US, if not unique.

Hope all that helps

Paul

 

If you really want to 'push the boat out' then you could treat yourself to a set of these.

Though in my opinion, nothing can set off an XJS more than lattice alloys.

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=ja...eh%3B640%3B480

 

I have had two 1996 XJS. The current one does not have the sports suspension, however the first one certainly did.

I didn't know that made it rare in the US? It seemed to be the only option you could opt for...other than heated seats.

 

Vee,

As you will appreciate, I know much more about UK vehicles than US vehicles.

In the UK, 1995 & 1996 4.0 XJS convertibles were fitted as standard with Touring Suspension and 4.0 Coupes were fitted as standard with Sports Suspension. However, it was an option to specify Sports Suspension on 4.0 convertibles or Touring Suspension on 4.0 Coupes. Sports Suspension also meant 225/55 tyres whereas Touring Suspension meant 225/60 tyres.

The 1995 USA brochure also states the same. However, the Chief Judge of the JCSNE did advise me that they believe that.. "The Sport option with the 6 cyl was not continued into 1995...". He did say that the concours committee would revise their standards if someone could show something such as the tyre recommendation plate from a 1995 or 1996 convertible that would indicate that Sports Suspension with 225/55 tyres was fitted from new on such a car.

So that's what leads me to believe that there may be no 1996 4 litre convertibles with Sports Suspension in the USA. Of course, the 1995 US brochure may be right and the US concours judges will need to change their standards. Perhaps your previous car proves the point?

Paul

 

Damn, I don't believe I have a picture of that! I did have 55 tires on the previous car, including the original Pirelli spare!

 

It's my 6.0L that has the Sportspack, the 4.0L we just got list "Sport Suspension" but doesn't mention the Sportspack by name. Not sure what the difference is.

If your numbers on the last VIN numbers are correct though that you mentioned above, this new 4.0 we just got is one of the last few cars, it has a 02/96 build date and is less than 50 from the one you said was the last. Don't want to publish the whole VIN online but it's 2265##

We're liking it so far, the chrome mirrors and chrome trim around the headlamps are starting to grow on me and at least I still have the spoiler it's one of the few 4.0L's I've seen with a factory spoiler.

 

Yes I had a 1994 V12 with the body painted grille as does my 1995 V12, I think almost all the V12's after a certain point had them... But with the except of Celebration cars all the 4.0L cars I've seen so far had black grilles, and some of the early Celebration models appeared to still have the black grilles as well.

 

Oh, here are some pics...

 

Umm, or not...

 

SouthernGypsy,

Apols, there are some differences between our cars and those sent out to the US. In 1994, when the AJ16 was introduced at VIN 194775, the body-coloured grille, headlamp surrounds and door mirrors were introduced on the 4 litre. But for some reason, the US wanted it the other way around and had it fitted to 6 litre cars instead. So, 95 4 litre cars in the US would have still had black grilles, I guess.

The spoiler with integral brake light that was fitted to 6 litre cars, is a nice optional accessory to fit on a 4 litre. I have one of the very rare complete factory kits ready to go on my 94 4 litre early AJ16 convertible. The kit comes with replacement stronger boot struts, plus a revised aerial that doesn't have the time delay, so you don't snap your aerial when opening the boot quickly after stopping. I will fit it all this autumn. Does your 4 litre have the new struts and aerial?

Apols also for the confusion over the 4 litre "sportspack". I was just going from your sig on the other forum which says "1996 XJS Convertible 2+2 Sportspack". Is it a Jaguar Build certificate that says you have sports suspension or just the previous owner that told you? Have a look at the colour of your shock absorbers. If original, that's the giveaway.

It's good to hear that you've got such a late car! Enjoy it!

Paul

 

Yes, our 4.0L has the stronger struts, the aerial has no delay (ironically our '95 V12 does have a delay and I wish I knew which relay to change to fix that), and one way you can tell the spoiler was factory-ordered as opposed to dealer-installed is it has the integral 3rd brake light in the spoiler and NO brake light on the trunk lid nor any holes where one ever was. On cars where the dealer added a spoiler (at least over here) it usually does not have the brake light in the spoiler but they just put the spoiler on that doesn't have the brake light because the light is already on the trunk lid, ironically 1994 model V12 cars came like that here from the factory so that version doesn't scream that the dealer put it on if it's a 1994 but in a couple of cases I have seen 1995/1996 models where it had TWO third brake lights, one on the spoiler and one on the trunk lid at the same time, or it has one in the spoiler and some kind of plugs in the holes in the trunk lid where one used to be there, and in either case you know the spoiler was added later. On our new one it has the light in the spoiler and no light, no holes, and no bodywork on the trunk lid. Besides it's actually shown on the paperwork that it was ordered that way from the factory, it's listed right above the weather package which our car also has.


About the Sportspack, on our V12 it's actually listed on the paperwork as "Sportspack, Premium Touring Suspension". The shocks are Koni red so they appear to have already been changed so they wouldn't have told me anything, unless red shocks in that shade of red Koni uses (red but with a hint of orange) is what the Sportspack came with.