Depends on what you're buying it for. To drive and enjoy then any of them are good - I had a 91 XJ-S Classic convertible as a daily driver for 5 years before upgrading to a 95 XJ-S 6.0 convertible as a daily driver. The power difference wasn't noticeable between the 5.3 and the 6.0 but the 6.0 was slightly more comfortably equipped.
I bought an '07 XK once the '95 had over 100K miles but have held on to the 95 as it was one of the last 6.0s made and I suspect that as time passes by, the rarer cars will become sought after (after all who would have expected 1970s 911 prices to go the way they have of late?). The 4.0 was much more popular than the 6.0 in the final years which is why I think the 6.0s will be quite difficult to find in the future as there weren't a lot made and imported to the US to begin with.
So if you want one that's will be fun to drive and appreciate, I'd got for a late model V12 6.0 or one of the rarer LeMans commemorative models from around '88 or a TWR. I don't know if Jag ever did a 'Final 50' version of the XJ-S like they did with the E-Type and XK however.

 

Buy the one you like most. If XJS's were going to be come collectible in any way, they would've done so by now.

 

I am not sure about that. If I had known what the old english motor bikes I Bought, sold and traded for pocket change as a kid would be worth today I would not still be working.

 

The one I want the most is mine 'cause I already have it

and they will appreciate, they are looking classier each year and in the future when everything is electric a piece of engineering like the v12 will be highly collectable.

 

Most of today's cars look like jelly beans. In comparison, the XJS is sleek and low.

The styling of the XJS is enough to make it a desirable alternative to modern car designs. The XJS has character that many other cars lack.

I predict a bright future for the XJS.

Mark

 

My XJS

 

The one I'm currently building.
Aside from that I guess you could twist my arm to own a Lister 7.0 Le Mans Coupe.

 

I'll vote on the one I have... 89 xjs convertible V12, TWR kit installed when purchased in 89. A fantastic ride. But agree with almost any old car. You have to find one that is pretty much rust free. Particularly under the floor mats, doors, below the trunk, in the wheel cowlings. Mine was always garaged prior to my purchase and I am lucky. It's about 99.5% rust free and what I have found, has been fixed.

 

This is my first post. There were a lot of XJS models sold in the US and especially in California but they are seldom seen on the road. The values have fallen to ridiculously low levels especially for the earlier cars. Still, I think the tide will be turning. Where else can you find such a beautiful car with so much performance and heritage for this kind of money? If you find a a car in decent shape for two to three grand, and spend a few grand more "sorting it out" you are only about six grand into a nice driver. Well maybe more, ( I have no direct experience), but I turned down a very nice Hess and Eisenhardt convert, with wire wheels, new paint, fantastic interior and poorly running V12 for 2,000 dollars. The prices of American muscle cars has skyrocketed and the" buy in" on a fixer early Camaro or Mustang Fastback is easily eight to ten grand. The buildup will usually cost another twenty grand. These twelve cylinder cars are classics that are affordable -now. I remember back in the early 70's when the XKEs were completely depreciated and were selling for 1,000 to 1500 dollars. And they were going begging for buyers. Every hobbyist was scared to death of these cars. It took awhile but now their prices are astronomical. This is a great opportunity to get into a classic 12 cylinder car at a low price. I am aware that they are complex and need tending, but Forums like this and Palm's book have persuaded me that a driveway mechanic like myself can maintain and repair one of these gems. I've always wanted an XJS and I think I better get one before the prices go up.

 

I like mine 1990 convertible

 

I'm partial to my '87 Cabriolet. Nothing special performance-wise, but I like it for the aesthetics, the range of roof options and the rarity.

I can have the rear soft top down and the targa tops off on a warm day. In the spring and summer, I keep the rear hard top on and just have the targa tops off. Or it can be completely enclosed.

They're also very rare, especially in the US, with less than 2,000 having been imported out of a total of 5000 world-wide. Compare that to the total XJS production of over 115000, and the Cabriolet body style makes up less than 5% of the total production.

Oh, and the late Princess Diana drove one.

Will the rarity lead to an increase in value? Maybe one day. Listing prices on Hemmings for Cabriolets tend to be a bit higher than coupes and convertibles, but who knows what they're actually selling for.

 

I really wanted a digital ignition but classic steering wheel model... So it was clear: 1989 model HE... That there was a sunroof fitted was a bonus...

So I got what I wanted

 

Most desirable XJS?


a daily drivable one!


<GRIN>

 

They must be becoming collectible now; my Jagman says that it is getting harder and harder to find rust buckets to strip for parts.

 

I am not sure logic like this comes into it.
Jaguar made something like 620 RHD short wheelbase series I xj12's only 40 something ended up in Australia, that's pretty rare to start with, let alone 42 years later.
I have three of these in varying condition in my shed and I would guess I could get a couple of bucks for the lot and have you checked out the premium we pay for cars over your prices, chalk and cheese.

 

I think we're pretty much on the same page, baxtor. I was simply pointing out the rarity in my post because that's something I liked about it; having something unique, with or without a price premium, is neat to me.

My comment about them commanding slightly higher prices holds true though, at least in the U.S., from anecdotal observations of classified ads and auction results. I'm only talking a couple thousand dollars though, and other factors such as condition can factor into the price premium as well. I was merely suggesting there could be a causal relationship between the rarity and price premium, as is the norm with most desirable cars, such as the e type.

 

All good Silverstone, agree with all that.
One observation I have made watching some of the multitude of "reality" car auction shows on TV that somewhat baffles me is the rarity factor mentioned in some of those shows in reference to some US muscle cars, quantities produced are sometimes quoted as being in the tens of thousands for that particular variant.
In most of those cases it seems to make a huge difference in the hammer price.

 

I agree with you there, the muscle car market stumps me sometimes too. I'm in the minority, but I just don't get the appeal of most muscle cars, and why they command such high prices. A 1970 hemi cuda just sold for $2.25 million!!

I guess the thing to keep in mind with production numbers in the U.S. is sometimes even 10,000 can be rare. Take for example the mustang. Over 1,000,000 were made in the first 18mo from 1964.5-end of 1965. So if 10,000 examples of a certain trim code or option combo were made during those years. that's only 1% of the cars- pretty rare considering probably over half have rusted away and were scrapped decades ago anyway. But I agree, when tens of thousands of something were made, hard to think of it as rare!