I suppose the simple answer is that we are dealing with dreams and memories. Mini and Beetle is collectible brcause people relive their youth. E-types or Ferraris are collectible because prople dreamed about them when they were young. The XJ-S was a practical albeit glamourous compromise so not many had one as their ultimate dream. And so they don't collect them today. I originally bought mine as a daily driver. Nuff said ........

 

Real answer? Sure !

Nobody with lots of money wants one :-)


More seriously, though, why should the value be especially high?

- The styling is appreciated by very few people, today or in 1975
- It was never an icon like the '65 Mustang or Jag E-type
- It has terrible repair reputation
- For only a few years was it competitive on technical attributes
- It is not rare

None of these things taken singularly is a deal breaker, but taken together, well..... ?

Perhaps, though, there simply isn't any way to definitively explain "Why?" some cars catch on and others don't. We can speculate all we want....and may be correct on certain points... but a fickle buyers, not our opinions, determine value.

A few months ago some guy....one person, mind you.....paid a very high price for a 300SL Gullwing. Now all of the sudden they're all worth $200k more....or people think they are. So, ask *that guy* why he was willing to pay so much and there's your answer....for that car on that day for that person.



Cheers
DD

 

i think Doug hit it as close as we can here!

(we the people,are the victims of the money people), no more than pawns(AKA; slaves), of the super rich, same reason ALL societies sooner or later end in revolution!

they just toss us a bone,and keep us pacified,XJSs..

what a crappy idea,! hey i didnt write the book,! but history has a way of repeating itself

 

I'll toss my two cents in. A car is collectible because it is interesting in appearance, specification or performance. Low production numbers can help raise the value but large production doesn't seem to hurt, think Mustang, Camaro, 55 -57 Chevy. The more popular the car, the more potential buyers there are. Whether or not a car is collectible is a different question from if a car is valuable. The XJS is certainly a collectible car, just not a valuable one, at least at this time. Depreciated high end cars, (except true exotics) generally scrape the bottom of the value barrel for a long, long, time. For example early MBZ 450 SLs are just starting to pick up in value.

 

The XJS is absolutely a collectible car...

...the question is timing.

The reason I know with certainty that it is collectible, is because my daughters always ask that I pick them up in the XJS, and I can't drive through the High School parking lot without hearing at least one kid blurt out "cool car" or "sweet ride". Contrary to some other threads on the forum, the cars don't need any mods to attract young people. They love the car already.

The biggest obstacle to quickly escalating prices is the long production run and total build number. However, the effort or cash required to keep the car in proper shape is a rather high bar for the car's current value, so the supply is going to continually shrink as cars are taken out of service, or taken out of the future classic pool by having too many modifications in an attempt to keep it in service or give them an updated look.

It will be a very valuable classic someday, it's just unpredictable what exact day that will be.

Cheers

 

Interesting post this from 2012, that really proves the point. Take the same car now in the same condition, the same appraiser, and the price is easy 2X or 3X the 2012 evaluation. Who says they are not collector cars?

 

the car enthusiest world has never made sense to me. case in point.

my 1st car,i was 15yrs old, 1949, a 1934 Ford roadster, paid $20. dollars(no kidding).

had a flat tire and no battery, well got it running and driving,( no license either).

well one just sold at an auction for $120,000. thousand, like said some things dont make logical sense!

reality is only a passing phase of time.

 

If you want to see a little love for the XJS, check out the British magazines Octane and Jaguar World. Both available at Barnes and Nobles. Octane has had a cover story on the XJS and Jaguar World had a wonderful 40th. anniversary issue. There have been frequent articles lately and of course many advertisements for shops and services dedicated to our car. For Christmas my kids supplied me with the JW 40th. anniversary back issue and subscriptions to both Octane and JW. My subscription to Hot Rod can run out, for all I care. Happy New Year to All!

 

I've had a subscription to Jaguar World for years. Great magazine much appreciated by me!

 

100% correct post in all respects. The XJS always draws a crowd these days, London, Paris, motorway car parks, everywhere.
Greg

 

Collectible ? If you mean collecting any loose money for repairs, then yes.

But then , I don't indulge in parties out, heavy drinking, gambling or other expensive or time wasting habits.
Except one, Maintaining my Wife's 94 XJS 2+2.
Definitely time and money well spent.
It is probably the reason my Wife keeps me around. 47 years and still counting.

I adore the car and wish I had the time and money to acquire another one.
My desire to acquire another one, to me makes the XJS a collectible
A sedan maybe I might give into. Someday.
I think most Jaguar owners ( any model) would have a thought or two about
owning a XJS. That thought alone puts them in a collectible status.

P O R - Press On Regardless

 

Scarbro, I was looking at your signature picture and thought that somewhere I had a similar pic, of my own XJS and XJR. These two cars truly complement each other, making for such an ideal combo:
The wonderful facelift XJS and the perfect X308 body style. Just the colors are different but what we enjoy is the same.

I believe that I may have seen other members with the same car combo. If so and you read this, please post us a pic. Thank you.

BTW, my XJS has had some subtle changes to the front since this picture was taken (i.e. mesh grille, painted chrome, etc.).

Here's my pic of the pair...

Cheers,

 

At one time, Model a and T fords were more popular as collector pieces than now. I think guys wanted to return to the cars of their youth.
or the dream cars of their youth. I suspect the value peaked.

I did something like that in 1958. Wow, about half my present age!!
i gathered T stuff from all over. a lot of it was really junky cast off stuff. it became a nice running yellow and blackck fendered speedster.

Once finished, i kinda lost interest.

I've even cooled on finnishing the "punch list" on my 83 XJ wuzza
six. it looks good, runs swell, etc.

Speedo nuts, no AC passenger scuttle cover down...

And, yeah, I've HR mags for decades. why, i haven't the slightest.
I scan the new ones and set them aside.

Auto Restorer has my attention, though. Old cars and trucks getting
fixed. A lot crosses over...

Cabin fever has me computer playing. two machines booted!!!
Each differing in it's own way although both are DElls!!

Carl

 

Fun, sorry????

 

I'm with you, Doug. The fact that our cars are undervalued is the only reason I can afford to have one. I feel like a poor man riding around in a rich man's car to this day. The general perception that Jaguars are unreliable and expensive to fix was true at one time, but my '94 4.0 is as reliable a car as I have ever owned. I would hate for too many people to figure that out, because I could easily be on the outside looking in again.
I only recently found this new forum. I had a hard enough time keeping up with JagLovers, and adding this site to check on makes it worse. I wish they could be combined.

 

I've been trying to sell a 1990 XJS convertible for a couple of months. I got it from a friend of mine who was having health issues. His regular car got repo'd so I traded a modern car for it because the modern was ready to go.

Car runs and drives, has had all the injection wiring redone, and the fuel hoses replaced. Bodywork is straight but seats need redoing and the top has to be operated manually. I've listed it for ~$4K and routinely get offers from people for $800 or there about.

To save another four pages of speculation. Jaguar buyers don't have any money. I thought Mercedes Benz diesel owners were bad but they're nothing compared to the type of bottom feeders that I've had the displeasure of interacting with while trying to sell this car.

So in short, they're not collectible, but people with no money like to buy them because they think that if they drive one, other people will think that they have money.

 

Others of us just think it's fantastic that you can get a great car for so little money. I have enough income to support more expensive automobile purchases...if that's what I wanted. But I really * like * older Jags and I really, *really* like that I can get so much car for so little money. Who doesn't like a bargain?

But what happened to the muscle car hobby (which I'm still deeply involved in, but not as an owner) left a bad taste in my mouth. These were cool cars that enthusiasts of ordinary means could buy and enjoy while those looking for increasing values and investments shopped of '57 T-Birds, Mercedes Gullwings, etc. Nowadays most muscle cars are way out of reach for ordinary working class guys on a budget. They've become the 'investment class' cars.

Older Jags are neat cars that are affordable...and I think that's pretty cool. I'll be sad when and if that changes even though I agree there are upsides to increased market value.

Oh well. It's really just a matter of time marching on, I guess.

Cheers
DD

 

So a car with a ratty interior and broken top mechanism, and who knows what else might be wrong, isn't attracting any discerning collectors willing to pay top dollar?

What are the odds?

 

Really?, I will remember that next time I am deciding to take the McLaren or XJS out for a weekend cruise.


If your car has low milage is in good, clean, orig condition with good history documentation then it is sort after. Let me have a look at the advert, where is it posted?

 

Are you thinking $4000 is top dollar for a running driving V12 convertible or $800 is reasonable? Either way proves the point as far as this thread is concerned right?

Before taking it personally, list your XJS for what you think it's worth and watch the douche bags blow up your inbox.

I'm not trying to offend anyone here. I own 3 XJS' right now and consider myself enthusiastic. But reality is that Jaguars do attract the type I described.