Jaguar’s XecrableJS

A bad XJS will rip at your wallet the way an actual Jaguar tears flesh from a gazelle

Few automakers have had a more unenviable task than that facing Jaguar when it came time to replace the E-type. Instead of taking an evolutionary approach, as Porsche did when replacing the venerable 356 with the 911, Jaguar opted for a clean slate.

In so doing, they threw the baby out with the bath water and wiped the slate clean not just of the E-type's difficult ingress and egress and poor ventilation, but of Jaguar's Le Mans-winning heritage and its reputation for producing great sports cars affordably. Arguably, that decision was responsible for the challenging position Jaguar finds itself in now.

As a result of its particularly long gestation period, when the XJS debuted in the fall of 1975, it looked decidedly dated. Journalists at the time couldn't get a handle on its looks. Most commented that it looked vaguely Italian, with elements of the Dino 246 in the flying buttresses and Lamborghini 400 GT in the front. Few liked it and nobody thought it looked like god or William Lyons intended a Jaguar should look. Ironically, it was more aerodynamic than the E-type, which was styled by an aerodynamicist.

Enter the Prince of Darkness

This was the mid-'70s, the decade without quality control, and Jaguar's parent company was the infamous British Leyland. It's no surprise then that Jaguar's complex new GT didn't work very well. By this time Bosch had developed several reliable electronic fuel injection systems. Leyland chose an older Bosch D-Jetronic system with a twist-you guessed it-electronics by the Prince of Darkness, Lucas. But that was just the tip of the iceberg.

The original XJS instrument cluster was topped by no less than 18 warning lights-and they got a major workout. Road & Track surveyed XJ6, XJ12, and XJS owners in the late-'70s and found the following as "problem areas" reported by a significant number of owners: air conditioner, alternator, body parts, brakes, cooling system, differential, distributor, electrical system, engine, exhaust system, fuel pump, instruments, power steering, transmission, emission controls, starter, and wheel bearings.

It brings to mind the scene from "Raiders of the Lost Ark" when the heroine tries to put the moves on Indy just after he's had the crap kicked out of him. When he protests that it hurts everywhere she tries to touch him, in frustration she asks, "Where doesn't it hurt?" "Here," he states, pointing to the very tip of his elbow. In other words, with looking, one could probably find a system or two on the XJS that didn't fail with regularity. But only with looking.

Predictably, Jaguar did its best to try to improve the car, the most notable effort being the introduction of the HE ("high efficiency") engine in 1981. Fuel economy improved but quality didn't. It took Ford's purchase of Jaguar in 1989 and their modernizing of the Dickensian Browns Lane factory to do anything positive for the car's reliability.

The Ford-era 1990s cars are really the only ones worth considering. But also, consider how scary the notion is that Ford was giving anyone lessons in quality control. It was more indicative of how bad things had gotten under British Leyland than of Ford's prowess in this area.

Body styles are confusing

Surprisingly, body styles are somewhat confusing-there was of course the flying buttress coupe, and it was joined in 1983 by the SC, a two-seat sort of semi-convertible with fixed quarter windows and a targa-style roof. Around 1986, Ohio limousine makers Hess and Eisenhardt started converting coupes into full convertibles. The work was of high quality and some think they look better than the later factory convertibles that were introduced for the 1989 model year. The difference is that the cut cars have tops without headliners and so less protrudes above the deck lid when folded. Later factory convertibles added 2+2 seating.

People also forget that the SC model introduced the 3.6-liter "AJ6" engine. In Europe, it was available with a slick Getrag 5-speed. It's rare in the U.S., primarily seen in the few gray-market cars that sneaked in and also in a small number of post-1993 U.S. cars.

Under Ford's leadership, in 1991, Jaguar undertook a comprehensive restyling and re-engineering of the XJS. The rear quarter windows were enlarged at the expense of the vents. Bumpers, taillights and interiors were also revamped. The six was enlarged to 4.0 liters, and in 1993, the twelve was punched out to 6.0 liters. Difficult-to-service inboard discs were also moved outboard.

The XJS was a pleasant enough tourer. To borrow a cliche that while shopworn is quite descriptive, the V12 was turbine-like. Jaguar's trademark compliant ride fit the car's character. Handling was fair enough for a nearly 4000 lb. car, as were the brakes. Steering, however, was not up to BMW or Mercedes standards, as the Adwest rack just didn't offer the same road feel as a ZF unit. Performance of the early cars was decent for the day with 0 to 60 times in the mid-8s. Later V12s chopped about a second and a half off this.

Rust is a moot point

Early XJSs are only average rusters, although this may simply be a reflection of the fact that it was difficult to keep one on the road long enough for corrosion to be an issue. The later cars have better rust-proofing. It's a moot point anyway; as stated, the pre-1991 cars are relatively hopeless. Post-1991 cars are now just complex, option-laden 15-year-old used cars-a bad one will still rip at your wallet the way an actual Jaguar tears flesh from a gazelle.

As the car's 1997 successor, the much better and much prettier XK8, continues to depreciate, there become fewer and fewer reasons to roll the dice with an XJS unless your are just a fan of the controversial styling. And some people are. St. Louis, Missouri, Jaguar guru Fred Garcia has built several that are both bullet-proof and shockingly fast. A specialist like Mr. Garcia is probably key to a happy life with an XJS, as Jaguar dealers are liable to be less than helpful at this point.

Any XJS is still a depreciating car. You stand a better chance of finding a buyer and recovering more of your investment with a factory 2+2 convertible than a coupe. The only possible exception is one of the rare U.S. Getrag 5-speed cars. While still not even a C-list collectible, there is at least a market for these cars among the XJS cognescenti.