Jaguar XJ-S at 50: cream of the cats

By Simon Hucknall

| 2 Apr 2025

Classic & Sports Car – Jaguar XJ-S at 50: cream of the cats

The Jaguar XJ-S was about as emblematic of the decade into which it was launched 50 years ago as any new car has had a right to be.

The near-300bhp, V12-powered 2+2 GT was an automotive rite of passage into a ’70s jet-set lifestyle that spoke of high-speed blasts across continents, valet parking at Riviera hotels and limitless five-star refills guaranteed by gold credit cards.

Even its sales brochure conjured the potential of an impossibly glamorous existence, littered as it was with French-registered marketing cars and beautiful models shot against dreamy Mediterranean sunsets.

It all created the image of a new car that, Jaguar would have you believe, was your passport to a life less ordinary.

From XJ-S V12 (left) to straight-six XJS Convertible, this is the story of Jaguar’s aspirational GT, via five examples

Thoughts of a E-type replacement had first taken shape in 1966, when Jaguar’s perennial design genius, Malcolm Sayer, started work on a variety of proposals, with the first submitted in 1968 for a front-engined, rear-wheel-drive, fixed-head 2+2 coupé.

The decision to move away from an open-top successor to the Jaguar E-type had been partially driven by murmurings in America that convertibles might be banned in the wake of new Federal safety regulations (although that never materialised).

But there was also a growing appetite for fast, luxurious GTs, with Aston Martin, Ferrari and Mercedes-Benz all working on new models that would ultimately beat the Jaguar XJ-S to market.

The Jaguar XJ-S V12 (right), XJ-SC HE (middle) and XJS 4.0 Convertible represent the model’s 21-year production run

Fortunately, Browns Lane already had a world-class basis for its new GT, with Project XJ27 drawing heavily from the underpinnings of the recently launched and much-admired Jaguar XJ6 saloon.

So while it was no surprise that Sayer’s design was wider-bodied and wider-tracked than the E-type, the inclusion of what would become the model’s trademark cue – its distinctive rear buttresses – raised eyebrows from the start.

Driven by function, not form, Sayer determined that the design was essential to manage the airflow over the car’s rear-three-quarter section effectively – a vital goal if the new Jaguar was to remain stable at speeds exceeding 150mph.

Tragically, though, Sayer would never see the XJ-S through to production after his untimely death in 1970.

‘The Jaguar XJ-S shape has grown into the 21st century surprisingly well: the long bonnet and sweeping buttresses still look rakish’

With the final design still unresolved, an in-house styling team, headed by Doug Thorpe, picked up the reins.

The change of leadership brought a raft of significant revisions to Sayer’s original proposal, including a shallower grille framed by single rather than twin headlights; more prominent tail-lights; and larger quarter-vents at the rear, finished in black in an effort to de-emphasise the prominent buttresses (which Thorpe apparently disliked).

It certainly compromised Sayer’s original proposed look, but at least retained the essence of his design.

What was not compromised, however, was the choice of the new model’s powertrain.

Black inserts softened the Jaguar XJ-S V12 coupé’s thick buttresses

The genesis of Jaguar’s first V12 went back to the 1950s, with a quad-overhead-cam unit designed by Claude Baily powering the shelved XJ13 of the following decade.

A revised cylinder-head design with single overhead cams for each bank, by Walter Hassan and Harry Mundy, along with an increase in capacity to 5343cc, made the now all-aluminium engine ready for production, first appearing in the 1971 Series 3 E-type, and then in the XJ12 the following year.

As fitted to the Jaguar XJ-S, it gained Lucas-Bosch fuel injection and produced 285bhp at 5800rpm.

Drive was sent to the rear wheels through either a three-speed Borg-Warner automatic or a manual four-speed gearbox, each via a Salisbury Powr-Lok limited-slip differential.

The Jaguar XJ-S Series 1 coupé’s V12 engine is refined and fairly reliable

Michael Quinn owns the very smart and original Squadron Blue 1977 Series 1 coupé you see here, and it has covered little more than 34,000 miles from new.

The XJ-S is closer to Michael’s heart than most, because it was his grandfather – and Jaguar founder – Sir William Lyons who remained a consultant throughout the car’s development, even after he retired in 1972.

“I remember him coming over for lunch one weekend in the ‘new Jaguar’, several months before its launch,” Michael recalls.

“He had some pride in it, but moaned about the US-legislation bumpers they’d been forced to fit. He would have had chrome bumpers.”

Cool Kent alloys on this Squadron Blue Jaguar XJ-S Series 1 coupé

After the Jaguar XJ-S launch at the Frankfurt show in September 1975, Autocar put the new model’s polarising looks into perspective: ‘Opinions may differ over how good-looking the XJ-S body is. [But] of its effectiveness as a means of carrying two people, plus two smaller people behind, in safety at speed, and insulating them from bumps and noise, there is no doubt.’

Half a century on, that’s largely borne out.

Save the rather ugly bumpers (Sir William was right), the shape has, if anything, grown into the 21st century surprisingly well: the long bonnet and overhangs, sweeping buttresses and half-moon rear window still look rakish and daring.

Early Jaguar XJ-S models suffered from poor fit and finish

The cabin, though, appears less so.

A rather unsporting, thin-rimmed steering wheel faces you, behind which is a square binnacle containing two main clocks, novel ‘rotating drum’ secondary dials, and – count them – 19 warning lights.

A right-hand indicator stalk was unique to this early-series model, as was the preponderance of rather scratchy black vinyl trim that was thankfully upgraded to leather in later cars.

Out on the road, this auto Jaguar XJ-S (the manual option was deleted in 1979, after 352 cars were produced) feels fleet and sure-footed.

The Jaguar XJ-S V12’s cabin fell short of the exterior’s promise

With the long bonnet stretching exuberantly before you, it wafts along at pace, dismissing languidly any road imperfections yet staying generally composed.

The steering remains light at speed – perhaps too light – but is actually relatively high-geared and pleasingly communicative.

Grip from this car’s period-correct 205/70 15in Michelin XWXs is strong on dry surfaces: some body roll and pitch is evident when pushed, but it is well contained.

The Jaguar XJ-S V12 rolls when pushed

Overall cabin refinement is excellent, as you’d expect, with only some wind noise at higher velocities and the not unpleasant timbre of the V12 when extended.

That motor is peachy in its delivery, too, and still makes for lively acceleration (Jaguar quoted 7.5 secs for the 0-60mph sprint, with Autocar reducing this to 6.9 secs for its manual test car), although it needs to be worked enthusiastically for the best results.

Braking performance – a common thread among all of the cars here – is strong and progressive.

The Jaguar XJ-SC (‘C’ for Cabriolet) got the updated V12 engine

While it cost a highly competitive £8900 at launch, even Jaguar XJ-S buyers who fell for its showroom charms were less taken by its build quality.

Chris Sturgess, chairman of Leicester-based Sturgess Motor Group, which sold the model from new, recalls that electrical issues and variable paintwork finishes often blighted his customers’ ownership experiences.

“Body panel fit was never great, either,” he laments. “And while the V12 was generally trouble-free, fuel leaks from the injection system were not unheard of.”

There was also the spectre of the V12’s conspicuous fuel consumption, which only hovered around the mid-teens and was made worse by the recalcitrant and weighty Borg-Warner transmission.

The Jaguar XJ-SC HE is less supple than the coupé

By the end of the 1970s, these woes had conspired to hit XJ-S sales badly, not helped by persistent strike action across all of British Leyland’s brands.

Newly appointed BL chief Michael Edwardes placed John Egan in charge of Jaguar and tasked him with restoring product quality, the result of which was a near transformation of the XJ-S.

The Borg-Warner ’box was replaced by a lighter, all-aluminium General Motors Turbo-Hydramatic 400 auto in 1977, followed by improvements to the fuel-injection system.

The icing on the cake, though, came with the introduction of the HE (for High Efficiency) model in 1981.

The Jaguar XJ-SC HE’s 12-cylinder unit makes 296bhp

Using new, Michael May-designed high-swirl cylinder heads, which offered a boosted compression ratio (up to 12:1) while running a relatively lean mixture, the V12’s fuel consumption was reduced by 12%.

In addition, the HE gained all-leather trim and niceties such as burr-elm inserts around its cabin, along with wider wheels and revised suspension.

Power rose to 296bhp and torque from 294lb ft to 318lb ft, with a commensurate fillip to performance.

The sales result was immediate: in 1982, Jaguar XJ-S production doubled to meet customer demand.

The Jaguar XJ-SC HE’s roof panels stow in the boot

The car’s renewed popularity begat a spate of new body and powertrain variants.

Our selection encompasses three new body designs and an additional four engine specifications.

First to join the range was the Jaguar XJ-SC (‘C’ for Cabriolet), which, along with the revised coupé, was first to adopt the HE V12 (a new, 3.6-litre straight-six was also available, which we’ll come to shortly).

The SC was in effect a factory conversion: it retained the coupé’s profile, with fixed cant rails and rear quarter-windows, but removed the buttresses and +2 rear seats to liberate space for a fabric roof to fold down from behind a central T-top.

The drop-top model replaced the Jaguar XJ-S coupé’s buttresses with a fabric hood

Two removable roof panels above the front seats could be stored in the boot to create a near-open cabin.

Dave Norris has owned his highly original, 74,000-mile example for 10 years and believes it’s one of 2200 XJ-SCs that survive worldwide from a total six-year production of around 5000 cars.

As the sole V12 HE representative here, it’s instantly identifiable (apart from the obvious upper-body changes) by its wider ‘Starfish’ alloy wheels with 215-section rubber.

Inside, while the basic cabin architecture is unchanged, save tweaks to instrument fonts and a cleaner (though no less uninspiring) steering-wheel design, it’s altogether more luxurious, with swathes of leather and wood lifting the tone.

The HE (for High Efficiency) Jaguar XJ-S was fitted with wider alloy wheels

To drive, the Jaguar XJ-S Cabriolet loses some of the coupé’s ride suppleness, perhaps due to toughened suspension to compensate for its 200lb-plus of extra weight.

But otherwise it’s notable for the HE engine’s improved mid-range urge and a feeling of effortlessness – although when extended, the coupé still feels like the quicker car.

The XJ-SC’s arrival actually prompted the conception of our next derivative, the Lynx Eventer.

Hastings-based Lynx had already been converting XJ-S coupés into 2+2 convertibles, but when Jaguar added the Cabriolet to its range the company was forced to develop an alternative conversion.

Lynx built 67 examples of the Jaguar XJ-S-based Eventer estate

Michael Byng has owned his 1985 Opalescent Gold model for the past nine years, during which time it has been fully restored.

It’s a rare car for being one of only two out of a total 67 Eventers that Lynx produced with a 3.6-litre manual-overdrive powertrain (through its 16-year production life, the Eventer was also available with the 4-litre straight-six as well as 5.3- and 6-litre V12s).

Make your own decision about the Eventer’s styling, but to my eyes it’s incredibly elegant and not at all “an upmarket Reliant Scimitar”, to which John Egan likened it.

The six-cylinder Lynx Eventer estate feels more agile than the V12-engined Jaguars

Inside, there’s more legroom for adult rear passengers, but apart from the Lynx’s rather incongruous three-spoke steering wheel, the front cabin is par for the XJ-S course.

The AJ6 engine – an all-new, all-alloy straight-six for the Jaguar XJ-S range in 1983 – sounds slightly blue-collar at start-up, but becomes sweeter and more sonorous as the revs rise.

The default five-speed manual Getrag ’box is relatively slick and quick to shift through its ratios, and while it obviously lacks the outright guts of the V12, this Eventer only feels as if it’s trading 15-20% in performance terms.

However, it is certainly the most agile car here, being keener to turn in and feeling lighter on its feet than the V12s.

Clockwise from top: this Lynx Eventer was fitted with a 3.6-litre ‘six’, but V12 options were offered; the Jaguar cabin was unchanged bar the three-spoke steering wheel; useful boot space

Contrasts don’t come any greater after the Lynx Eventer than Simon Spurrell’s Mineral Blue 6-litre Lister MkIII, fresh from a 4000-hour, nut-and-bolt restoration.

The original concept of a quasi-racer XJ-S came out of a discussion between Classic & Sports Car’s own Simon Taylor and ’50s sports-racing legend Brian Lister.

Frustrated with the performance of his new XJ-S, Simon asked: “Why don’t you turn it into the car it should be and call it a Lister-Jaguar?”

Enthused by the idea, Lister started to look for a partner to bring the idea to fruition.

The Lister-Jaguar XJ-S 6.0 MkIII keeps its mass in check

Initially BLE Automotive was commissioned to perform the conversion work, but in the longer term well-known Jaguar racer Warren Pearce’s WP Automotive was contracted, with the project managed by Pearce’s son, Laurence.

For around £15,000, Lister Cars took the standard 5.3-litre engine and increased its stroke from 70mm to 78mm for a displacement of 5955cc.

The crankshaft was nitrided and rebalanced, and forged Cosworth pistons were fitted, while the cylinder head received different valves and steel followers, among a raft of other detail upgrades.

A modified injection system, revised inlet manifolds and wider throttle bodies were also employed, contributing to an overall output of some 482bhp.

The Lister-Jaguar XJ-S 6.0 MkIII’s 17in split-rims (left); the cabin feels upmarket

More extreme variants followed, including a twin-supercharged 7-litre, but ‘our’ Lister received 17in split-rim alloy wheels, bumper and sill extensions, twin headlights, and de-chromed window and front-grille surrounds.

The suspension was lowered and stiffened all round, while the cabin gained a complete, Lister-branded retrim.

We hear the MkIII long before we see it: the TT exhaust – an AJ6 Engineering replica of Lister’s original – emits a blood-curdling yowl as it approaches.

The Lister body addenda is very much of its time, but the fit and finish are impeccable; inside, Lister’s makeover gives the cabin a satisfyingly expensive ambience.

The Lister-Jaguar XJ-S 6.0 MkIII’s modified V12 makes 482bhp

On the road the Lister feels grown up and quite refined when you’re not at full chat.

The Getrag five-speed manual shift is a little notchy and rubbery, but the ratios are well chosen and the clutch is not too heavy.

You can lean on the car through bends, too: the Lister belies its mass and handles with alacrity.

The pumped-up V12’s soundtrack is infectious, although the car tends to sound faster than it is: Autocar set 0-60mph in 5.6 secs with a 5.3-litre Lister in 1986 and, despite this car’s larger capacity, its acceleration feels no more brisk than that.

The Jaguar XJS 4.0 Convertible is very refined

All of which brings us to our final variant, the Convertible.

Launched in 1988 to replace the SC, the new model had a fully folding electric roof and retained vestigial rear seats.

But after just three years, as part of a substantial investment in the range by new owner Ford, the Convertible and coupé received a major overhaul (and lost the hyphen in their names), to make them match-fit for their final stint in the market.

The V12’s capacity was increased to 6 litres, while a new AJ16 4-litre straight-six replaced the 3.6-litre AJ6.

Just as significant was a masterful redesign by the late Geoff Lawson: some of the original car’s rougher edges were smoothed over (buttresses and bumpers, most noticeably) to yield a pleasingly fresh take on Sayer’s original design.

Clockwise from top: the 1992-on Jaguar XJS Convertible and coupé’s interior quality was a big step up; the XJS 4.0 Convertible’s Aerosport alloy wheels; from 1994, the Jaguar ‘six’ featured coil-on-plug ignition

The Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust’s 1996 4-litre Celebration Convertible is the very last such model to be built and, with just 6700 miles under its belt, it still feels box-fresh.

There’s a sea-change in cabin quality and a real uptick in ergonomic efficiency; quite simply, it’s more user-friendly.

You would never call the 4-litre Convertible quick, but it’s a super-refined and stable delight to drive, and tactile enough at the helm to reward even press-on motorists.

There is no doubt that the XJ-S had already come of age by the mid-’80s, but it was also good to know that, after 21 years in the market, the XJS into which it morphed was still capable of fulfilling the fantasy lifestyle portrayed in those original sales brochures.

Images: John Bradshaw

Thanks to: XJS Club; Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust; British Motor Museum

Factfiles

Jaguar XJ-S V12

Sold/number built 1975-’81/61,209 (all V12s)
Construction steel monocoque
Engine all-alloy, sohc-per-bank 5343cc 60° V12, Lucas-Bosch fuel injection
Max power 285bhp @ 5800rpm
Max torque 294lb ft @ 3500rpm
Transmission Borg-Warner three-speed auto or Jaguar four-speed manual, RWD via Salisbury Powr-Lok limited-slip differential
Suspension independent, at front by semi-trailing wishbones, coil springs, telescopic dampers, anti-roll bar rear lower wishbones, driveshafts as upper links, radius arms, twin coil-over dampers
Steering power-assisted rack and pinion
Brakes vented discs, rears inboard, with servo
Length 15ft 2¾in (4870mm)
Width 5ft 10½in (1790mm)
Height 4ft 1in (1260mm)
Wheelbase 8ft 6in (2591mm)
Weight 3718lb (1686kg)
Mpg 11-14
0-60mph 6.7 secs (auto 7.5 secs)
Top speed 153mph (auto 145mph)
Price new £8900
Price now £10-25,000*

Jaguar XJ-SC HE
(where different from XJ-S)

Sold/number built 1983-‘88/5014
Max power 296bhp @ 5500rpm
Max torque 318lb ft @ 3250rpm
Transmission GM Turbo-Hydramatic 400
Height 4ft 2in (1270mm)
Weight 3933lb (1784kg)
Mpg 16
0-60mph 7.7 secs
Top speed 140mph
Price new £27,215 (1985)
Price now £10-24,000*

Lynx Eventer 3.6
(where different from XJ-S)

Sold/number built 1983-2002/67
Engine all-alloy, dohc, 24v 3590cc straight-six, Lucas-Bosch digital fuel injection
Max power 225bhp @ 5300rpm
Max torque 240lb ft @ 4000rpm
Transmission Getrag five-speed manual
Weight 3549lb (1610kg, XJ-S 3.6)
Mpg 17.6 (XJ-S 3.6)
0-60mph 7.4 secs (XJ-S 3.6)
Top speed 141mph (XJ-S 3.6)
Price new £6950 (conversion only, 1983)
Price now £100,000*

Lister-Jaguar XJ-S 6.0 MkIII
(where different from XJ-S)

Sold/number built 1986-‘94/c49
Engine all-alloy, sohc-per-bank 5955cc 60° V12, Lucas-Bosch fuel injection
Max power 482bhp @ 6250rpm (est)
Max torque 410lb ft @ 4000rpm (est)
Transmission Getrag five-speed manual
Suspension: rear twin Koni coil-over dampers
Steering re-valved power-assisted rack and pinion
Brakes vented discs, with six-piston front, four-piston rear AP Racing calipers
Weight 3747lb (1700kg, est)
0-60mph 5.6 secs (est)
Top speed 170mph (est)
Price new c£15,000 (conversion only, ’86)
Price now £40-70,000*

Jaguar XJS 4.0 Convertible
(where different from XJ-S)

Sold/number built 1967-’68/2947
Engine all-iron, ohv 2498cc straight-six, Lucas II mechanical fuel injection
Max power 150bhp @ 5500rpm
Max torque 164lb ft @ 3500pm
Transmission four-speed manual with overdrive, RWD
Weight 2271lb (1030kg)
Mpg 25
0-60mph 8.8 secs
Top speed 120mph
Price new £985 (1967)
Price now £35-60,000*