Jaguar XJ Mk. 1
We've featured quite a few British cars in this space, but of the cars we've covered so far, none match the compelling engineering and old-world English elegance of the original Jaguar XJ sedans. With their delicate styling touches and intimate, baroque interiors fairly dripping with wood and leather, the XJ6 and XJ12 are evocative of the great English motoring tradition of a more genteel time.
The charmingly outdated Jaguar sedans the XJ6 and XJ12 replaced had a firm rooting in English tradition, of course, but the new-for-1968 XJ sedans were really remarkable for their stylish and refined athleticism. The 1968 XJ6 sported a 4.2-liter inline six borrowed from the legendary E-type Jaguar that provided sports car thrust with smoothness that rivaled the buttery leather seats.
In 1972, Jaguar upped the ante by cramming the E-type's massively complex but hugely torquey V-12 into the XJ. The turbine-like V-12 was just as smooth as the inline six, but provided enough thrust to push the XJ12 into the 150-mph neighborhood--serious speed for an early 1972 luxury sedan. Jaguar produced the XJ sedans with only minor facelifts for nearly two decades, and when they were finally phased out in the late 1980s in favor the XJ40-series cars, they were hoary but still hale.
Today the Mk. I XJ6 and XJ12 might look a bit old-fashioned, but I think they look nearly as feline and feral as the E-Type. For the time, they were low-slung and aggressive without sacrificing their distinctive class, standing head and shoulders over their peers as a fast and dignified ride--like a four-wheeled Orient Express. Today's Jaguar sedans borrow so heavily from the original XJ that they look like puffed-up caricatures of its purposeful greatness.
I've always wanted an XJ6 or, dare I dream, an XJ12. As I grow older, though, I've come to realize two things about my XJ lust. For one, as wonderful as it would be to own an XJ, I'm not really sure I'm worthy of it. I almost feel as if would be almost a letdown to allow anybody outside of, say, Alec Guinness or Ian Fleming to drive an XJ. For another, what I'd really like is to own and drive an XJ in 1968, when it towered over the rest of the world. Unfortunately, that's unlikely to happen.
One interesting trend with these early XJs, and the most likely to inflame a Jaguar purist with righteous indignation, is the frequent conversion of XJ sedans from Jaguar to small-block Chevrolet V-8 power. Here's one example of a an XJ-Chevy, unfortunately without engine pictures. It's an easy swap, evidently, and was a pretty compelling option for those weary of dealing with the typical Lucas electrical gremlins and an engine that baffled middle America mechanics. Still, while I admire the ingenuity, it almost feels like making bangers and mash with Oscar Meyer franks, doesn't it?
These photos all come from Flickr--the top photo is from user cad_il, the second is from user dave_7, and the third image showing the V-12's impossible complexity is from user Lou Danzinco.
--Chris H.
Big Chris on July 01, 2008 at 10:04 PM
Didn't the XJ12 come with it's own butler?
http://jagsthatrun.com/ is the site that is the premier conversion site for switching from the unreliable Jag mess to the Chevy V-8 to bring you motoring joy. With a nicely tuned V-8 these Jags are street stunners, blowing away much of what is out there, especially when the other guy isn't expecting it! The cars are too heavy for any real racing, but a stoplight testosterone burst or two is fun!*
Big Chris
*Don't try this at home. We're highly trained professionals. Don't run with scissors. And wear clean underwear when you travel.
rob the SVX guy on July 01, 2008 at 10:04 PM
I'd just like to point out, I wish these were updated in the middle of the day instead of the middle of the night, then I have something to read over lunch.
Brian on July 02, 2008 at 12:15 AM
Ahhhh, man, V Twelve. Burbeling psycho motor, just LOOK AT IT! I'd take it any day over say, a Triumph Spitfire, which is also very cool. The Jag is somewhat under-rated in the USA, of course any Jag I could probably afford would be a major project. Bring it on.
Steaming Pile on July 02, 2008 at 05:29 AM
Now there's a REAL Jag, goddammit!
David Drucker on July 02, 2008 at 06:54 AM
Be still, my heart! I just love this car, but am content to love it from a distance. My heartbreaking-and-infuriating experience with a 1964 3.8 Mark II put me off owning Jaguars (but that's a story for another time).
The closest I came to buying an XJ was in 1985. I was living in Westchester, and a vintage car store in Manhattan was selling a beautiful V8 conversion XJ coupe. The conversion was hugely sanitary, but the real selling point was the paint job. The shop had just finished painting Diana Ross's Rolls Royce, and had quite a bit of extra paint which they decided to use on the Jaguar. It was a foot-deep red with just the slightest hint of gold. Breathtaking. They wanted $15K for the Jag, which is what they charged for the Rolls paint job.
But at the last minute my wife & I returned to our original goal of finding an interesting ragtop, and we wound up with a '76 450SL instead. (Also another story.)
But whenever I see any pre-86 XJ my heart goes pitter-patter.
Ian on July 02, 2008 at 07:02 AM
I don't know if I'm adventurous enough to own (and therefore maintain) an old Jag, but they sure are pretty.
Cookie the Dog's Owner on July 02, 2008 at 07:57 AM
I told this story in another thread a few months back. If you all don't mind, I'd like to tell it again because it's on-topic:
One summer's day in the mid-70s--I'm pretty sure I was still in high school then--a rather show-offish guy with a new Jaguar XJ was visiting his girlfriend down the street. (In the earlier thread, I called it a V-12, but after looking at that shot of a V-12 engine bay I'm not so sure. It may have been a 6-cylinder, but it was definitely an XJ.) He loaded her in the Jag and set off on whatever excursion they were setting off on, only to have his expensive new ride die on him right in front of our house.
Hearing the futile cranking of the Jaguar's starter, my mother went down to the street to see if she could help. She told the driver to pop the hood, looked inside, and sent me back up to the house for a slot-head screwdriver.
I am confident to the point of certainty that Mom had never before seen a Jaguar engine. (We were Ford and GM sort of people.) Still, she had once fixed a jeep when Dad was in the Army, and had no fear of mechanical devices. When I brought her the screwdriver, she reached in, did something mysterious to the carburetor, then yelled "Try it now!"
The Jag started right up. Mom closed the hood and the car sped off.
The driver sent her a thank you card . . . and another, on the anniversary of the event . . . and another the year after that . . . and every anniversary thereafter. The last card came just after she died in 2005; my sister read it as part of the eulogy at her funeral Mass.
Mochi Mochi on July 02, 2008 at 11:33 AM
Thanks CookieTDO - I love that story.
Mochi Mochi on July 02, 2008 at 01:48 PM
If I were smart I would have bought a Jag years ago. If I were a little more open to mainstream ideas about cars and the benefits of the semiotic play of cars, clothes, and possessions - things might have been a little different.
I've tended to eschew the idea of luxury and mainstream status. I've gravitated towards odd vehicles with peculiarly aggressive stances, hard vehicles, strange little sleepers, and happy clown cars that do the quarter mile in 12 seconds. What that has done for me is bring me closer to subcultures - street racers from the latin and asian neighborhoods of Los Angeles - not something I mind. I like the fact that the guys who work in my office building's parking lot like to talk to me about their old toyotas (I park my 91 civic between a Ferrari and an S2000). I like the fact that I am much more engaged in looking at cool cars in the less privileged neighbors than the posh neighborhoods.
I feel comfortable and happy with my choice of direction. I have a lot of really interesting community interactions that I would never have with a Ferrari. I'm sure there are a lot of nice people who own Ferraris, but the guy who parks his Ferrari next to my Civic is kind of a jerk. Whereas the parking guys are really nice.
But the Jag makes me rethink things about cars. My uncle, a really great man, decided to get a Jaguar a few years back when all his years of hard work had paid off. He bought it because it was specifically sexy and luxurious. He had an amazing sounds system installed. The interior was a delight. The ride was controlled and refined. The seats were extremely comfortable. And it was very sexy looking.
Being a motorhead and knowing Jag's historic reliability problems I was skeptical. On the street I never gave a Jag a second look (except for an XKE). It was not a car that was on my radar. But that overlooked the fact that there were other cultures where the Jag was definitely on people's radar. There were some fundamental realities that I just did not get, until...
My uncle loves classical music. One evening we went to Lincoln Center for a NY Phil concert. It was an event... and we took the Jag. What I learned is that if you drive up to Lincoln Center in a Jaguar while wearing a nice suit (rather than typical designer/architect minimalist functionalist garb) you get a lot of long, lingering, looks, big inviting smiles, and very warm "hello"s from some very beautiful women. My uncle must have known that was part of the secret of owning a Jag. He was veerrryyy smart. If I had figured the world out a little more - understood how it worked a little better - and put my yankee ethics on hold for 5 minutes - I could have had A LOT of fun.
It's not too late! With the potential to have a collection of quirky, fast, reliable, and cheap japanese cars that satisfies my driving interests, I could probably find room for Jag someday... hmmm - where could I keep an automotive babe magnet? I think I could put up with wearing a suit every now and then.
Jane on July 03, 2008 at 10:32 AM
@ Mochi: No Jaguar for you Mochi-boy. Not if you know what's good for you. Dumb-ass boyfriend.
Johan Amedeus Metesky on July 05, 2008 at 10:48 PM
The best looking XJs were the Series III XJ6 and the XJC coupe version. I've been told, though that the coupe was exceptionally fragile, even by Jaguar standards.
The Chevy V8 conversion is stupid, unless you're interested in cheap horsepower, though replacing the automatic trans in any pre XJ40 XJ with a GM unit makes a lot of sense. The inline six dohc Jaguar engine is probably the most reliable part of the car. I'd worry a lot more about failed electrics than mechanical engine problems. That engine was produced for decades and fully sorted out. The V12, on the other hand, should only be owned by those with deep pockets.
OldCarGuy on July 07, 2008 at 06:42 AM
The more time passes, the better these Jags look. I would really like to drive one, to see if the experience lives up to the image.
Charles on July 17, 2008 at 07:20 PM
I once saw a Jaguar V12 sedan sit at a Mount Holly NC service station for at least three months. "Yours?" I asked. "Customers." "Parts hard to find?" "Oh, you better believe it."
Cracky on December 04, 2008 at 12:11 PM
I am a proud owner of a 1982 XJ6 with only 32,800 ACTUAL miles. Best part: I bought it exactly 4 years ago for only $1500. The guy I bought it from sold it cheap because a mechanic told him it was leaking gas. It had sat in his garage for years getting scratched by boxes sitting on it until I bought it. After spending considerable time cleaning the black gunk out of one of the tanks and replacing the fuel pump & filter, she actually started! The fuel leak? Nothing more than tightening some hose clamps off the fuel line log to the injectors. Has been driveable ever since.
My conundrum is that with so few miles I feel guilty replacing the original engine with a former stock car 350V8 (lightened crankshaft, 6" Eagle rods, light pistons, .420 lift cam...for fuel mileage, with Rhoads lifters...for smooth idle/vacuum/solid lifter performance above 3500RPM, etc). The thing is, coming from the racing world, I know so much about small block chevy's-yet so little about Jaguars. Not to mention the ease of finding replacement parts and installing them. I will inevitably go through with the conversion with some help from the manual from jagsthatrun.
Truly, Jaguars are the sleekest sexiest vehicles on the road. Even in nortwest Iowa they are capable of turning more heads than a Vette. With the proper horsepower mine should also outperform Vettes from the same time era. I have been in love with Jags since I was a small boy, I still find it hard to believe that I have my own!
Truth be told-at present the 4.2 sucks gas like no other, due to the car sitting for so long without being run before I bought it. I don't trust the Lucas electronic injection system, so putting in something reliable that I would feel comfortable driving across the country only makes sense to me.
kiavue on January 02, 2009 at 04:55 PM
L.E.K GPE sarl
51 Lot Bois Ilet, Boyer
97129 LE LAMENTIN
Guadeloupe France F.W.I
Tel/Fax : 0590 32 50 29
Cell : 0690 412541
lek.sylvio@wanadoo.fr
Lamentin le 29.12,2008
Dear Sir,
Can we have more informations about your
JAGUAR / CHEVY CONVERSION
PRICE FOR THE KIT
THE POSIBILITY FOR EXPORT
JAGUAR SOVEREIGN XJ6 2.9L 6 CYL AUTO 1989
GENRE VP 4 DOORS FUEL INJECTION
TYPE JHALJ4P
N° SERIE SAJJHALJ4AA556205
Best regards
S.KIAVUE