Jaguar XJ: the flagship saloon of 1968 to 2019

The Jaguar XJ is a series of full-size luxury cars produced from 1968 to 2019 by Jaguar Cars, which became Jaguar Land Rover in 2013. It was built across four basic platform generations, debuting in 1968, 1986, 2003 and 2009, with updated derivatives of each, and from 1970 it was Jaguar’s flagship four-door model. A two-door coupé was also offered. The original car was the last Jaguar saloon designed under the leadership of founder Sir William Lyons.

Jaguar XJ at a glance

History of the Jaguar XJ

Series 1 (1968–1973)

The XJ6 replaced most of Jaguar’s saloons, which by the 1960s had grown to four separate ranges. It carried over the 2.8 and 4.2-litre versions of the XK straight-six, the widest version of the Mark X’s independent rear suspension and the subframe-mounted front suspension first seen in the 1955 Mark 1, now with anti-dive geometry. The car was introduced in September 1968 with power steering and leather upholstery standard on the 2.8 De Luxe and 4.2 models; air conditioning was optional on the 4.2 Daimler versions, launched in October 1969 with television advertisements in which Sir William Lyons called the car the finest Jaguar ever. An unusual inheritance from the Mark X and S-Type was a pair of fuel tanks on each side of the boot, filled through two separately lockable caps on top of the rear wings. Early reviews praised the brakes and ride.

The V12

In March 1970 the 4.2-litre XJ6 moved from the Borg-Warner Model 8 automatic to the Model 12, with three forward positions that let the driver hold lower ratios. In 1972 a long-wheelbase option added four inches of rear legroom. The XJ12 was announced in July 1972 with a simplified grille and Jaguar’s 5.3-litre V12; at the time it was the only mass-produced twelve-cylinder four-door car in the world, with a top speed of around 225 km/h, and was described as the fastest full four-seater available. Fitting the V12 was tight and cooling was difficult: the car used a cross-flow radiator split into two horizontal sections, a fan geared to run at 1¼ times engine speed with a limiter at 1,700 rpm, a fuel relief valve and a battery with its own thermostatically controlled fan. 3,228 Series 1 XJ12s were built, and the Daimler Double-Six arrived in 1972.

Series 2 and Series 3

The XJ was facelifted in autumn 1973 for the 1974 model year and became known as the Series II. The 4.2-litre six and 5.3-litre V12 continued, with a 3.4-litre XK engine added in 1975. Standard-wheelbase saloons were withdrawn at the 1974 London Motor Show, so all later saloons had the extra four inches of cabin length. The Series II and its coupé were the last Jaguars with direct input from Sir William Lyons before his retirement. The 1979 Series 3 gained a redesigned upper body and new bumpers. The six-cylinder Series 3 cars were replaced by the second-generation XJ in 1987, but the V12 models lasted until 1992.

Design and features

• Lyons’ last saloon: the 1968 XJ was designed under the founder’s leadership.
• XK and V12 power: from 2.8 and 4.2-litre sixes to the 5.3-litre twelve.
• Twin fuel tanks: lockable fillers on both rear wings, inherited from the Mark X.
• Long wheelbase: four extra inches of rear legroom from 1972.
• Daimler versions: the Sovereign and Double-Six took the same cars upmarket.

Jaguar XJ versions

• XJ6 (1968–1986): the six-cylinder saloons of Series 1, 2 and 3.
• XJ12 (1972–1992): the 5.3-litre V12 flagship.
• Long wheelbase (1972 on): extra rear legroom; standard from 1974.
• Series II coupé (1975–1978): the short-wheelbase two-door.
• Daimler Sovereign and Double-Six: badge-engineered versions of the XJ6 and XJ12.

The XJ replaced the Jaguar Mark X and the Jaguar Mark 2 and stayed the flagship until 2019. More cars are in the Jaguar collection.

Sources

• Jaguar XJ, English Wikipedia: generations, engines, Series 1 to 3