Cars - Jaguar XJ

	Cars - Jaguar XJ

The Jaguar XJ is a saloon produced by Jaguar, launched in 1968. It was the last Jaguar saloon to have had the input of Sir William Lyons, the company's founder.

Mk I (Series I)

At the time, the XJ6, using 2.8 L (2790 cc/170 in³) and 4.2 L (4235 cc/258 in³) versions of Jaguar's renowned XK engine, replaced most of Jaguar's saloons, which, in the 1960s, had expanded to four separate ranges. The upmarket version was marketed under the Daimler brand and called the Daimler Sovereign. The 'XJ' designation was from the car's code name during development, standing for Experimental Jaguar.

The car was introduced in September, 1968, in a series of television advertisements featuring Sir William. In these spots, he memorably referred to the car as "the finest Jaguar ever." The XJ12 version, with a 5.3 L V12 engine, was launched in 1972, with just 3,235 built.

1973 Mk I (Series II)

Normally known simply as the "Series II" the XJ line was facelifted for 1973. A 3.4 L (3442 cc/210 in³) version of the XK engine was new in 1975.

The XJ12 version, with a 5.3 L V12 engine, was again part of the lineup along with long-wheelbase models and a coupé, now considered a collector's item due to its rarity. The top 12-cylinder Daimler was called the Double Six. The Series II launched in the 1974 model year in the United States.

These Series II models were known for their poor build quality while part of the British Leyland group as well as problems inherent in the design of certain Lucas-sourced components. On television, the Jaguar XJ Series II was immortalized in the TV show Minder.

Visually, apart from the longer wheelbase and available "XJ12" badge, the Series II cars are differentiated by a smaller grille. 91,227 were produced, just 14,226 of them with the V12 engine, when the series II ended in 1979.

XJ Coupe

A tiny 8,378-car run of 2-door XJ coupes with a pillarless hardtop body was built in 1976 and 1977. Both six and twelve-cylinder models were built, 6,505 of the former and 1,873 of the latter. These cars suffered from wind noise and, especially in the case of the V12, high fuel consumption.

Due to the rough welds around the windows of the roof, all coupes came with vinyl roofs as standard.

1979 Mk I (Series III)

In late 1979 the XJ was facelifted again, and was generally know as the "Series III". The car incorporated a subtle, and very well received, redesign by Pininfarina of the long-wheelbase platform and three engine variants including the 5.3L V12, the 4.2L inline 6 and 3.4L inline 6. The V12 and the larger 6 cyl. incorporated Lucas licensed Bosch fuel injection while the smaller 6 cyl. made do with carburetors. The smaller 6 cyl. engine wasn't offered in the U.S. The short wheelbase sedan and coupé had been dropped during the final years of the Series II XJ. This style of Jaguar saw the company through from its darkest days toward its emergence as an independent company under John Egan who oversaw a marked improvement in build-quality and reliability for the company's products.

In 1982 the interior of the XJ underwent a minor update. Also in 1982, the upscale Vanden Plas, a model designation that is still used today for the top-level XJ sedan, was introduced in the U.S. market.

The last Series III XJ with a six-cylinder engine was produced in 1987. Production of the Series III XJ continued until the early 1990's with the V12 engine. 132,952 Series III cars were built, 10,500 with the V12 engine.

Mk II (XJ40)

All through the 1970s, Jaguar had run Project XJ40, which was an all-new model meant to replace the Mk I XJ6. Due to problems at British Leyland and the fuel crisis, the car was continually delayed. Proposals from Jaguar's in-house designers and Pininfarina were made. Eventually, it was decided an internal design would be carried through to production.

This car was finally released in October 1986 with controversial square headlamps, a carryover from the 1970s development. It was considered more evolutionary than revolutionary, and had to fight off a new competitor: the newly upsized BMW 7 Series. While the British press favoured the Jaguar, the XJ40 tended to lose comparison tests run by German publications. Only six-cylinder models were initially offered: a 2.9 L (in Europe) and a 3.6 L. The V12 (XJ12) and a long wheelbase model, including a high-roofed Daimler Majestic model destined for official use (one was used by the British prime minister), were again delayed, launching at the very end of the XJ40's life.

The single cam 2.9 L straight-6 engine found in Europe was a derivative of Jaguar's legendary 6.0 L V12 HE, but it proved to be underpowered and thirsty compared to the 3.6. L Timing chain failures were also a problem. The engine was later replaced with the 3.2 L, based on the durable 3.6 L, which then became the 4.0 L.

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