Car Spot: 96 Jaguar XJS

When Jags were cool

Being a car guy it’s hard to see a storied brand circling the drain about to get flushed and that’s pretty much the story now with Jaguar. But there was a time when this British icon produced cars that oozed performance and luxury like this week’s spot, a 96 Jaguar XJS.

When you think of a classic Jaguar, you probably think of the icons such as the E-Type and the glorious D-Type. However, one Jaguar legend that is often overlooked is the fantastic grand tourer, the Jaguar XJ. Introduced in 1975 as a coupé, fixed-profile, and full convertible body styles. It could be powered by one of Jags V-12s mated first to a manual and then automatic transmission it was capable of 0-60 in just over 7 seconds with a top speed of 143 mph. Not blindingly fast but in the same league as the other cars of that era.

The drop-top version was actually an afterthought and took nearly a decade after the XJ’s launch, and was built in significant enough numbers to convince Jaguar that they needed a pop-top XJ.

RELATED Spot: See another cool Jag drop top.

Jaguar’s own factory-built full convertible arrived in the fall of 1988 as an ’89 model. Only the V-12 version was available in the U.S. at that point. Jaguar claimed 108 new and 48 existing but modified body panels for the convertible and a stiffer transmission tunnel and steel tubing welded into the A-pillars and sills. The rear seat was replaced with a luggage shelf. Convertibles inherited all of the XJ-S upgrades for the year, including ABS, new 15-inch alloy wheels, redesigned seats, and some interior tweaks, including a new steering wheel and new burl walnut trim.

Jaguar had been working on an XJ-S replacement before Ford bought the company but canceled that and chose to spend $63 million to revamp the aging XJ-S. The goal was to streamline production and reduce costs while not removing anything that made a Jaguar a Jaguar. There were changes but pretty much only hardcore Jag fans could notice and the car ran out of its nine lives in 1996 with a final production total of 115,413 units over 20 years and seven months.

What are they worth now? Well, a check of the car auction sites found lots of them in the mid to upper teens but the problem is getting parts and matching them up since so few were made.

It’s sad to see what this British institution has become. You’ve no doubt seen or heard about the weird ad that appeared recently that looked like something I remember from the Tela Tubbies. Then there’s the concept car. What the…. is that? It’s been good knowing you, Jaguar.

Thanks for stopping by and checking out my latest spot. I have plenty of others on our site so go ahead and check them out. Come back next Friday for another unusual find of mine along with some of its history. Have a great weekend.