These cars had a refinement and smoothness about them that you don’t find in any modern car. Driving one on these cars always made you feel like royalty.
Great review for a great car! Well shot and edited piece. I can tell you love and admire the XJS as much as I do (I have a 1987 V12 convertible.) Thanks and keep up the good work!
It's insane how many really neglected cars exist of the XJS, cars that fell into disrepair, have not been maintained, or gutted. There are two things that were the undoing of this truly beautiful car: Rust, and the electronics of the V12. But neither have to be a death blow. It does take looking after, and once the third or forth owner comes around, people just don't think of looking after it the way the first or second owner did. Depreciation is a Jaguar thing, and it's due to the electrics mainly because the mechanics are strong on this. I am restoring one and I am amazed how well designed the mechanics are. If you maintain an XJS the way it needs to, the way you would an Aston Martin or a Ferrari, you 'd get a lot of joy out of it, but sadly people don't. Just because you can pick one up for less money than a Camry or a Jetta, it does not mean that it's equally low on the maintenance scale and that is the big miscalculation that keeps sinking this car and that is why the value of these does not go up. Or does it? Most recently I keep reading that the XJS is coming back and I certainly hope so, because I plan on getting another one.
Your opening comments on the constant change in models and the lack of classic styling was so spot on!!! I think the Nissan Maxima has had 14 remodels in the last 8 years.
Would you buy a 98k miles xjs 1986? I'm considering but not that mechanically inclined except for very basic.plan to put about 2k miles a year. What you think?
I Own a 94' it's definitely a work of art & a Product of Patients. I'm always learning more about the car, I need some help if your an Xjs Technician. Sas Perfection UnderWorld Boss Connection
You have way too few subscribers for how nice this video was. Nice work, I personally love tech styling in interior of the early cars and Ford era convertibles from 1990 to 92 (after "backlift" but with classical bumpers) .
Very nice review, Paul, thank you. I own a 1991 XJS V12 Cabriolet and am very happy with it. Now, I am toying with the idea of buying an XJ-S V12 Coupe. I believe to have observed an upward trend in the price level of the XJS Cabriolets over the past 4 years since I bought mine back in 2016. Perhaps about 20% or so. I have no doubt that prices will increase further as the car becomes more and more of a real classic. I also believe the Coupes will go up in prices sooner or later. They have yet to be fully 'discovered' by classic car lovers, it appears. But they are just too beautiful and special to remain below the radar for much longer. What's your view (and of course the other XJS enthusiasts here) on this? Many thanks and best regards from Germany
The market does seem to be finally catching up with how good these cars are. I’ve run several on my hire fleet and have a V12 coupe currently. We also specialise in restoring them, reflecting the fact that people are beginning to buy and value them. Superb cars, possibly one of the best Jaguars ever made. Glad you’re enjoying yours!
@@greatdrivingdays2107 Many thanks for the response. And yes, I'm enjoying my XJS very much. Whenever I look at it my heart makes a jump :) I hope the XJS will get the appreciation it deserves. It's a wonderful car. Btw., are you based in the UK or the US?
I was ready to buy an Aston Martin Vantage when I saw a at a local car show a 1977 Xjs that the fella did a brilliant job of restoring and put a 5 speed manual trans in. I asked him if he wanted to sell it.I took it for a long test drive .Wee agreed on a price and I saved my self $90,000.
1975 was the debut of the XJS. Not 1973. Beautiful design that was just misunderstood at launch but sadder still, flawed in build quality and construction. The V12 engine though was something else and a sheer joy to drive. Pity it never retained it's forebear's twin overhead camshafts.
To the author, the video is so weird, it says 50fps but it looks more like 15fps. For example from 1:05, is that video or a stills slideshow? I bet the original footage is better, this video has a severe conversion flaw.
The Jaguar V12 was extravagantly Beautiful and highly flawed at the same time. Its all aluminum construction with a rotating assembly that was bullet proof were brilliant! The H.E chambers a modern marvel in design. The incredibly simple head design that was still very competent preformer and single over head cam. But alas for every great design choice in the v12, there were 2 horrible ones. Weighing in at 700lbs put this engine at the same weight as an all Iron Big block chevrolet despite aluminum construction. Its cooling system doesnt flow properly, overheating one bank of cylinders over the other. And the overly complicated Archaic fuel injection system that was kept until ford started using there system in 1994. Its tremedous overbore to stroke ratio made it incredibly hard to pass emissions and band aid upon band aid was used to get it to pass.
I recently bought one in Pristine Condition, and only days later did it have a Ignition failure. I found the source to be the Lucas Ignition amplifier. He care is beautiful inside and out, and it drives incredibly smooth. I just hope I don't run into any more problems. My pet peeve about it to this day is the radio. Even with the security code I put into it, it only works for that drive/day it makes me re enter the code every time I start the vehicle and it's incredibly annoying. I'm considering replacing the Radio with a Modern one.
The Star of China actually not really. Still have the Jag! I’ve fixed everything that it had. About a month ago my Alternator went bad so just that problem but it’s not a big deal
I had no overheating problems in my 85 v12 xjs. The only problem i had in the 4 years i had it was the lucas aircon system had a fault that stopped the heater working.
4:00 "...a twelve cylinder soundtrack". I don't hear a damned thing but a muted whoosh...99% of the aftermarket exhaust systems still choke off that V12 sound...like stuffing an opera singers mouth with a silk scarf...rather than cotton...release the V12 sound with straight-pipes, no one can sing with their mouths stuffed with fabrics...
Sadly from 2030 on all the combustion cars including classics will be banned from public streets in EU :-( In Germany the Green party gave order to shorten fuel supply from 2025 on by reducing petrol stations to only one single station per city or county...
Very early pre-he V12s had a manual option, a Borg-Warner four speed. Very rare, not on sale for long. A lot of the sixes came with manuals. Personally, I’ve never understood having a manual in an Xjs. It’s a cruiser, automatic is by far the best option.
Cold Hell Having got one of each I can tell you from experience that it’s whatever suits you on the chosen day. My preferred choice is my manual but sometimes, especially on a hot day, it is really nice to just relax, drop the roof and just cruise in my auto.
I know what you mean about cars coming out with new series , now it´s a new one every other year . I don´t follow up with it and frankly I don't find it exciting . Actually older cars are more interesting . Thank you I have an XJS 95 6cyl in the states and every one loves it , but even in great condition it's worthless .
Was the definition of supercar different in the '70s? A supercar is one which pushes the boundaries of performance. The XJ-S was the "world's fastest automatic".
The beautiful silky smooth V12 was let down by the piece of s*** GM gearbox (transmission) and if I could afford a nice 6 speed auto mine would be lovely.
Very disappointing video. Sounds like you're driving a ropey old one. Get a decent restored one (I own a KWE 4.0 XJS convertible) and it's a sublime driving experience. Also stunning looking - the XJS was launched about 45 years ago, but looks better with time. People of all ages stare, smile & give me thumbs up, as I waft past in my XJS. Your video doesn't capture the essence of this classic car at all. Get hold of a good one, and you'll understand it better!
I always felt the E-type was too much of a Ferrari rip-off, it shared little with classic british roadsters and, lets be honest, with XK150 as well. E-types lineage can NOT be traced back to previous Jags, but looking at a Ferrari its obvious who inspired it, its a good thing it had no successor, in the mid 70ies copying wasnt as cool as it was in the early 60ies, its no wonder Jaguar didnt risk another Ferrari design ripoff. XJS with all of its flaws is still more a classic Jag, wit a clear Jag lineage.
Ploffy Kha The influence for the E-type was the D-type and the XKSS. Jaguar were the first company to concentrate heavily on aerodynamics, the D-type was the first car designed with a monocoque and aerodynamics inspired by aircraft technology. Nothing like the E-type had been seen before, Enzo himself said it was the most beautiful car he’d ever seen. So no, the E-type is not a Ferrari rip-off.
The XJS was unloved and not pretty? Is this donkey for real? Where the hell did he get that from. Irritating boy. The V12 had its issues but then again half the Lambos and Ferraris of the day spent more time in the garage than owners deserved (modern ones are the same). Listen mate, you're far too young to make that statement, try talking to people who were there rather than lifting stuff from the internet. You weren't there so aren't qualified to make that comment. You've just ruined any potential career you think you may have had. XJSs are pricey cars to run and complicated to work on hence the reason thy're not hugely popular but don't mistake that for a lack of desire
Each generation has their own take on facts. For example, when we were young we knew handguns could be fired in vacuum or under water, but kids born in the 1990ies are keyboard experts who deny such common knowledge and fiercely attack anyone who present facts that were fairly well known before their time. Im pretty sure you did it too in your time, stating loudly that your parents generation were clueless? Of course you did. Its normal to be a world champ who knows everything when one is young, its sad that historic facts are lost in the process but it has always been this way.
These cars had a refinement and smoothness about them that you don’t find in any modern car. Driving one on these cars always made you feel like royalty.
Lucky to own a 1986 XJS. The car has charm and charisma.
87 xjs in shop for a full rear end drop and rebuild, can't wait to get back to driving it. Beautiful car, nothing I've ever driven like it
you deserve more coverage seriously you are good at this. videography and commentating
Great review for a great car! Well shot and edited piece. I can tell you love and admire the XJS as much as I do (I have a 1987 V12 convertible.) Thanks and keep up the good work!
It's insane how many really neglected cars exist of the XJS, cars that fell into disrepair, have not been maintained, or gutted. There are two things that were the undoing of this truly beautiful car: Rust, and the electronics of the V12. But neither have to be a death blow. It does take looking after, and once the third or forth owner comes around, people just don't think of looking after it the way the first or second owner did. Depreciation is a Jaguar thing, and it's due to the electrics mainly because the mechanics are strong on this. I am restoring one and I am amazed how well designed the mechanics are. If you maintain an XJS the way it needs to, the way you would an Aston Martin or a Ferrari, you 'd get a lot of joy out of it, but sadly people don't. Just because you can pick one up for less money than a Camry or a Jetta, it does not mean that it's equally low on the maintenance scale and that is the big miscalculation that keeps sinking this car and that is why the value of these does not go up. Or does it? Most recently I keep reading that the XJS is coming back and I certainly hope so, because I plan on getting another one.
Your opening comments on the constant change in models and the lack of classic styling was so spot on!!! I think the Nissan Maxima has had 14 remodels in the last 8 years.
Even the ford fiesta of the same period has minor changes between '76 and '89.
Nicely made film Paul - well done. Rgds, Chris, KWE
I started at jaguar in 1983 and worked on the xjs until its end and then the xk,s .....a major major part of my life from 18
Would you buy a 98k miles xjs 1986? I'm considering but not that mechanically inclined except for very basic.plan to put about 2k miles a year. What you think?
I Own a 94' it's definitely a work of art & a Product of Patients. I'm always learning more about the car, I need some help if your an Xjs Technician. Sas Perfection UnderWorld Boss Connection
Great video. I viewed it several times!!!
nicely made video, Im surprised this channel isnt bigger
Everyone needs to own one to understand what it feels to have a V12 ticking along. Love mine. Owned it two years with plenty of tasteful mods.
Values on these are starting to go up increasingly sharply for nice ones.
Stunning car nothing drove like the XJS
Lee Enfield I bet they're best driving on the 2s and 3s
You have way too few subscribers for how nice this video was. Nice work, I personally love tech styling in interior of the early cars and Ford era convertibles from 1990 to 92 (after "backlift" but with classical bumpers) .
Very nice review, Paul, thank you. I own a 1991 XJS V12 Cabriolet and am very happy with it. Now, I am toying with the idea of buying an XJ-S V12 Coupe. I believe to have observed an upward trend in the price level of the XJS Cabriolets over the past 4 years since I bought mine back in 2016. Perhaps about 20% or so. I have no doubt that prices will increase further as the car becomes more and more of a real classic. I also believe the Coupes will go up in prices sooner or later. They have yet to be fully 'discovered' by classic car lovers, it appears. But they are just too beautiful and special to remain below the radar for much longer. What's your view (and of course the other XJS enthusiasts here) on this? Many thanks and best regards from Germany
The market does seem to be finally catching up with how good these cars are. I’ve run several on my hire fleet and have a V12 coupe currently. We also specialise in restoring them, reflecting the fact that people are beginning to buy and value them. Superb cars, possibly one of the best Jaguars ever made. Glad you’re enjoying yours!
@@greatdrivingdays2107 Many thanks for the response. And yes, I'm enjoying my XJS very much. Whenever I look at it my heart makes a jump :) I hope the XJS will get the appreciation it deserves. It's a wonderful car. Btw., are you based in the UK or the US?
What's with the aftermarket radio???
Excellent as always @4Mark1
Great vid Paul
I was ready to buy an Aston Martin Vantage when I saw a at a local car show a 1977 Xjs that the fella did a brilliant job of restoring and put a 5 speed manual trans in.
I asked him if he wanted to sell it.I took it for a long test drive .Wee agreed on a price and I saved my self $90,000.
Well done paul
Paul I
Jaguar xjs are my favourite cars in the world you can have all your buggatti vayrons and Nissan GT-R and all that but if rarther have jaguar xjs
1975 was the debut of the XJS. Not 1973. Beautiful design that was just misunderstood at launch but sadder still, flawed in build quality and construction. The V12 engine though was something else and a sheer joy to drive. Pity it never retained it's forebear's twin overhead camshafts.
love the car of course and the enthusiasm. Find it hard to not think of watermelons when I watch you speak though!
To the author, the video is so weird, it says 50fps but it looks more like 15fps. For example from 1:05, is that video or a stills slideshow? I bet the original footage is better, this video has a severe conversion flaw.
Great video, great car.
The Jaguar V12 was extravagantly Beautiful and highly flawed at the same time. Its all aluminum construction with a rotating assembly that was bullet proof were brilliant! The H.E chambers a modern marvel in design. The incredibly simple head design that was still very competent preformer and single over head cam. But alas for every great design choice in the v12, there were 2 horrible ones. Weighing in at 700lbs put this engine at the same weight as an all Iron Big block chevrolet despite aluminum construction. Its cooling system doesnt flow properly, overheating one bank of cylinders over the other. And the overly complicated Archaic fuel injection system that was kept until ford started using there system in 1994. Its tremedous overbore to stroke ratio made it incredibly hard to pass emissions and band aid upon band aid was used to get it to pass.
I recently bought one in Pristine Condition, and only days later did it have a Ignition failure. I found the source to be the Lucas Ignition amplifier. He care is beautiful inside and out, and it drives incredibly smooth. I just hope I don't run into any more problems. My pet peeve about it to this day is the radio. Even with the security code I put into it, it only works for that drive/day it makes me re enter the code every time I start the vehicle and it's incredibly annoying. I'm considering replacing the Radio with a Modern one.
+Israel Aviña *The Car
@@IsraelAvina anything else go wrong?
The Star of China actually not really. Still have the Jag! I’ve fixed everything that it had. About a month ago my Alternator went bad so just that problem but it’s not a big deal
I had no overheating problems in my 85 v12 xjs. The only problem i had in the 4 years i had it was the lucas aircon system had a fault that stopped the heater working.
Droopy headlining!
4:00 "...a twelve cylinder soundtrack". I don't hear a damned thing but a muted whoosh...99% of the aftermarket exhaust systems still choke off that V12 sound...like stuffing an opera singers mouth with a silk scarf...rather than cotton...release the V12 sound with straight-pipes, no one can sing with their mouths stuffed with fabrics...
I'm looking at a XJS V12....I have a XJ12, and many old Rovers.....P4, P5, P6s and a few SD1s.....too many Bees and Beams to count....I want.
Doug Whole I think I would choose the inline 6
Buy one, buy it now. The six is good, but the V12 is smoother and more powerful. I’ve got an ‘86 V12, love it!
Want this
Sadly from 2030 on all the combustion cars including classics will be banned from public streets in EU :-( In Germany the Green party gave order to shorten fuel supply from 2025 on by reducing petrol stations to only one single station per city or county...
I don't think any manual XJS's were made, right?
yes, there were.
Very early pre-he V12s had a manual option, a Borg-Warner four speed. Very rare, not on sale for long. A lot of the sixes came with manuals. Personally, I’ve never understood having a manual in an Xjs. It’s a cruiser, automatic is by far the best option.
Cold Hell Having got one of each I can tell you from experience that it’s whatever suits you on the chosen day. My preferred choice is my manual but sometimes, especially on a hot day, it is really nice to just relax, drop the roof and just cruise in my auto.
just watched a film about the Ferrari 400 and the Porsche 928.this cms beats them by miles.
why don't they put this guy in the new Top Gear
Was that voiceover really necessary?
Aftermarket beam (flat) wiper blades on an XJ-S? Tacky.
KENDA tyres on a V12 XJ-S? Mad.
I know what you mean about cars coming out with new series , now it´s a new one every other year .
I don´t follow up with it and frankly I don't find it exciting . Actually older cars are more interesting .
Thank you
I have an XJS 95 6cyl in the states and every one loves it , but even in great condition it's worthless .
You should've been in Top Gear by now....
This car will always look futuristic...while the e-type feels hopelessly dated.
Great car just a shame the body work is so rust prone and complex to repair right
5.6mpg - na I've see a guy with his convertible parked up flick through the numbers 4.2mil, 1.5gal, 2.8mpg XD
The E-type looked okay, but the XJ-S looked better.
The V12 suck they drop valve seats!!
Business sense= cheap and greedy. Less emotional=Less pride in hand made.
Was the definition of supercar different in the '70s? A supercar is one which pushes the boundaries of performance. The XJ-S was the "world's fastest automatic".
The beautiful silky smooth V12 was let down by the piece of s*** GM gearbox (transmission) and if I could afford a nice 6 speed auto mine would be lovely.
Rolls Royce and Bentleys used the bombproof GM turbo 400
Very disappointing video. Sounds like you're driving a ropey old one. Get a decent restored one (I own a KWE 4.0 XJS convertible) and it's a sublime driving experience. Also stunning looking - the XJS was launched about 45 years ago, but looks better with time. People of all ages stare, smile & give me thumbs up, as I waft past in my XJS. Your video doesn't capture the essence of this classic car at all. Get hold of a good one, and you'll understand it better!
I always felt the E-type was too much of a Ferrari rip-off, it shared little with classic british roadsters and, lets be honest, with XK150 as well. E-types lineage can NOT be traced back to previous Jags, but looking at a Ferrari its obvious who inspired it, its a good thing it had no successor, in the mid 70ies copying wasnt as cool as it was in the early 60ies, its no wonder Jaguar didnt risk another Ferrari design ripoff. XJS with all of its flaws is still more a classic Jag, wit a clear Jag lineage.
Ploffy Kha The influence for the E-type was the D-type and the XKSS. Jaguar were the first company to concentrate heavily on aerodynamics, the D-type was the first car designed with a monocoque and aerodynamics inspired by aircraft technology. Nothing like the E-type had been seen before, Enzo himself said it was the most beautiful car he’d ever seen. So no, the E-type is not a Ferrari rip-off.
Why mention this is the same breath as a crappy MGB???
The XJS was unloved and not pretty? Is this donkey for real? Where the hell did he get that from. Irritating boy. The V12 had its issues but then again half the Lambos and Ferraris of the day spent more time in the garage than owners deserved (modern ones are the same). Listen mate, you're far too young to make that statement, try talking to people who were there rather than lifting stuff from the internet. You weren't there so aren't qualified to make that comment. You've just ruined any potential career you think you may have had. XJSs are pricey cars to run and complicated to work on hence the reason thy're not hugely popular but don't mistake that for a lack of desire
Each generation has their own take on facts. For example, when we were young we knew handguns could be fired in vacuum or under water, but kids born in the 1990ies are keyboard experts who deny such common knowledge and fiercely attack anyone who present facts that were fairly well known before their time. Im pretty sure you did it too in your time, stating loudly that your parents generation were clueless? Of course you did. Its normal to be a world champ who knows everything when one is young, its sad that historic facts are lost in the process but it has always been this way.
Bit harsh
Typical Jaguar build quality......check out the sagging headlining synonymous with all British leyland scrap produced throughout the 70's
Leyton Thomas Nothing to do with jaguar quality, many a roof lining from all cars of that period came down!