CHAPTER 1

JAGUAR AND THE XJ RANGE

By the end of the 1980s, the Jaguar XJ range of high-performance luxury saloons was firmly established at the pinnacle of its class. Yet Jaguar the company was not in such good shape. Despite huge efforts by CEO and Chairman John Egan to give it firmer foundations as an independent manufacturer after it had left the British Leyland empire in 1984, its finances were precarious.

In 1989, the company was put on the market. In 1990 it was purchased by Ford, and from that point on the American company set about turning this once highly focused company into its own answer to BMW. Reasoning that one big saloon (the XJ) and one sports model (the XJS) were not enough to maintain the right sort of presence in the marketplace, Ford encouraged Jaguar to diversify. Over the next decade or so, the range was swelled by intermediate saloon models - the S-type in 1999 and the X-type in 2001 - which gave greater depth to the Jaguar marque and increased its popularity.

The XJ, meanwhile, maintained its position among the world's top saloons, but that position was increasingly under threat, and perhaps especially so in the USA, which was a vital element in Jaguar sales. The XJ was up against formidable competition from the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, the BMW 7 Series and, from 1989, the Lexus LS. All three were products of large companies with vast resources, and without the support of Ford it is likely that Jaguar would not have been able to withstand the competition indefinitely.

The Browns Lane factory was the traditional home of Jaguar, and was where all the XJ saloons in this book were manufactured before July 2005.

The original XJ was a creation of Jaguar's founder, Sir William Lyons. Lyons died in 1985, many years before work began on the cars that are the main focus of this book, but the company remained true to his principles.

THE XJ STORY

The first Jaguar XJs, then known as XJ6 types, were introduced in 1968. Their arrival closely coincided with the formation of the British Leyland group of motor manufacturers into which Jaguar was rather unwillingly absorbed. Their purpose was to replace all the existing Jaguar saloons, and their Daimler-badged equivalents.

The Jaguar range was certainly overdue for rationalisation by this stage, if only to keep manufacturing costs within bounds. When a smaller saloon had been introduced alongside the grand Mk VII models in the mid-1950s, nobody could have imagined how it would eventually spawn S-type and 420 derivatives in the following decade. This expansion led to a well-rounded but unsustainably costly range. The XJ6 reduced the number of different bodyshells to one, although different engine options ensured that there was still a Jaguar for the same range of customers as before.

The Series 1 Cars

These first XJs had Jaguar's proven twin-cam 4.2-litre engine and a newly developed 2.8-litre version of it that was sized carefully to meet tax breaks in some European countries. Although a four-speed manual gearbox was standard for both engines, with overdrive as an option, most were probably bought with the alternative three-speed automatic, which helped to emphasise their luxury pretensions. Although an entry-level 2.8-litre with various deletions was advertised, it is doubtful whether any were sold: customers perceived the new Jaguar XJ as a luxury saloon, and this offering clearly did not fit the bill.

A big part of the XJ's appeal from the beginning was its lithe new shape, drawn up as always by company chief William Lyons himself and unquestionably a Jaguar from every angle. Jaguar had convinced tyre maker Dunlop to develop a new tyre specially for it, and this became one of the earliest low-profile types. Stunning looks and superb performance (at least from the 4.2-litre models) made the early XJ6 a huge sales success, and by the end of 1970 it had fulfilled its mission of replacing all other Jaguar saloons in production.

There were Daimler-badged variants, too. Jaguar had bought the old Daimler company in 1960 and had perpetuated the marque with Daimler derivatives of its own saloon ranges. The car introduced in late 1969 as a Daimler Sovereign was essentially a badge-engineered Jaguar XJ, but was pitched as a more expensive and exclusive car, with equipment levels that reflected that.

The first-series XJ saloons established the parameters for those to follow. They earned immense respect for their combination of luxury with sporting performance. This is an XJ6 6-cylinder model; there were also Daimler-badged equivalents available and, from 1972, V12-powered types.

The XJ had always been intended to take the new all-aluminium V12 engine that Jaguar had been developing during the 1960s, and this was added to the range in July 1972 in models with the XJ12 designation. With a smooth power delivery right up to the car's maximum speed of over 140mph (225km/h), the V12 was immediately a sensation, although its downside was a formidable thirst when the driver succumbed to temptation. Jaguar added ventilated disc brakes with twin servos to provide reassuring stopping power, and Dunlop again developed special tyres, this time to carry the XJ12's extra weight. The 12-cylinder XJs had a distinctive radiator grille with a V12 emblem at the top, an XJ12 badge on the tail, and new wheels with ventilated rims. There were some changes to the interior, and air conditioning became a standard feature.

The V12 also went into Daimler models, which were by this time considered the top luxury variants of the XJ range, and these cars took the name of Double Six from a 1930s V12 Daimler. Then in September 1972, a new long-wheelbase bodyshell made its debut as the Daimler Double Six Vanden Plas, taking the second part of its name from a bespoke coachbuilding company that had been absorbed into the British motor industry many years earlier. A month later, long-wheelbase Jaguars also became available, with a choice between 4.2-litre XJ6 and XJ12 types; there was never a 2.8-litre model. However, relatively few were sold before the next evolution of the XJ range took over.

These first XJ Jaguars were hugely successful, and their excellence was acknowledged wherever they were sold. Their legacy was to have set new standards for luxury saloons, adding high performance to existing expectations. But equally important was that they had come to represent what most people now meant by 'a Jaguar'. That the company continued to build its remarkable sports cars was a given, but it was the XJ range that had given the Jaguar marque an image that was more widely relatable. In more ways than one, the XJ saloons had become the most important of Jaguar's products.

The Series 2 Cars

There were therefore very high customer expectations of the cars that would replace these original XJs. There were also new requirements to meet new US crash safety and emissions regulations so that the cars could continue to be sold in their most important overseas market. The Series 2 XJ models that were launched in August 1973 wrapped all these changes in a package that was visually an evolution of the original design. They came only as 4.2-litre XJ6 and 5.3-litre XJ12 models; the 2.8-litre car had been dropped. The latest US regulations required new emissions control equipment, too, which hit the power of the 6-cylinder engine particularly hard.

The Series 2 cars followed the initial formula, and improved on it. Once again, there were both Jaguar and Daimler variants, and both 6-cylinder and V12 engines were available.

The Coupé derivative of the Series 2 cars was a beautiful piece of work, but problems with door sealing marred its reputation and there were no further two-door XJs. This German-registered car has the 5.3-litre V12 engine.

The Series 2 had raised bumpers to meet those US regulations, but this and associated cosmetic changes actually made the cars look much sleeker than the Series 1 models. Less visibly, the bodyshell had been re-engineered with a new bulkhead and side-impact bars in the doors. All models now had the perforated disc wheels, too, along with ventilated front disc brakes. Inside, the cabin boasted new seats and door panels, plus a redesigned dash with better ergonomics and an improved heating and air-conditioning system.

All the XJ12s were long-wheelbase cars, and in fact the standard-wheelbase 6-cylinders were dropped after November 1974. But their floorpans remained in production for some new derivatives introduced in April 1975. These were the XJ6 and XJ12 Coupés, strikingly pretty two-door models using the saloon's overall shape and all carrying a black Everflex vinyl roof covering. Promised at the Series 2 launch, they had been delayed by development and production problems, and in fact never would overcome their reputation for wind noise and water leaks. As a result, they were taken out of production in November 1977.

April 1975 also brought an injection system for the V12 engines, which boosted power a little, and Vanden Plas trim became available on the 6-cylinder Daimlers. At the same time came a new 3.4-litre XJ6, using an engine size familiar from older Jaguars but with the latest version of the 6-cylinder block. This car was deliberately aimed at fleet buyers, and was built down to a cost with cloth seats, no coachline, and other deletions. It did not sell as well as Jaguar had hoped: XJ buyers wanted luxury, not compromises.

The Series 3 Cars

As a small company, Jaguar could not afford major model changes as often as their rivals. They therefore had...