50 years since the premiere of the Jaguar XJ-S

The Jaguar XJ-S was the brand's most advanced model of its time, available on the market from 1975 to 1996. Over 20 years and seven months, a total of 115,413 units were produced in three main versions magazin de piese auto online.

50 years since the premiere of the Jaguar XJ-S

The XJ-S was unveiled on 10 September 1975, but design and development began in the late 1960s under the codename Project XJ27. The original design was by company stylist Malcolm Sawyer, but after his death in 1970 the styling was completed by Jaguar's in-house design team, led by Doug Thorpe. Power was provided by an original Jaguar V12 engine with a choice of manual or automatic transmission. At the time, production cars with V12 engines were quite rare, with Lamborghini and Ferrari among the few other companies offering such unique models. The XJ-S's specifications are also fully comparable to those of the two Italian cars. It accelerates to 97 km/h in 7.6 seconds (for versions with automatic transmission) and reaches a top speed of 230 km/h. The first series XJ-S had a BorgWarner Model 12 transmission with a cast iron housing and mounting bolts, but after 1977 a General Motors Turbo-Hydramatic 400 transmission with a fully integrated aluminum housing was fitted.

The model was initially offered with Dunlop SP Super E205/70VR15 tyres fitted to 6K alloy wheels, although British police preferred to fit their Jaguars with the higher-performance Michelin XWX 205/70VR15 tyres. In the late 1970s, the XJ-S also used 205/70VR15 Pirelli P5 tyres. European versions were fitted with two standard elliptical headlights, while those for the US featured four round ones.

Jaguar began production of the XJ-S shortly after the end of the first oil crisis, when the market for 5.3-litre V12 sports cars was severely reduced. Despite their impressive styling impact, the overly wide and sloping rear pillars were not well received in some markets. For example, German authorities considered them to restrict rearward visibility and refused to grant type approval for the model for sale on the domestic market (as they did with the Lancia Beta Montecarlo), requiring German buyers of the XJ-S to obtain special roadworthiness approval.

During this period, demand remained low and the company was forced to temporarily suspend production in 1981 so that unsold copies could be more easily sold.

In July 1981, the XJ-S was renamed the XJ-S HE and was now powered by a new, much more economical V12 engine. This was particularly helped by the more efficient Fire Ball combustion chamber, thanks to which power was increased to 295 hp. At the same time, the XJ-S HE received changes to the exterior and interior, such as chrome inserts in the upper part of the bumpers and elm inserts on the dashboard and door trim, as well as new five-spoke Starfish alloy wheels equipped with 215/70R15 Pirelli Cinturato P5 tires.

In 1983, the new 3.6-litre straight-six engine, the Jaguar AJ6, was introduced, along with a new convertible model called the XJ-SC. Here, the small rear seats of the coupe were removed to make room for the soft top. This was not really a convertible in the true sense of the word, as it had fixed side window frames and a targa-style central profile. Between 1983 and 1987, the six-cylinder cars (which could be recognised by the raised central part of the bonnet) were only available with a five-speed manual Getrag 265 gearbox, and from 1987 onwards with a four-speed automatic ZF 4HP22 (along with improved fuel injection similar to that of the XJ40). In 1988, the two-seater targa model XJ-SC, which failed to achieve great success in the market, was replaced by a classic two-seater convertible, which proved to be an absolute hit.

The latest version was produced from 1991 to 1996. At the same time, the Jaguar company was acquired by Ford, which introduced numerous modifications and eliminated the hyphen in the three-letter designation, which became XJS.

Car parts AutoPower
Car parts AutoPower

The XJ-S was unveiled on 10 September 1975, but design and development began in the late 1960s under the codename Project XJ27

The model was initially offered with Dunlop SP Super E205/70VR15 tyres fitted to 6K alloy wheels, although British police preferred to fit their Jaguars with the higher-performance Michelin XWX 205/70VR15 tyres