www.jec.org.uk

Hi I am considering purchasing an XJS. I have seen a couple already but would value your views.
1) pre or post face lift
2) coupe or convertible
3) 3.6 or 4.0L
4) manual or auto
I also like something unusual so how rare are celebration editions ? Numbers for coupe and convertible
What is a realistic price for <50k miles with fsh.
What’s the most collectible coupe or roadster

Thanks
Paul

Paul,

Well done on starting the journey! That's definitely a "How long is a piece of string?" question! And the answer will depend as much on your preferences as it will on availability or price.

Forgive me if you know this. There are essentially 4 eras of XJS:
- pre-HE cars from 1975-1981. The original XJ-S, big-bumpers, no wood, very collectible.
- HE cars from 1981 - 1991. Much changed from original. HE V12 engine or later 3.6. Wood trim. Many changes over the 10 years.
- Facelift cars. 1991 - 1993. Much changed look, particularly instruments, side view, rear lights, galvanised panels. 3.6 becomes 4.0.
- Facelift big-bumper cars 1993-1996. Plastic body-coloured bumpers. improved trim, move to outboard rear brakes, 5.3 becomes 6.0, 4.0 becomes improved AJ16 engine.

I'm not mentioning XJR-Ss, as that's a different category with both pre-facelift & facelift cars made in 5.30 and 6.0 configurations.

There are a couple of truisms:

- Convertibles have a significant % price premium, model for model, than Coupes. And much more so than when they were new.
- Genuine factory V12 Manual cars are super-rare. Only made in the early pre-HE years, up to 1979 (bar one). Only 351 made.
- There were more 3.6 Manuals made than 3.6 Autos. So don't overpay if someone markets a 3.6 Manual as a very rare car.
- 4.0 Manuals ARE rare. Although Jaguar still charged extra for the Auto up until 1995, almost no-one bought a 4.0 manual. Towards the end of production, the number of 4.0 manual Celebrations was tiny (less than 20).
- The "Celebration" is not a limited-edition model. All XJSs were called "Celebration" from VIN 221855 to end of production, so c4800 cars made
- For facelift cars from 1991, there were always more Convertibles than Coupes made for both V12 & 4.0 models

If you want specific numbers on any variants, just drop me a message.

As regards the car, you might want to buy, it really depends on your criteria:

If you're just looking at price, the cheapest cars will generally be Coupes in the pre-facelift HE range, either V12 or 3.6.
If you're looking at availability, it'll be HE Coupe or Convertible, early facelift Coupe or Convertible or late facelift 4.0 convertible.
If you're looking at rarity, there's a few I'd suggest:
- Pre-HE XJ-S, the original, getting extremely rare to find (manuals are the Holy Grail)
- 4.0 Manual Celebration Convertible, arguably the rarest car to find, tiny numbers made.
If you're looking at long-term collectability, rather than necessarily rarity, I'd suggest:
- The earliest cars - a Pre-HE XJ-S
- The latest cars - the best made and hopefully in the best condition today
- Any Convertible
- Original V12 or 4.0 manual cars

If you're just looking for the easiest car to maintain and enjoy, then a late facelift 4.0 convertible, anything from VIN 194774 when the AJ16 engine was introduced until end of production might be your preference. It depends if you're a Convertible afficianado.

Overall, condition is everything. Go into this with your eyes open! A poorly maintained or rusty XJS is an absolute money pit. The V12 is very complex in its injected form in the XJS. And your decision on the right car to buy will also be influenced as to whether you are a hands-on maintainer or will need to always seek specialist support. Either way, I'd still be looking for the best condition car I could find. And if you're not really au-fait with the intricacies and known potential problems of the car, get a proper inspection done on any potential purchase.

Everyone will have a different view on which variant of the XJS they prefer or would buy, and it also very much depends on your own driving preferences. But it's going to be a great journey, both finding the car and then driving it!

Very best of luck!

Paul

The JEC also has a classified for sale section, when it's working,
http://www.jaguarclassifieds.org.uk/
which tends to be more up to date and extensive then the magazine listings.

There are so many variations over the years and prices are all over the place. Ultimately even the latest ones are now well over 26 years old and they all suffer just like any car will. No matter how glossy the paintwork is, mechanicals, suspension, rubber will all have been, or will need to be, overhauled.

I've owned a V12 in the past and when running perfectly are awesome but the six cylinder engines are so much easier to live with in my opinion.

Don’t forget the Insignia versions if you are looking for rarity!

Good spot!

The Insignia was an option in 1993 to have an XJS customised with some bespoke paint, trim and wood colours. It was done to give some work to the SVO guys who had finished working on the DS420 limousines .

c64 cars were sold, with 7 RHD 4.0 Coupes made, I believe - happy to be corrected.

Paul

......and 18 RHD convertible 4.0 Insignia models (7 coupes).

TL:DR... it's not all about rust.
Just to add, my car wasn't driven for about 20 years (from what I can tell), others had bought the car in the last 3-4 years and worked on it and it had very little rust.
But... the bushes were shot and needed replacing, along with the rear (inline) brakes, the injection loom was broken (surprisingly cheap to sort out) and the fuel tank was full of rust.
So the car looked good but needed a fair amount of work to get running beautifully.

Thanks guys so much. I understand the convertible premium but I really dont like the look of these with the roof up . it doesnt seem to have the same presence. Listening to all your advices i think i will endeavour to find a 4.0 facelift manual version with the AJ16 engine. \i have already viewed an insignia but the guy was wanting circa 30k and the car wasnt in the kind of condition i would expect. i actually commented that he was adding 15 to 20k for the rarity alone. i have also been tempted by a low mileage convertible only 2 owners celebration. however the guy once again is asking top dollar for a car that has never been MOTd and has been stood in a garage for 25 years. I asked him to mot it but he is reluctant to do so. So i have come to the conclusion that although it looks a thing of beauty it could become a very expensive re commisioning. So hopefully off to see my first 4.0 coupe 1991 very soon. Fingers crossed its the one !! .

If its a 1991 Couoe, then it will have the AJ6 engine, not the AJ16 engine.

If you're really determined to find an AJ16 engined Coupe with a manual box, then you need to be prepared for an extremely long wait and you may not ever find one for sale. They were only ever 28 cars produced. The chances of finding one for sale when you want it is almost impossible. But good luck anyway.

Cheers

Paul