THE XJ HERITAGE

The definitive, authorative and complete history of the Jaguar saloons

"The finest sedan Jaguar has ever made" - Sir William Lyons

By Vince Bodiford
Automotive Editor

I am probably one of the few automotive journalists in the world who can make the claim that I would not be alive today had it not been for Jaguar. Late one spring night in 1988, I was a passenger in the rear seat of a Jaguar XJ saloon, traveling on a road just above Los Angeles in Southern California. Things for the driver apparently went very badly and well beyond his driving ability - and the Jaguar crashed violently.

There were three souls in the Jaguar that night, and we all live today. I am convinced that my survival was due to a large degree (including divine intervention) to the superb engineering and quality of the Jaguar, which was a total loss. So in addition to being beautiful and fast cars, I think of them also as very well engineered and safe cars.

More than half of all Jaguars ever built were the XJ saloons. The British employ the term “saloon,” which is interchangeable in the USA with “sedan.” Either way, both describe the full-size, traditional four-door passenger automobile. But it’s Jaguar, with its distinctive and beautiful styling, which defined the premium, full-size luxury saloon.

Since the launch of the original XJ6 in September 1968, Jaguar has made six generations of XJ series sedans, which between them have reached a total production figure of over 800,000 cars - more than half of all Jaguars ever built. The new XJ (codenamed X350 during its development) is the seventh generation in this illustrious line of Jaguar sedans.

Originally introduced as a single model range to replace no less than four different predecessors, today the XJ sedan stands at the top of the expanding Jaguar range, as the largest and most prestigious of three sedans. And for many loyal customers and enthusiasts, the XJ is still the definitive Jaguar sedan. And for many purveyors and drivers of finer automobiles, myself included, the Jaguar is now, and has always been “the” fancy European car.

The story of how the original XJ came about, and how the range has developed over the years, is part of the Jaguar legend, and provides a fascinating insight into how the company has remained true to the same ideals over the past 35 years, while adapting to changing requirements and staying at the forefront of contemporary engineering and design.

The XJ range also represents a direct link with Jaguar's founder, Sir William Lyons (1901-1985). The original car was his inspiration, his vision of Jaguar's future as he saw it in the 1960s. The success of the XJ models over the years is his best memorial.

During the 1960s, the Jaguar sedan range consisted of the Mark 2 - compact sports sedan, together with two intermediate models derived from this, the original S-type and the 420. At the top of the range was the Mark X or 420 G model - a limousine-like prestige car.

With this extensive range, Jaguar catered for every niche of the prestige market, but production of so many different models in relatively small numbers was difficult. Within the four ranges, there were seven Jaguar and two Daimler models, using four different sizes of the famous six-cylinder XK engine, as well as the Daimler V8.

The idea emerged of replacing all of these cars with a single model range, offered with a choice of just two engines, and available in both Jaguar and Daimler forms. The size and package of the new car was chosen so that it would be a replacement for the medium-sized S-type and 420 models, which were considered to be the ideal size for a future Jaguar model with international appeal.

The car that became the XJ was originally known by its internal project number, XJ4. Here XJ stood for 'eXperimental Jaguar': there was no particular significance to the number 4, however different accounts say the number 4 indicated the four-door configuration, another for a four-seat layout, and still others that it was the fourth experimental of the type. The germ of the project was a proposal to replace the E-type with a four-seater GT model, in response to such cars appearing in Jaguar's important American market.

Later as the project progressed, the emphasis was once again on a new sedan model, so rear doors were added, and the front and rear ends were ‘cut off’, producing the typical XJ look, with the customary style and elegance expected of a Jaguar. The front end was modeled on the Mark X and 420 models, with a wider and lower version of the Jaguar grille and four headlamps.

The grille was perhaps controversial, with its crosshatch of vertical and horizontal bars. The car was considered so unique and distinctive that early examples did not have a Jaguar nameplate, only the 'growler' and 'leaper' badges. The interior was typically Jaguar, with leather upholstery, wood trim, and a full range of instruments.

The car was engineered under the direction of the late Bob Knight. He was already responsible for the Jaguar independent rear suspension, which in modified form was used on the new car. Bob's expertise was in developing suspension which combined impeccable road manners with a high degree of ride comfort. With subframes for both front and rear suspension and clever use of rubber mountings, the XJ set new standards in suppressing noise, vibration and harshness.

A new feature was the anti-dive geometry of the front suspension, and for the first time Jaguar used rack-and-pinion steering on a sedan car, with power assistance standard on the 4.2-liter model. Brakes were discs all around, with dual hydraulic circuits.

To suit the characteristics of the suspension, Dunlop developed a new type of wide, low profile radial tire with a high-speed rating. The result was a car that was superb to drive, and to be driven in.

It had originally been Sir William's hope that the new sedan car would from the start be fitted with the new V12 engine, which was being developed by the team of Wally Hassan, Claude Baily and Harry Mundy. However the V12 was delayed (and would make its debut in the E-type in early 1971), and a V8 derived from the design was cancelled. In consequence, when the XJ appeared in 1968, the engine was the well-tried XK straight-six of 4.2 liters, with twin carburetors and 245 bhp. The model name XJ6 was finally chosen simply because the car had six-cylinders.

The launch of the car took place on September 26, 1968, just before the London Motor Show. Sir William Lyons himself appeared in the advertisements for the new car, and declared that this was the finest sedan car Jaguar had ever made.

The world’s motoring press agreed with him, and the car was given an enthusiastic reception. The advanced engineering of the XJ, and its remarkable refinement, now enhanced the combination of traditional Jaguar virtues such as style and sportiness, performance and comfort. Comparisons began to be drawn between the Jaguar XJ and the Rolls-Royce.

The Jaguar simply set a new standard, especially at its price - a 4.2-liter XJ6 cost just $6465.00. At the same time, the 4.2-liter car had a top speed of 124 mph and accelerated from 0 to 60 mph in a very respectable 9 seconds. In Britain, Car magazine chose the XJ6 as their 'Car of the Year.'

Demand was such that for quite some time, Jaguar found it difficult to make enough XJs. There were considerable waiting lists, both in home and export markets. The supply position eased up after the first two years, as Jaguar now dropped all its earlier models and concentrated on the new car.

In April 1971, the magnificent 5.3-liter V12 engine made its debut in the E-type Series 3, and in July 1972, this engine also became available in the XJ sedan - in this form called the XJ12. In the 1970s, the XJ12 and Daimler Double-Six cars were the only V12-engined sedan cars available anywhere in the world, and Jaguar made the only V12-engined cars in large-scale production. With a top speed of 147 mph, the XJ12 soon captured the title of the fastest sedan in the world.

If there had been any criticism of the original XJ, it was that rear legroom was rather limited for a luxury car. The problem was addressed in September 1972, when a long wheelbase model, adding an extra 4 inches between the axles, was introduced.

Meanwhile, a face-lifted version of the XJ range was under development. A major reason for changing the styling of the original was that the bumper height needed to be raised to comply with new legislation in the US market. This meant that the radiator grille became even shallower, and the cross-hatch type grille was found on both six and 12-cylinder Jaguars.

At the same time, Jaguar took the opportunity to revise the interior and improve the ergonomics, with a new dashboard, which put all the instruments and major controls in front of the driver. Also as part of the revised range, a two-door pillarless coupé version was under development. Such a model had been planned in the mid-1960s, when the trend in the USA was towards the 'hard top' body style.

The revised Series 2 range was introduced at the 1973 British Motor Show. The short-wheelbase four-door sedans were soon discontinued, and all sedans were from then on built on the longer wheelbase, while the original wheelbase was retained for the new coupé, also known as the XJ-C model. In the case of the coupé, the October 1973 announcement was a little premature - because of problems with sealing the opening rear quarterlight to satisfactory Jaguar standards, series production did not commence until early 1975.

The coupé turned out to be quite short-lived and these elegant cars, with their distinctive standard-fit vinyl roofs and optional alloy wheels, were discontinued at the end of 1977. With a total production figure of just over 10,000, the coupés remain among the rarest - and most desirable - of the classic XJ models. The coupé was used for an unsuccessful attempt by the Leyland Broadspeed team to enter the European Touring Car Championship in 1976-77. Although spectacular and very fast, the cars were too heavy, and were never developed sufficiently to overcome reliability problems.

On the mechanical side, fuel injection replaced carburetors on the V12 cars in 1975, and a GM400 automatic gearbox was introduced on all models in 1977. In 1978, six-cylinder cars for the North American market followed the V12 by adopting fuel injection.

It was almost time for a third XJ generation. For the first time in Jaguar history, the re-styling of the next model was entrusted to an external designer, the famous Italian house of Pininfarina. The ‘greenhouse’ of the car above the waistline was completely re-designed, with a new roof, side windows, and screens, increasing window area and making the car look even lower, although in fact rear headroom was improved.

There were also new door handles, bumpers and rear lights, and improvements to the interior, as well as a handsome new vertical-bar radiator grille. The new models, called the Series III, were launched at the end of March 1979, and with the even more elegant styling were warmly welcomed, and carried on the Jaguar traditions at a difficult and crucial time in the company's history.

During 1981, important improvements were made to the V12 engine. A new cylinder head designed by the Swiss engineer Michael May was introduced, with a very high compression ratio of 12.5:1 and other features, which reduced fuel consumption by about 25 percent - an extremely worthwhile improvement on these rather thirsty cars.

In the same year, a Vanden Plas version of the Jaguar XJ6 was offered in the North American market, equipped to the same standard as the home market Daimlers, while in 1983 the Sovereign model name was transferred from Daimler to Jaguar, and from then on denoted the most luxurious versions of the Jaguars.

As the basic XJ design was now well over ten years old, behind the scenes Jaguar was developing a replacement, now under the project code XJ40. There were several false starts before the new car eventually emerged on October 8, 1986, just before the International Motor Show.

Crucial to the development of this car was a new Jaguar engine, intended to replace the classic XK unit. This was originally derived from a single bank of the V12 but had twin rather than a single overhead camshaft, and benefited from having four valves per cylinder. As had happened many years before with the XK engine, and also with the V12, the new engine - called the AJ6 (for Advanced Jaguar) - was at first launched in a limited production sports car, the XJ-S 3.6 cabriolet of 1983.

There was at first no 12-cylinder version - the XJ40 had not originally been designed to accept a V-engine - and a partial re-design was necessary before the V12 engined model finally arrived in 1993.

In consequence, while production of the six-cylinder Series III was stopped soon after the introduction of XJ40, the 12-cylinder Series III continued in production, proving the timeless elegance of the classic XJ design, even after more than 20 years.

As far as styling was concerned, XJ40 was the last Jaguar production car that Sir William Lyons (who died in 1985) had any influence on, as an informal consultant and regular visitor to the styling studio, even in retirement. Perhaps inspired by contemporary 1980s design, the XJ40 was rather more angular than most previous Jaguars, and many versions featured large rectangular headlamps, as well as square rear lights. An innovation for Jaguar was the quarterlight in the rear pillar, creating a six light style. The overall proportions and the kicked-up rear fender line were however unmistakably Jaguar.

Under the skin, the XJ40 featured a new rear suspension with double wishbones and the brake discs mounted outboard. All U.S. versions were fitted with an automatic four-speed ZF with a new shift pattern called the J-gate. The interior of the car was brought up to date with better ergonomics and sophisticated electronics that extended to the smaller instruments with bar type displays, and a multi-function trip computer.

The new car was an instant success, and Jaguar was hard-put to keep up with orders until a second assembly line was opened in 1987. As had been the case with the original XJ6 in 1968, for a time demand easily outstripped supply, but by 1989 production had been increased to a record 39000 cars per year.

For the 1990 model year, the 3.6-liter engine was replaced by a 4.0-liter version. The V12 version with the engine now of six liters followed in 1993. The ultimate in luxury was offered by the long wheelbase models, which became available from 1993 onwards.

By the early 1990s, the next new generation of the XJ was under development. An investment of around $300 million made by Ford after its takeover of Jaguar in 1989 financed a re-design of the XJ40 to make the car simpler to manufacture and improve build quality. The result was the X300, the first of a new generation of Jaguars with a new style of project numbers.

For the X300, the opportunity was also taken to re-style the car, the result being called 'retrolutionary' design: Softer shapes and a classic four-headlight front end were more in tune with the rounded shapes coming back in the 1990s, and recalled the styling heritage of classic Jaguars of the past.

Launched in 1994, the X300 range featured a 4.0-liter version of the six-cylinder engine, now in a modified form known as the AJ-16, while the 6.0-liter V12 was also available. Most exciting however was the new supercharged version of the 4-liter, fitted to the XJR model. With a top speed of 155 mph, it was just as fast as the 12-cylinder car, but had even more spectacular acceleration. In 1995, long wheelbase models were added to the range.

However, the six- and 12-cylinder versions of the X300 were to be the most short-lived of the various XJs to date. Jaguar was working on an all-new engine family, which eventually would embrace both V6 and V8 configurations.

Disregarding the Daimler engines of the 1960s, this was Jaguar's first V8, although an eight-cylinder version of the V12 had been under consideration in the late 1960s. The new V8, known as the AJ8 engine, was launched in 4.0-liter form in the new XK8 sports car, which replaced in XJ-S in 1996, and in the following year the V8 engines also appeared in the X300 (which then became known internally as the X308 range).

In the sedan models, there were 4.0-liter and supercharged 4.0-liter versions of the V8 which signalled the end for the magnificent V12 that had served the company so well for 25 years. The famous names of XJ6 and XJ12 were retired, and Jaguar's prestige car became the XJ8. The sixth generation had launched and from 1997 until the launch of the all-new seventh generation XJ, this was Jaguar’s flagship sedan.

The flagship sedan of today promises an equally inspiring future, as has been the hallmark of Jaguars history.

LIFE’S A TRIP - Enjoy the drive. Be a safe and courteous driver, obey all highway laws, never drive impaired, buckle everyone up. Jaguar Cars North America contributed content to this feature, used by permission. Copyright © 2003 The Weekend Drive, All Rights Reserved.