BUYER'S BRIEF
The XJ is still top of the pile, yet remains remarkable value in 2025…
For power, comfort and sheer style, the XJ is pretty hard to beat.
Around six grand should be your starting point for a good XJ. Less than that and you should be asking the seller some very serious questions about its history and their reasons for flogging it. You should get a very agreeable example for around £10,000, if recent auction results are anything to go by. To give you an idea, Hampson Auctions saw a 1968 car sell for £10,688 last summer, while a 1973 S1 needing a little attention went for £8331 at Mathewsons in November. Spend a few thousand extra or more, and you’ll be looking at very nice low mileage or professionally restored saloons and coupés. At the other end of the scale, check your barn find very carefully as a scruffy XJ project can soon get out of hand.
Why you want one
With mid-Sixties Jaguar showrooms crammed with shiny examples of S Type, 240, 340, 420 and 420G, the arrival of the XJ6 rationalised Jaguar’s range while drawing the best of all those cars into one svelte package. So good was that package, and so distinctive from the rest of the executive pack, the XJ6 lasted almost a quarter of a century and set the theme for big Jags until only recently. The distinctive and unique XJ6 shape came from the pen of Chief Engineer Bob Knight, after Jaguar boss Sir William Lyons asked for ‘a saloon car with the handling of an E-type’. While it relied heavily on parts from other cars in house, including the E-type’s independent rear suspension layout and twin-cam, straight-six powerplant, the car looked like no other exec. It still has immense presence today. But which one to buy?
If you’re looking for an early model, you’ll find your Series 1 with a 2.8-litre or 4.2-litre version of the XK straight-six. Power steering was standard on De Luxe 2.8s and the 4.2. The Daimler 4.2 was launched later in 1969 and may have the optional air con. All cars got the twin fuel tanks – a feature inherited from the S-type and MkX. A long wheelbase version was available from 1972, as was the XJ12 model with its 5.3-litre unit.
The Series 2 was introduced in 1973 and is recognisable by its higher front bumper (for US crash regulations) and shallower grille. All models now had the longer wheelbase (4in extra) body. The XJ gained revised engines with a 3.4-litre unit acting as the entry-level and saw the launch of the elegant pillarless coupé. The Series 3 arrived in 1979, with Pininfarina tweaked styling, new rear lights, a bigger glass area and improved headroom. While the svelte lines were rightly praised, it was the refinement and ride comfort – the latter rarely bettered since – that really grabbed people’s attention. The Series 1 marked the start of a model line that lasted until 1987 in XJ6 form, although the S3 Daimler Double-Six version soldiered on for another five years.
The inspection
Classics don’t come better cherished than a big Jag, but while parts and expertise are (mostly) available, there are still some challenges to restoration and maintenance. Starting with corrosion, any visible rust is often the tip of the iceberg. You may need to carefully consider fabrication because, for instance, original front wings can command a good few hundred quid apiece, with repair sections around £40. Add £300+ if you can’t do the job yourself. Good used doors can be bagged for about £200, although a brand-new skin from a specialist is around £300. Your chosen XJ may have been bodged, so analyse the bottoms of the A-,Band C-pillars along with the sills and rear wheelarches. Radius arms (£175 each) require close inspection, as do the trickyto-repair front and rear screen surrounds; the S3 is the most likely to be affected in this manner because of its bonded-in screen.
CABIN Slow electric windows are often down to corrosion in the guides leading to the glass being pinched. Stripping each door down is time-consuming, but worthwhile.
Under the bonnet, expect oil pressure of 40psi when cruising; some consumption is normal, but lots of smoke on the over-run or when the throttle is blipped points to hardened valve stem seals or worn valve guides on the six-cylinder. Budget £3000 to fix this if you’re paying somebody else to do the job, but complications such as corrosion or cracks in the cylinder block (the latter more likely with the S1 and S2) might necessitate a rebuild. Budget £7k-10k for a specialist to remove the engine, rebuild and refit it. It’s more than possible to do it yourself though, with loads of expertise out there to help you on your way.
Only V12s and 4.2 Series 3s from 1977 got electronic fuel injection; all other XJs have SU carbs. From 1971 the latter got an automatic choke called an AED (Automatic Enrichment Device), which wears then fails, leading to poor starting. For around £200 the AED can be re-built or converted to a manual system; the latter doesn’t fix the common problem of the lower diaphragm failing and leaking fuel internally. Poor running can also be because of water in the fuel. The fillers are mounted horizontally on top of the rear wings; blocked drains and perished seals allow water to seep directly into the two fuel tanks, with inevitable results. LPG conversions must be done by a specialist. Tank capacity ranges from 60 litres to 130, fuel economy figures drop by 20 per cent, but LPG costs just 50p a litre.
ENGINE The straight-six (XK) or 5.3-litre V12 engines will cover 300,000 miles if looked after properly.
All V12s and most six-cylinder cars had an automatic gearbox. Auto 3.4 and 4.2 S2s and pre1978 V12s featured a Borg Warner transmission; later XJ12s had a GM400 Hydramatic. Some Series 1 Model 8 and Model 12 Borg Warner transmissions can be clunky with their ratio changes, even when in good condition; later XJs were better. Inspect the fluid for colour, level and condition. The manual gearbox is strong and most S1s and S2s have overdrive; the Series 3 offered a five-speed gearbox without overdrive. If the overdrive is slow to engage, chances are the oil probably needs changing or the level has dropped.
Unevenly worn tyres are normally caused by tired balljoints. XJs had lower balljoints with adjustable shims and a grease nipple in the upper ball joints until the late Eighties. Later cars got sealed joints from Lemforder; these are interchangeable with earlier cars, are highly recommended and should be fitted for around £30 apiece. Worn suspension and rear subframe bushes are common so check that they haven’t split, knocking the geometry out. The top front wishbone bushes normally wear first; new ones cost £40 plus an hour’s labour to fit. A complete kit of front suspension bushes costs £175 with replacement generally straightforward. Early S1s had solid front brake discs from the S-type; later cars got ventilated front discs. Alloy four-pot calipers are available with cross-drilled discs and harder brake pads, transforming stopping power and improving the driving experience of the magnificent XJ even further.
BODYWORK Look out for rusty front and rear valances, along with the spare wheel well, door bottoms and rear radius arm mounts.
What it's like to live with
James Walshe recounts his XJ experiences
With an abundance of specialists out there, relatively speaking, owning an XJ is something of a breeze these days. Certainly, according to my mate Chris, who has been wafting about in his Daimler Double Six for the past year, he prefers it to the family VW Touran. ‘It’s thirsty, but the Jaguar has been a lot less trouble – and it’s cheaper and easier to fix than the modern junk!’ More recently, I had a go in my friend Tom’s S3 3.4 – a bog-standard model with cloth seats. That example too had proven itself to be reliable, yet with a feeling of unique sophistication that rivals failed to capture at the time – despite many of them crowing about superior quality. Sure, aspects such as the ingenious folding glovebox mirror look fragile, but that character flows from every corner of the XJ. It’s hard not to be captivated.
The car you see in these pages is a pre-production straight-six XJ, which we took back to Browns Lane. Hand-built by a team under the then 22-yearold Development Engineer Jonathan Heynes, it was test driven by Norman Dewis before becoming a press car and later a gift from William Lyons to his mate, the Chairman of the West Midlands Passenger Transport Authority. Our visit to Browns Lane with the XJ was an emotional one. Operations at the site were completely wrapped up by 2005, the assembly halls were demolished three years after that, and the museum building went in 2012. Gaydon might be home to a vastly superior museum facility, but the sight of our XJ in front of the old Jaguar Social Club made our legs wobble with pride. This is more than just a big old barge. It is a car with common sense, an unruffled disposition and a smooth, charming character. It’s the very best of Great Britain on four wheels.
More gentle cruiser than B-road bruiser.
WHAT TO PAY
PROJECT £1000-3500
GOOD £4000£10,000
EXCELLENT £10,000-£20,000
TECH SPEC
ENGINE 2792CC/6-CYL/OHC
POWER 147BHP@5750RPM
TORQUE 182LB FT@3750RPM
TOP SPEED 118MPH
0-60MPH 11.1SEC
GEARBOX 3-SPEED AUTO
ECONOMY 18MPG
USEFUL CONTACTS
Jaguar Enthusiasts’ Club, jec.org.uk Jaguar Drivers’ Club, jaguardriver.co.uk AJ6 Engineering, aj6engineering.co.uk David Manners, jagspares.co.uk SNG Barratt, sngbarratt.com
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