Jaguar XJS Time line
On the 10th September 1975 the Jaguar XJS was launched to such advertising slogans as today is a “Black day for Modena, Stuttgart and Turin”. In reality it is fair to say that the XJS hardly took the world by storm upon its launch, a 5.3 ltr V12 launched in a fuel crisis.
Add to that styling that was considered very unusual, especially on a Jaguar and initial poor build quality a la British Leyland all took their toll on the XJS. It was never going to be an easy job following on from the Legendary Jaguar E-type. However, with subtle re-engineering and styling changes over it’s 21 year production run the XJS has rightly become a well respected member of the Browns Lane Stable.
1983: The all new Jaguar XJS 3.6 is launched with the newly developed AJ6 engine from the XJ40, it is launched in manual form only.
The 3.6 is also launched with a new Cabriolet body style followed in 1985 by the V12 version.
1995: The V12 cars are discontinued and the XJS goes into it’s final
“Celebration” guise with the addition of a brand new engine
known as the 4.0ltr 240bhp AJ16, which is borrowed from the
new X300 XJ6.