Oh kitty, what have you gotten yourself into this time? I fear that you’ve now used up all nine of your lives and this will finally be it for you. However, there’s always hope that someone will come along and convince the owner here to set you free to roam the fancy neighborhoods another day. But it’s more likely that just some of your organs and other internal bits might live on, after all, much of you is shared with every other one of your general breed out there.
Wyoming isn’t a locale normally associated with V-12 engined Jaguars, so I was a little shocked to see this here, especially since I’d entirely forgotten that the XJ40 generation of the big Jaguar actually was available that way. Then again, there are more wealthy ranching, oil, and mining folk here than you’d perhaps imagine so maybe this has been up here its entire life.
I’ll forgive myself though, since even though the XJ40 was on offer in the United States from 1988 through 1994, the V-12 was only available for that final 1994 model year and internally known as the XJ81. Total production for the States ended up at 1,565 units. Since we have not featured this model previously that I am aware of, it’s not getting any easier to find them curbside, so this may end up the only time one is featured.
This particular one is one of the earliest, produced in February of 1993. These were also introduced to the world that same exact month at the Amsterdam Auto Show, so it was likely shipped over here shortly thereafter and then sold as an early 1994, I’ve seen references to a 1993.25 model year in Jaguar Heritage paperwork which this pretty much is, but not as far as the US authorities are concerned, the R in the 10 position makes it a 1994.
The full numbers produced for the US version seem to be five in 1991 (likely engineering or evaluation prototypes), then 39 in December 1992, 1121 in 1993 (the bulk including this one) and a final 400 in 1994. Rest-Of-World examples numbered another 1,325 and and Daimler Double Six variant numbered a surprisingly large 1,203. Of all of those, only 141 were long wheelbase examples. For reference there were a total of 208,733 of this bodystyle produced for worldwide consumption when adding up all variants and pre-production models as well dating back to 1983 of which 3,733 or 1.8% of that total had a V-12.
This one, as with all of the US versions, was based on the short (standard) wheelbase model. And the color here is just Black, as likely a good number of them were. As you can see, I’ve at this point exhausted the exterior angles that show nothing missing, here a rear door has either given itself to another car or arrived here without. Never mind that, it’s but a flesh wound, luv.
The basic car is of course XJ40, already covered in great detail here by William Stopford. And to most people that’s exactly how they will identify this one, there is very little to give away that it’s a bit more pedigreed than that commoner. The gold growler up front is probably the most obvious clue (besides the XJ12 badge on the back) but some of these types of items get used in other variants as well when sold elsewhere, the black grille inserts are supposedly different here as well but seem to have been used on others too, if perhaps not the US XJ40. But enough school lecture, let’s lift the bonnet!
Hinged at the front, it pops up easily and actually stays upright, the hydraulic lifter things still holding it up after all these years. Normally the inline six already looks like it takes up a lot of space in here, but the V-12 sucks up all of the extra room and then some.
The 6.0liter puts out 301hp and 334lb-ft of buttery smooth power, which back in 1993 was quite impressive and made it the most powerful sedan in Jaguar’s history according to their brochure. Of course on this engine there are various electronic bits that can and do fail and with the low production numbers are either expensive, unavailable, or make people rely on used pieces to keep their cars going. It isn’t altogether uncommon to see XJ40s in junkyards, and V-12 engines aren’t unseen either, but are most often in the XJ-S model, often with a shockingly low odometer reading.
Circling around the back shows more stuff missing, the paint clearcoat has started to fail from sitting outside in the strong Wyoming sun, and from this perspective it’s all a bit of a mess.
These are the correct wheels for at least the early models of this car, and don’t look anything particularly special at first or second (or any) glance either. Tires in this case were Goodyear Eagles in 225/60-16 with date codes from the year 2000, so someone probably replaced the first set of tires and then this is that first and only set of replacements, it’s likely this car has been sitting for over a decade.
Here’s the center cap for that wheel. Here, kitty, kitty! It’s plastic if you must know.
The trunk is quite large and yes there is a little rust in there. British cars will apparently start to rust after some time if exposed to the elements, who knew, I’m assuming the trunk lid has been gone for some time.
But I know that rear end was getting you down, so this should brighten anyone’s spirits, leather, wood, ooh, Daddy likes! Yes, the airbag wheel is a touch too much of the modern and rather spoils the mood but such is progress. The brochure talks about this car having dual airbags but perhaps that didn’t include these early production ones as there does not seem to be one on the passenger side.
The driver’s seat looks properly posh as well, piping is a wonderful thing and used to good effect here. The handbrake is in a good spot for rapid application but I wonder if it gets in the way of one’s thigh.
Power seat controls are on the side of the console, the HVAC is an interesting automatic version with dial controls, cassettes were still a thing although CDs were well into their popular phase when this was made (likely there was a CD changer in the trunk), and of course here is the famous and ever-so-controversial at its introduction J-gate shifter. Note the two D settings at the bottom and then the lower gears on the left side for those named Nigel Shiftright that can’t keep their string-backed gloves off the shifter and prefer to do it themselves. Of course underneath this is connected to a GM 4L80E four speed transmission. I have to wonder what the cost of that part was with a Jaguar part number on it vs. from a Chevy dealer or elsewhere as it was used in a number of GM vehicles.
The gauges are easy to read if a little on the plain side. At least there’s a full set but no way for us to read the mileage. Note that Premium Unleaded Fuel is required.
The XJ40 got a lot of press for its early “electronic dash” with the multi-button trip computer for example integrated into the surround here. The other side also features similar. Note the cruise control panel with the little actuator flap on the right side.
Jumping around to the passenger side shows that a little better right at the top left. The transmission also has a Sport/Normal rocker switch that was likely never used.
Only the poors use vanity mirrors in the sun visors. The proper way is to open the glovebox, move the little white spring-loaded button to the right and watch a real mirror pop up from the inside next to the (of course) chromed hinge.
Those two air filters are actual Jaguar items with their logo and part number but also the OEM supplier’s Mann Filter script on them, still someone cared enough to get the right items. Or their dealer did at the last service and charged them accordingly. There are also various bits from the door handle assembly down here and a golf ball of the Precept brand. I wasn’t sure if it was any good so googled it and it turns out that it’s rated a very good “bang for the buck” ball, but I suck at golf so it’s irrelevant to me.
If you squint a little or a lot, then yes, this for sure looks like a comfortable way to drive home after spending a minimum of $71,750 on one in 1993 or 1994. For reference a Camry XLE V6 Automatic (the fat one) based at $22,188 at the same time, not that I am in any way comparing this to a ’93 Camry even though I think this junkyard has one of those too.
These got the two-seat back bench (musn’t touch thighs!), overall I believe this is pretty much the same interior as the mid-range Vanden Plas model got over here, although it’s a little hard to see with half the car’s pieces including the heretofore unseen rear bumper crowding the space. The trunk mat’s also in here (and probably worth a fortune).
A couple of door panels and assorted other trim is also stuffed in here, this looks like either a long term operation wherein perhaps there was an issue with the door latches and the rear end or something and then it all snowballed out of control for someone. Either way, an unfortunate situation, but I can’t see a V-12 Jaguar of this or any similar vintage making it through more than perhaps at most three owners while in running and fully functional condition.
Lovely. As cramped as the back seat is in this, that kind of makes up for it.
The car sits here facing east, and from here to its birthplace of Coventry, England is exactly 4521 miles as the crow flies. At least it can see the sun come up in the mornings, and then slumber contentedly through the afternoons. In any case, this was likely an unexpected celebration of this cat, uh, car worth a purr or two from it.
House money when new – look at it now, wouldn’t be worth the price of a pizza
Lots of good parts left on that it could keep several going for quite some time, Lack of capable mechanics kills cars like this more often than anything Jaguar forgot to do, they end up with enthusiasts who do know how to keep them running and several were at the British European car display day I attended,
Nice cars when they are running right and a frustrating nitemare when they arent.
What a dethroned beauty queen. Made in the ‘month of Love / 1993… then given over to abuse, neglect, defilement; tragically ending as an unwanted corpse left to the elements. Only to be picked over by scavenging birds of prey.
I could have been the one you were seeking; to be loved and caressed eternally. Bathed soothingly in warm glows of evening light and tucked to bed, eagerly waiting for us to be together in the morning.
Romping thru green hillsides on sinuous roads; lost in the bonds of love. Sorry sweet kitty; you were to meet another and never know what I could have offered. Our love never known, now lost forever ~
Awesome!
The problem with creating icons is that you paint yourself into a corner. Obviously, the original XJ was beautiful, and Jaguar stuck with that basic body for almost two decades, and even the ’80s versions are fairly collectible. They tried to change up the formula a bit here, and it seems like nobody’s interested.
I think this car’s immediate successor tried to get back to the original formula, and they still look pretty good, but I honestly can’t remember the last time I saw a current-generation XJ. The Porsche 911, Mustang, and Corvette are other examples of cars whose heritage is a bit of a burden, although their respective corporations have done a pretty good job working with it.
Changing up the formula in this case was jumping on the bandwagon of what’s trendy. It’s one thing to evolve your icon, it’s another to try and mimic the younger stars at the pinnacle of their fame (Mercedes and BMW), it comes off so obvious in these it’s a wonder they didn’t curl the leaping cat up in a little roundel cage for a hood ornament.
Mustang and Corvette aren’t quite as burdened as the bulk of their existence did evolve quite a bit stylistically, there were always critics that felt no Mustang looked good between 1970 and 2004, but it didn’t particularly hurt their sales not looking exactly like 65s all those years, and the retro cars at their best didn’t end up doing any better in volume to validate the nostalgic argument. And with Corvette the C1 C2 C3, C4 and on really couldn’t look more different from each other. I think this is more a burden with European makes since they tended to refine an existing design, and critics praised that practice over American models constantly being restyled for no good reason. Porsche is a great example in terms of shaking up the brand itself(the 911 has remained fairly faithful to the old formula and look) but BMW really meets resistance for when the hoffmeister kink goes missing, or the twin kidney grille looks like buck teeth, or the size increases, or the steering is electrified, or… I think the 3 series today is going through the same identity crisis against Tesla that Jaguar XJ was going through against the Germans around this time, and in both instances it shows.
That’s a seriously low production item, meaning a rare find. Thanks for an entertaining writeup!
I’ll guess that owners’ problems will be mechanical rather than decorative, but once one door is off, that interior weathers a whole lot faster …..
Quite the find. Don’t think I ever saw one, as these came up just after we moved to Eugene, which was pretty downscale at the time.
I can only imagine what it would take to keep one of these on the road.
I was never a fan of the XJ40. It just didn’t come together for me.
I was never a fan of the XJ40 too, but I have come to appreciate it more than its successor (X300). The XJ40 genuinely tried to modernize the shape (successfully) whereas the X300 styling is a bit too much retro.
And those rectangular headlamps look good on the XJ40, much more so than the versions with four round headlamps.
Late XJ40 (93 and 94) are pretty reliable. Ford was in charge for a couple of years and it showed in the reliability charts. The six cylinder versions, plus the X300 count as the most reliable Jaguars ever. The X308 and X350 are less so, having more electric add ons and air suspension etc.
I actually tried to find a good XJ40 as a Daily Driver but stopped looking when I realized for a bit more money I could have a XJS 6 cilinder instead. Which is what I have now.
By the way, if there is a glove box with a door on the passenger side then there is no airbag there. Only the last year or so had the passenger airbag.
It would be fun to liberate the engine and then swap it into a Camaro. Just because. And not just fun, but frustrating, expensive, and probably the dumbest thing a guy could do. But still fun.
It is interesting to see what goes missing on junkyard cars. And what doesn’t.
More people put Camaro engines into Jaguars I think, but I guess that leaves a lot of donor Camaro bodies needing an engine. Yes, I agree it could well be the dumbest thing to do, but I’m sure someone somewhere has a beer that can be held by someone else… 🙂
Isn’t it? It’s one of the things I really enjoy (don’t ask me why though), seeing what people take. Curiously stuff like a 10 year old RAV4 tends to get picked down to the bone very quickly, not so much due to stuff constantly needing replacement on all of them but I think more due to they last so long that there are relatively fewer of them in the junkyard to begin with before the whole thing is just completely worn out.
A Camaro? How predictable. 🙂 How about in the front of a Corvair?
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/builder-of-the-v12-jaguair-dies-one-of-those-rare-persons-who-made-their-wildest-ideas-come-true/
Oh you’ve been watching “Car Wizard” on Tube. His long term project is a 66 Nova 4dr rolling chassis with a Jag V12 pending transplant. Makes a change from the usual Chevy grate 350 motor.
It’s possible to bore and stroke a Jaguar V12 engine up to 10 liters….
Sounds like an episode of Roadkill! Take the Draguar and rip out the supercharged engine and put the V12 in there and then try to build it up, power-wise, just because it makes no real sense. 🙂
I never saw one like this, but I’ve lived in northern Maine since 1990 where the most common mode of transportation is the ubiquitous pickup truck (with attached snowplow in the colder mônths of the year. It must have been quite the luxury boat when new. The one featured in this article could be a gold mine of reusable parts.
It’s sad to see a beautiful old Jag in a scrapyard, but they’re difficult and expensive to keep running, and it’s no surprise they end up there. You have to have deep pockets and the desire to keep it running. That, and knowing a good mechanic helps as well. At least the parts from this old cat will help keep another one purring along.
What an ignoble end for such a stately car. All that beautiful wood and leather. Surprised to see the Leaper still on the hood. Fun write-up.
The first thing I looked at was the Leaper and also was surprised to see it in place.
When talk turns to Jegyoowahhs, the phrase “world-class electrical system” comes to mind, because they boasted of having newly added one to this car’s successor, the XJ300. The implications aren’t good for what came before.
Hope somebody saves those seats!
The V12 was a late addition to the XJ40 because the engine bay had to be reworked. The XJ40 was designed while Jaguar was still part of BL and management wanted to use the Rover V8 to reduce costs. Consequently Jaguar’s engineers made the space too narrow for anything except the new AJ40 I6. Once jaguar became independent they had to esign a whole new front suspension and inner fenders
I love cats of the feline persuasion. But when it comes to Coventry cats, for me it’s a case of look but don’t touch. Too many horror stories over the decades. And for the XJ40 it’s a case of don’t even look, as I’m in agreement with Paul, it did nothing for me. It didn’t deserve one life let alone nine.
Oh, me too.
Um…there’s some other kind?
I guess that I should weigh in with my opinion being a Jag apologist and all. In some circles the XJ40 was considered the last modern Jag, because it’s design was evolutionary, not retro. The X300 and the XJ8, then the aluminum bodied XJs all mimicked the classic design of the original XJ6. I thought that it was a handsome design especially with the big fishtank headlamps and cool smoked tail lamp assemblies. The newer XF and XE and XJs all broke with tradition and they seem to have broken the irrational hold that some buyers once had with the marque, as sales are not good. The XJ40s are well known to have a lot of electronic problems. The V12 debuted with the Series three XK E type, back in 1970 or so. The old DOHC six couldn’t meet impending emission standards and still produce a decent amount of power. The V12 was always hobbled by the alarm clock sized, twelve terminal distributor stuck smack in the middle of the V, it meant that the intakes had to splay to the sides over the cam covers. Bad enough with fuel injection, awful with four carbs hung off the sides! These cars posses the true elements of romance and tragedy. I’ve got a V12 in my garage right now that no one wants to buy. I keep working at it slowly and make a little progress now and then.
I would love to pull that engine, give it a good detailing, and use it as decor in my man cave.
Worth the effort to restore. A beautiful car to drive and enjoy. This is mine (in Australia).