Last year of the hyphenated XJ-S
The Jaguar XJ-S is not to be confused with the Jaguar XJ, despite the former’s production run from 1975 through to 1996 falling within the latter’s 1968 to 2019 model years. Despite the similarity in naming conventions, they are entirely different vehicles with divergent lineages: the XJ-S replaced and expanded on the success of the famous Jaguar E-Type, while the XJ conglomerated and merged several of Jaguar’s full-sized offerings almost a decade earlier.
The XJ-S is considered to fall broadly into three eras, with the first lasting until 1981, while the second ended in 1991. The watershed marker between them was the introduction of a high-efficiency revitalization of the standard V12 under the hood. The third and final generation lagged behind Ford’s purchase of Jaguar in 1989 by a few years, as the new owners did not alter the design for a few more years. It wasn’t until midway through 1991 that Ford implemented the design revision, dropping the hyphen and shortening it to the Jaguar XJS. This particular example is one of the last of the second generation, which is why it maintains the hyphen. This XJS was acquired by the seller in 2022 and was previously listed on Bring a Trailer in the summer of 2024. She’s once again available for a limited time.
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If you’re looking for a Signal, this is it
The body is coated in a bold shade of Signal Red that’s contrasted by the power-retractable black soft cover over the cabin, which folds down nicely into a black cover. Quad headlights nestle nicely into the fenders, with a very short but wide grill between them, and fog lights underneath.
The front and rear bumpers have some chrome accents, but their bulk is done in black rubber. An aftermarket antenna rests just over the passenger tail light, while block “XJS” lettering can be found on the rear of the driver’s side. Dual exhausts with thin piping jut out from under the rear bumper. The wheels are 15″ chrome Dayton-style wire-spokes shod in 235/60 Hankook Kinergy ST tires from 2023.
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A Doe in the headlights
The heated, adjustable sport seats are wrapped in Doeskin-toned leather as well as the door paneling, center console, and parts of the lower dash and windshield sills. The seats also feature contrast red piping on the seams. The upper part of the dash is black, with polished Birdeye Elm wood paneling for taste. The shifter is built into the center console, with a white knob and silver shaft.
The car has air conditioning, as well as cruise control and a stereo with a built-in cassette player. The four-point steering wheel is wrapped in black leather and is otherwise fairly simple and large. Behind it lie a speedometer that tops out at 160 mph, a tachometer that redlines at 7,000 rpm, and a central combo-gauge for fuel, oil pressure, amperage, and coolant temperature.
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Move over V8, make way for the V12
Under the hood is a true monster of an engine, specifically a 5.3L (323ci) V12 that fills the engine compartment to the brim. The original factory rating was 263 horsepower and 288 lb-ft of torque, with all of that power sent to the rear wheels by way of a three-speed automatic transmission. It is a bit of a bummer that the trans isn’t manual, but it does make the vehicle more accessible to more drivers, and the disc braking at all corners helps give back a bit more handling and control.
A fair laundry list of maintenance and repair has been done since the current ownership in 2022, with the seller mentioning a complete cleaning of the fuel tank and fuel injectors, a new fuel filter, new hoses for fuel and coolant, a new compressor for the air conditioning, and a replacement expansion valve. Further work includes a new oil pressure switch, thermostat, ignition wires, spark plugs, brake pads, brake calipers, and front shock absorbers. The odometer reads 42,000 miles, of which roughly 1,400 have been added by the current owner.
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Final thoughts: Don’t miss your chance at this Jaguar
The overall effect of all this under-the-hood maintenance is to produce a show-ready, beautifully preserved example of the partnership between British motorsports and Ford’s American know-how. The end result is a powerful machine with more cylinders than two ordinary sports cars combined, which is both a technical wonder and a stylistic delight. The auction is only live for a few more days, so don’t miss your second chance for this splendid Jaguar XJ-S before it’s gone!
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