Jaguar XJS buying guide: which one to choose and what to check

In 1996 the Jaguar XJS V12 coupé cost £50,500 — it was a luxury car and it is built like one: lots of leather and wood, complex suspension, twelve cylinders or an elaborate six. Each of these needs to be assessed before you buy. This guide is about choosing and inspecting. The history and all the versions are covered in Jaguar XJS 1975–1996, and the details of the twelve-cylinder engine in The Jaguar XJS V12 engine.

Which Jaguar XJS should you choose: six cylinders or V12?

British buying guides, including the AutoClassics guide quoted by Motorious, put it this way: the straight-six is the sensible, cheaper-to-run choice, and the V12 is the version collectors want most.

The output figures come from the Jaguar archive (V12 HE), Ateupwithmotor (4.0, AJ16, 6.0) and AJ6 engine tables (3.6). According to Motorious, early V12s with a manual gearbox are the most collectible; pre-1982 cars are not to be avoided, but build quality and economy improved after the HE was introduced, and the best-built cars are those after the 1991 facelift.

On a six-cylinder car, check the oil pressure with the engine hot (Motorious gives 40–50 psi), the exhaust manifold gasket and any traces of coolant on the block. Practical Classics warns that without a coolant change every two years the block sludges up at the back, which can lead to overheating, a blown head gasket and a warped cylinder head. A compression test on all cylinders before purchase is money well spent.

The V12 checkpoints — cooling, rear spark plugs, timing chain, exhaust — are covered separately in the article on the V12 engine.

Coupé, XJ-SC or convertible?

The coupé is the lightest and most practical, the convertible gives you a fully open car, and the XJ-SC is a rare compromise. The main differences:

• Coupé (1975–1996) — a four-seat 2+2 body. According to the Jaguar archive, the V12 coupé weighed about 1,800 kg in UK specification.
• XJ-SC (1983–1988) — a targa with removable roof panels and a folding fabric rear section. Production tables give 5,013 cars. The 1985 V12 Cabriolet was a two-seater.
• Convertible (1988–1996) — a power-operated roof and a heated glass rear window; about 1,900 kg as a V12, 100 kg more than the coupé. Late convertibles were sold as 2+2s.

For the open versions, buying guides point to wet carpets as a common sign of a leaking roof. Check the mechanism, the condition of the fabric and the rear window, and whether there is water under the mats.

Where does a Jaguar XJS rust?

Rust is the biggest risk when buying an XJS, so start the inspection there. According to Practical Classics and the AutoClassics guide, check:

According to Practical Classics, a damp smell in the cabin may mean blocked sunroof drain channels. Rust on the front wings and around the headlamps can be a sign that the box sections below have rotted as well. Body panels are easy to find, according to Motorious, so the cost of a repair is mainly decided by the extent of the bodywork.

What should you check in the gearbox, suspension and brakes?

The XJS gearboxes are regarded as durable, and the suspension as excellent but complex. According to Motorious:

• Automatics — parts and servicing are widely available. A knock from the gearbox mounting often means the spring in its support has collapsed; older cars sometimes have a harsh first-to-second change.
• Manuals — some parts are harder to find, and clutches are expensive.
• Front suspension — the upper wishbone bushes wear out roughly every 50,000 miles, causing uneven tyre wear.
• Rear suspension — it sits in a subframe together with the differential, which makes repairs harder. Check the subframe mountings and rock each wheel for hub bearing play.

Most suspension parts are available new, including from Jaguar Classic Parts.

What should you watch for in the interior and electrics?

The XJS interior is solidly made, but restoring it can be expensive. Practical Classics notes that the leather seats are straightforward to restore, while door trims and plastic fittings can be hard to source, and the wood veneer needs proper restoration. Motorious adds that the driver's seat bolsters wear quickly and the wood on the dashboard and console can fade, crack or lift.

The headlining can need repair — the description of the 1993 Jaguar XJS in the MB Classics archive notes it as a typical XJS issue.

Before buying, check all the gauges, windows, mirrors (the motors burn out), lights, radio, trip computer and sunroof one by one. On later cars, ABS sensors can fail. The air conditioning should blow cold — ask when it was last regassed.

Which documents and history should you check before buying an XJS?

On an XJS the service history matters more than the mileage. Motorious notes that low-mileage cars with full history command higher prices, but the odometer alone says nothing about the state of the cooling system or the underbody. Ask for:

1. Invoices for coolant, oil and spark plugs — with dates and mileages.
2. The market specification — US cars had different engine settings and less power; for the V12 HE production tables give 263 hp in the US against 299 bhp in Europe.
3. The history of bodywork repairs — photos of the work, the extent of welding, who did it.
4. The import history — country of origin, year of import, number of owners.

Examples from the MB Classics archive show how different these histories can be: the European-specification 1993 XJS 4.0 was imported to Poland in 2008, the 1995 XJS 6.0 V12 was originally delivered to the US and then went to Germany, and the 1987 XJ-SC is a European-specification car imported in 2023.

Are parts for the Jaguar XJS available?

Yes. Jaguar Classic Parts officially supplies spares, accessories and consumables for the XJS, and its catalogue covers more than 22,000 part numbers. Body panels and most mechanical parts are easy to find; early interior parts are harder.

If you are looking for a specific car, see the current MB Classics showroom and the archive of sold cars. A comparison of the XJS with its natural rival is in Jaguar XJS vs Mercedes SL, and more buying guides are on the blog.