The Series III Jaguar XJ was built for the 1979 through 1992 model years, the final chapter of a quarter-century of the iconic original Jaguar XJ (though production of the straight-six model ended in 1987). Thanks to notoriously troublesome electrical systems and rapid depreciation, but blessed by stay-of-execution-obtaining beauty, most of these cars were parked under blue tarps in driveways before the end of the 1990s… awaiting repairs that never came. Here’s one that I spotted in a San Francisco Bay Area self-service wrecking yard over the winter.
If you were serious about driving a Jag during the easy-money1980s, you needed the optional wire wheels. That showed those rubes in the BMW 735s and Mercedes-Benz 500SELs what real class was all about.
The 4.2-liter version of Jaguar’s legendary straight-six engine made 176 horsepower in 1985. That was six fewer than the 735i’s six and eight fewer than the 500SEL’s V8. However, the XJ6 cost $ 32,250, versus $ 36,880 for the BMW and $ 51,200 for the Benz. Given that the Jag offered at least as much (and maybe more) status on the street, its price tag looks like a pretty good deal.
Of course, the electrical stuff would have a few issues, but so what?
Lovely Rita learns to fear the Jaguar in this British Leyland advertisement.
