Jaguar XJ12 Classic Cars for Sale

The Jaguar XJ12 is an iconic luxury car by British automaker Jaguar Cars, first released in 1968. The original XJ12 was brand founder Sir William Lyons' final saloon design. It has enjoyed steady popularity over time, and its classic iterations remain popular and coveted worldwide.

The origins of the Jaguar XJ12

The Jaguar XJ12 (the star of the then-new XJ Series I) evolved from the XJ6 which was introduced in the fall of 1968. Touted as "the finest Jaguar ever made" by Sir William Lyons himself, the model was powered by Jaguar's classic straight-six cylinder XK engine and featured power steering, leather interiors, and optional air conditioning. An upscale version of the XJ6 - the Sovereign - was produced by German automaker Daimler in 1969 and curiously featured twin fuel tanks on either side of its boot. The first version of the Jaguar XJ12 was born in July 1972 as a result of multiple experimentations Jaguar and Daimler did on previous XJ iterations. It featured a 5.3 litre V12 engine and the superior Borg-Warner Model 12 automatic gearbox. At the time, the XJ12 was the world's only mass produced 12-cylinder four-door car as well as the fastest vehicle in its class with a top speed of 140 mph. As before, Daimler produced an upmarket variant of the XJ12, dubbed the Daimler Double-Six. A total of 3,325 Jaguar XJ12's were produced in Series I.

The evolution of the Jaguar XJ12: Series II and III

The XJ12 received its first facelift in 1974 when the Series II was officially unveiled. It featured raised front bumpers (so the model would comply with US crash safety requirements) and a smaller grille. The Jaguar XJ12 interior was also updated with a simplified air conditioning system. From 1977 onwards, the Borg-Warner automatic gearbox was replaced with General Motors' THM 400, adding a further US element to the British-born XJ12. Series II of the Jaguar XJ12 saw 16,060 units produced until 1978. Unfortunately many of them were riddled with build quality issues due to strained relations with labour unions at the time. 1979 brought a much needed overhaul for the Jaguar XJ12 and marked the beginning of Series III production. Visually, the updates included a rubber-coated bumper, smaller lightweight grille, and door handles flush with the body. Bosch fuel injection was added to the V12 engine block. For the first time the Series III XJ12 also featured a sunroof and cruise control. Production of the Jaguar XJ12 was discontinued in 1992, leaving the total number of XJ6 and XJ12 models produced at roughly 318,000 - a mighty legacy.