That was a trip down memory lane for me, thank you! In 1980 I bought a 'P' Reg 1975 XJ-S after selling my '74 Jensen Interceptor. In those days my routine was to summer in Cannes, always driving there from London, usually at night because one could drive faster. My fastest time (door to door) was in a 1967 E-Type that was perfectly happy to sit on the Autoroute at an indicated 150 MPH. But it was brutal. My hands were numb by the time I arrived in Cannes! The XJ-S was a very different kettle of fish. So smooth, so quiet, one never got the sense that one might be exceeding the speed limit. The return journey was interesting. On the Autoroute, flat out, I glanced in my rear view mirror and saw a puff of white smoke. I pulled over immediately and to my horror found that the radiator top hose had simply given up the ghost on me. The rescue service truck trailered me to a small garage somewhere north of Marseilles. Between my broken French and the garlic breath of the proprietor, I learned that it would take at least a day to get a replacement hose from the nearest Jaguar dealer, or they could fit a hose from a Citroen that was more or less comparable to the proper hose. The only drawback was that the Citroen hose had a kink in it that restricted the flow of water. I would have to limit RPMs to 2,500 to avoid overheating and possibly warping the heads. I chose the Citroen option for a handful of Francs (Lord only knows what the cost of an OEM part would be) and was back on the way home, albeit rather slowly. With the 2,500 RPM limit, the XJ-S recorded an amazing 21 MPG! Thanks, Harry, for reminding me of happy times in the XJ-S, which was eventually replaced by a '76 Aston Martin V8.
Fantastic story! I missed out on the period of no-limit French Autoroutes but did enjoy some 'quick' trips across France before speeding was as rigorously enforced as it has been in the last decade or so. Back in period, the XJ-S must have been made for such a trip, it felt supreme at high speed in my hands, much more so than the E-Type and I expect the Jensen and Aston too, but you would know this much better than me! I briefly owned a manual XJ-S ('78) but the gearbox was a complete mis-match with the car, being an old 4-speed unit. It compromised the car too much and didn't suit it at all, yet today they are sought after as they were only built in small numbers, which I discovered was for good reason! Thanks for posting.
Fell in love with the XJS after watching Return of the Saint as a kid back in the 70's. Love the V12, one of the finest British engines ever built. Great review by Harry as ever, nice to see him appreciate this great British classic. 😀
I once visited the Ferrari factory and when I came out of their museum I saw 5 Ferrari mechanics around my V12 XJS. They insisted I open the bonnet and turn it on. They were creaming themselves looking/listening to it.
@Theodore Frazier I had a 77 model same colour in australia in early 80's.Shame it was an english import(not sold new in oz).Rust bucket.Engine good never had probs but 150mph?No way with that borg-warner box.Lovely memories...what a pickup car!!
@@gti1647 I forgot what my XJSV12 was but yeah, they were crap. However, they were really beautiful gorgeous crap. Aside from that (rust, electronically connections) the biggest problem was how neutered they were from the factory. Emissions and OPEC hit the big V-12 hard. To meet the choking regulations, they choked the intake and exhaust. Wildly choked. If you threw out the CATS and reduced the multiple exhaust shits cans (6+2 CATS) and put a decent (homemade) air filter and air box, it was a completely different car. Like tire smoking difference! My dream was to enlarge the engine. You can take them up to outrageous displacement. 8 liters is easy but if you put some work into they can be pushed far beyond that. I think with deck plates you could get up to 10 liters. What a bitching Jag that would be! :)
I bought a XJS 5.3 V12 in 1978 (T reg) brand new, did 80,000 miles and sold it after 5 years. It was the best car to drive ever albeit the petrol consumption averaged 13.7 mpg until you drove it above 110 mph when it would then return 21 mpg. I always drove with the air conditioning on all the time and always in "D" drive as you never had to change gears with the kick down. I've always regretted parting with it - best car I've ever owned !!!!
See John Hopkins Medical Centre Maryland have published research result on Lockdown. They found it to have been 0.02% effective. We were played on every count. Fabric masks are no barrier to any virus. Vaccines? You can still contract and distribute the virus even after all shots...We have been played
I bought my 1991 XJS V12 Convertible in March this year (2016). A European model, in very good condition, 70.000 kms. Before I bought it I had had a recommended Jaguar garage inspect the car. This is an absolute must to avoid unnecessary surprises. Then, I had a couple of things done and drove from Berlin all the way down to southern France in May. I was driving on a small narrow road in the hinterland when I opened the convertible roof for the first time upon arrival in La Provence: I let the sun warm my face and enjoyed the smell of the South, pines, herbs, etc. This experience is just absolutely priceless! After a good week of vacation and driving around in southern France, I drove back to Berlin. My Jag did not have the slightest problem - a truly perfect journey! My Jag expert told me that the XJSes are no problematic cars, but one should make sure to buy a good one in the first place and then have it serviced/maintained regularly by a specialist.
some one I thought they had poor Lucus wiring? Good maintenance cant stop an electrical system from deterioration. Personally I love the car but im scared to buy a V12 model in the USA where I live because of poor reliability and expensive upkeep.
It's two years later now and I've still had no electrical (or any other) problem whatsoever. I must say though that I have my XJS regularly looked after by a Jag specialist. Since I bought it 2 years ago I have not had any issue, let alone expensive repairs.
@@klwthe3rd on my 1985 xjs v12 my heater became faulty it kept automatically turning to cold...after 2 auto electricians lost their sanity a third guy told me it was the lucas system was the villain lol...i was trying to get it fixed or replaced by an alternative but it got stolen 😨😱 apart from that i had it for 4 years kept it well maintained and it was very reliable but i still miss it to this day.
@@ForgottenHorrorchannel WOW! So your car got stolen while you were trying to get the heater problem fixed?? That's terrible. All systems have problems and I'm not here to completely bad mouth Lucus but from what I've researched, it seems that they are very unreliable and hard to fix. If you buy an XJS V12, you need to find a certified Jaguar specialist that has his own shop and knows these cars in and out. Someone that could look at your heater system and know right away what the problem is from his years and years of experience. Normal mechanics should not go anywhere near these cars as they have no idea how they work.
@@klwthe3rd your right there my friend! The only problem i ever had was that Lucas system and that was 4 years into owning it.... everything else worked fine lights windows all the panel lights the engine was bullet proof and never failed i did spoil it though..but yes it was stolen to order as it was a good solid car and all the chrome was like new... a real beauty it had full jaguar services from new and i kept that up but the jaguar garage wanted unreal money to find and fix the heater...so i took it to other auto electricians who i knew were good even with the original wiring book i had it was a very complicated job... it would need a total replacement i think to fix it.
These videos are so refreshing and the ideal antidote to the testosterone laden nonsense from the likes of Top Gear and Chris Harris etc who only measure a car's worth by its ability to go around an empty race track on its door handles. These are interesting car videos for grown-ups. Thank you.
Amen!! That kinda thing almost made me an empty auto numb skull ! Clouded my perception and enjoyment of real cars of all types..I now look at the older boys again, which I am very familiar with and appreciate them for their own character and uniqueness, from the floating 'land boats' to the 'tail happy' wedges, to the 'Clunky' classics there are fulfilling experiences to be had,and I shall no longer deny myself of that joy to appease a new culture of generic automobile enthusiasm purely based on the latest sterile performance stat of the day.
A dear friend of mine had a love of these cars. I was kind of his defacto mechanic that kept them running as he was unable to do so because of the cancer that was ravaging his body. He had a V12 Jag and I have to say that was one of the smoothest running cars I have ever driven after I gave it a very thorough tune up. Remarkable car. I miss my friend to this day even though he has been gone 16 years now.
Thanks Harry for giving viewers an important insight into the pre-Ford/TATA Jaguars' in that they were totally isolated from concrete or rough road surfaces. Utter isolation from road imperfections is not to be understated. Being a man of a certain age and having owned and driven many other marques over the years I have yet to drive a more refined car than a 1970's to 1994 Jaguar XJ/XJS. My current car is a new Mercedes E class and it lets me know very clearly when I'm not driving on a carpet smooth surface
I worked as a student for Peter Battam when he was Marketing Manager for Jaguar. We worked weekends when John Egan was hired to turn Jaguar around, the paint shop at Castle Brom could only make red, yellow and white solid colours at that time!!!! Amazing experience, John Egan was a lovely fellow.
Never gets old, I think this video started it all with Harry's Garage. The XJS is such a beautiful car and great to see the prices increase by 2x since this video. Really fun to see Harry rev. it up and put it in 2nd gear all the time. Love to see an update on the XJS too (but fix the AC and update the suspension).
Wonderful video and car. The photoshoot of the 1977 XJS advertisement was done at Hotel du Palais in Biarritz not Monaco. The hotel door entrance, hall, swimming pool and Biarritz rocks. Also one of the two cars from the photoshoot has a 64 French number plate for "Pyrennees Atlantiques" which is where Biarritz is (the other car came from England). The advertisement also shows a French road milestone for "route nationale" RN129 which was going through the nearby Pyrenees mountains, suggesting that the mountain road pictures were taken in the Pyrenees not Route Napoleon.
such a wonderful review, I have watched this many times and finally took the plunge and bought one last month. The refinement is beyond anything I have ever experienced and the V12 is a beast.
What an absolutely beautiful car. Love the colour too. And taking it to Monaco - genius! I've always been a big Aston fan but I think the thing about growing up in the '70's/80's was that they were V8's as were the Rolls/Bentleys. And the Lotus Esprit was just 4 cylinders. That the XJS was British and had a V12 made it a stand out car for me as a small boy at the time.
Watched this review shortly after you released it and I've just got back from 4100 mile trip all around Italy....and followed your advice to take the Route Napoléon down into Monaco...we had a great drive....thanks
Thank you for this video, I have a 1984 XJS and I have owned it for about 10 years, do all the work my self, I could never part with it. The driving experience is so special. The engine is the heart and sole. I think this car is a hallmark of engineering excellence.
I once attended a lunch for Aston Martin engineers in Royal Garden Hotel Kensington....They rated the Jaguar V12 as the best production engine in the world
The wife and I did the very same trip (and further, avoiding all the autoroutes). In a S reg 78 V12 XJS just like the one in the video, in 1984 (kiwis on the big OE). Absolutely awesome car for Grand Touring, and posing in Monaco, St Tropez etc. I was waiting for a comment on the brakes as you pushed on through the twisty bits. That's how I drive, and many times I exprienced the brake pedal getting softer and softer until it was virtually useless. Love all your vid's and your cars and the fact that you don't mind using them. Testarossa to the desert. etc. Cheers
Had 20 years with my 77 XJS. You could find yourself approaching the car in fronts bootlid very quickly if not careful. Thanks for the drive Harry, brought it all back.
I've two of these beauties. The '88 V-12 is rotting before my eyes and would cost thousands to revive. My '93 4 litre has far higher mileage but since it was post-92 it was galvanised. That makes a big difference. You can shove your Merkel Mettal where the sun don't shine! It's Jaaaaags for me all the way. I love the video.
Thanks for this brilliant review of this forgotten and underrated Jaguar! I have been reading a lot over pre-HE XJ-S, especially since I bought my 1977 pre-HE last March, and you sum it up perfectly in the Octane article: "Grace and Pace". I can't wait driving to Wales for the XJ-S timeline at the end of the month :-)
Just happened upon this vid Harry, what a great review. I remember the XJS from my childhood. And a stunning location to watch from an icy cold Canada today, I do miss the hills around Monaco. Thanks for sharing, great content as always!!
There is so much value to your videos Harry, I don't know all that is involved in doing each one. Hopefully there will be a new one coming real soon. Great cars, great feedback, always engaging. This early early model XJ-S is so neat. One almost never sees them anymore. The lack of a chrome strip on the front bumper is a telltale. Hope to see you again soon. Peace.
I've had an '89 3.6 for about 5 years, my Dad bought it originally to store in my garage and use when he came over to the UK to visit, I've now inherited it since he passed away. A friend and I did a Continental trip in it a couple of years ago, silky smooth. completely reliable and an overall fuel consumption of 27 mpg. 3 speed GM gearbox is horrible but you get used to it. During my life I've had a lot of interesting cars, a 64 E Type and a 72 Dodge Challenger, 68 Mustang etc. but there is something about the refinement of the XJ-S that I really love, a great all rounder
Great video... one of my first proper motoring memories was my dad’s friend bought a blue xjs, the v12, around 1986... as a gt it was fabulous, I was very young and the guy was a big chap and we were on the a13 and every time he nailed it the back of the drivers seat was pressing painfully against my knees as I sat in the tiny rear seats... but I didn’t care as I did not want that trip to end!
A few years ago I bought a 1985 XJS V12. Never was able to get it on the road, I hope the current owner drives it daily. Thanks Harry for letting me ride along vicariously :)
absolutely love Harry's uploads. such a lucky guy to have such an amazing and beautiful collection of cars. I bet he spent a fortune on petrol driving that xjs to Monte Carlo and back! 16mpg! holy moly!
Brings back memories. I had an '87 in America for a couple of years, bought used at a nice price, $8750, drove it daily, sold it for $8500. Did nothing but a set of tires. I doubt the guy that bought it had such good luck, clouds were forming on the horizon. Still, it was a great car, drove so silky smooth yet it would get around corners quite well.
You wonder in the video when Monaco last saw an XJS cruising through the streets. Well I passed through Monaco with my 5.3 convertible in May 2003 on my way to Rome. She averaged 20mpg over the whole trip which I suppose isn't too bad when compared to your pre HE. Happy days! Keep up the great videos!
A great video as always Harry, really enjoyed this one. I had a Graphite Grey metallic '86 HE and it was one of my favourite cars I have owned. Long journeys were nothing in it, absolutely effortless, such a pleasure to drive. Unfortunately it was stolen and my guess it was out of the UK in under 24 hours....
I was 16 when this particular car was first sold. I remember being a bit disappointed when it was launched. Like most people it seemed a bit "bloated" after the E-Type and I don't ever remember it recovering from the comparison to a legend. However now, a few decades later, it's clear what a gorgeous car it is and. like most of your cars Harry, I'd like to swap my 2002 Mondeo for it (Let me know if you are interested, it has a small dent in the front bumper and a weird "clunk" from the rear over bumps). Keep up the great work on real-life car tests. I'm not interested in how far Clarkson can drift a Nissan GTR around a track, I want to waft down to Monaco in an XJS. (Don't forget about the Mondeo swap offer).
Fantastic trip down memory lane of what lusted after as a kid.... ...... yup rom the days when we used to know how to think ideas up...... if they weren't always executed that well.... I loved the tour but why didn't you stick a fan on I felt hot watching you. Great presentation showing the enthusiasm I'm sure we all (here) feel..
Harry I love this XJS, it reminds me of a Gibson Les Paul in TV Yellow: desirable, rare, coveted. I HAVE to give you props for writing such fantastic videos. It looks like your just riffing it while I stay glued to the show until the end. Thank you and Subscribed!
I have loved Jaguar ever since as a young boy my dad bought a series 2 Daimler VP Double Six. I still remember seeing the original XJ220 at the London or Birmingham Motor Show in the 80's.
I met Davy Jones a few times. I asked him about the Nardo run where he set the top speed record. 217 without the CATS but he said it had more in it, but on the oval 217 mph was it because of the tire scrubbing. He thought on a big enough straight, it would have been over 200 mph +. I didn't realize how dangerous it was doing that run. He said he was more nervous going that fast in a production car than he was being in an actual race. This coming from a guy who died (heart stopped) twice in racetrack accidents on American ovals. Great guy! So fast on a track but so smooth. He'd look at me doing 4 wheel power drifts and start pivotting the XKR he was training in while looking at me trying to teach me, as I'm holding on in terror. I thought he was going to kill me.
@@garykish8951 I'm glad they are doing V12 conversions on XJ220's now, as I always loved how the XJR15's sounded. The one thing people don't realise is just how fking big the XJ220, it was truly a big cat!
I know I'm late to the party (about 5 years) but thank you for the video and bringing back childhood memories. I loved this car as a young teen in the early 80's all the way through college and into the 90's.
frankly superb colour for the design......love the early wheels too.........with a manual like your XJC it would be the complete package........love it.
Great Video as always Harry, Loved it. I been driving V12 XJS's since I was 17 (with L plate's) hehe... and fell in love with the XJS with its refinements till 1990's then I had a Lister V12 Turbo Auto Hypercar ( 30 -140 mph 2.5) for 20 years and just sold it a few years go to a guy in the RED ARROWS team as he fell in love with it and went to a good home. On a long run you can get your V12 to do 22 - 32 mpg but around town 10-18 if you don't have a heavy foot :) I also had a Le Mans 1988 with a £50K racing engine recently and tested off road 0 - 140 mph 13.5 and top speed 200 mph with XJ 220 breaks and racing lowered suspension. Once again thank you Harry for your Brilliant Videos keep them coming.
Working on a 1977 XJS I just purchased with the Flathead V12. I cannot wait to drive it. Planning on putting a Tremec T5 or the getrag 265 in it after winter. It is this exact car but in British racing green with the tan interior. I don't understand why everyone hates these cars. They seem so well built for their time. Nor do I understand why everyone puts 350's in them, while the V12 can be amazing if properly cared for. Great video, and I appreciate the tips for the 3 speed auto. Unfortunately my car was in storage for the past 27 years, and is just begging to be put back on the road.
I think XJS is a bit like Porsche 928. Ridiculously underrated car among the brand enthusiasts. Lately both have gained more respect and prices of the good ones are starting to go up. Personally I like the early models much more. The late XJS (with black rearlights) wasn't quite as nice. Thanks for another great video Harry. I'm a frequent watcher of your channel.
As always, great video Harry. I cooked as you did in my much beloved '89 3.6....although I did prefer the lattice alloys to the Kent alloys on your v12. Well done again.
My father had a 1986 3.6 manual xjs in cobalt blue and it was epic! I was only 13 at the time and we went around Europe in it with a trailer tent plus a sailing dinghy on top and got stopped doing 90mph on the auto bahn. The cops loved it! 😂
Thanks Harry for bringing back a lot of memories of the yellow 1980 XJS V12 that I owned 1984-87. They were very thirsty cars, but glorious - you are right about the engine being more fun than the HE!
I had the later V12 HE and loved it, but alway felt that the fantastic V12 was somewhat strangled by the 3 speed auto. As a direct comparison, I had a 1973 series 1 Daimler Soverign (XJ 6) with the 4.2 straight six and the very rare 4 speed manual with overdrive. The Daimler Soverign was far more fun on twisty "A" roads (north Wales) than the later XJS V12. I always felt that Jaguar missed an opertunity by not offering the XJ V12 with a 5 speed manual option. A friend of mine had a TWR XJS V12 and that was fitted with a Getrag 5 speed manual box, which completely transformed the car, knocking over a second off th 0 to 60 and permitting the car to go well over 160 mph.
A few hundred early cars did have 4 speed manuals left over from the E-Type (but no overdrive). A late V12 car with a 5 speed gearbox would have been awesome.
Would make a good candidate for a manual conversion like your xjc! I manage to stick mine into reverse when changing up from second doing approximately at 100mph...stopped in a big cloud of smoke but started and drove home, only issue after was it had ripped out the four rear subframe bushes so your sage advice on the gearbox and lack of detents is spot on. Mine was red 78 with tan interior... would have another one but resto mod it with big brakes, better suspension, manual box, emerald fuel injection and ignition plus a new harness with proper modern connectors!
XJS is a great long-distance cruiser... in 1989 my Brother-in-law and I freighted an 83 XJS HE to America and drove it coast to coast ending up in LA.... it was wonderful...
Beautiful car I always loved the purity of the early XjS. The first time I saw one was in 1975 the red one driven by Gambit in the New Avengers then in 1978 in Return of the Saint. This colour suits the XJS so well it still looks a million dollars. I drove an early one back in the 80's and nearly bought it wished I had now. Anyway as usual superb road test gives a real feel for the marque!
good memory, budd same here, theres a scene when purdey drives through a car wash in the same car in the new Avengers Wearing a long dress, and appears at the other end after being dried now wearing a Mini -Dress Yup, Thatll do it, the beginning of my teenage years ;)
I have had two Jaguar XJS V12's and whilst they were not the best examples they were fabulous! I still love them but will try an XK8 next. I would like to add that the E Type didn't have any wood on the dashboard either so it may be they just carried over that thinking to the XJS. The design in my opinion was quite radical for the day and to be fair, the car sticks to the road brilliantly when at speed. My first one a red 1976 was great, a bit like driving a speedboat down the road because of the fantastic long bonnet. Some people love them and some hate them, I love the XJS!
