Used Hyundai Money: ’90 Jaguar XJS V-12 Coupe – 18,000 miles!
The XJS is no XKE. Now you might think that is a shot but it isn’t entirely. The XJS is the last of the Lyon’s Era Jaguars. Introduced at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1975, the XJS received a tepid response. Subsequently, sales of the new Jaguar during its lifespan were erratic. But that was not totally the fault of the XJS and more so fuel shortages and an erratic economy. Sound familiar? We think the sweet spot for the XJS is the mid to late ‘80s. Mostly because of an engineer by the name of Michael May. He designed a new, high-compression head with a fireball combustion chamber that increased power and fuel economy. Now throw in a redesigned dash with burl wood, updated bumpers and mirrors and you have resurgence in sales. The V12 is a wonderful engine and can be very reliable if given attention and proper care. Primarily you need to keep it cool. If you do, it will reward you with Chevrolet levels of reliability. Today’s find is an extraordinary 18,000 mile car in a striking red with black interior. The low mileage is said to be supported by a clean CarFax but we would be sure and put our eyes on that document. But when you look at the engine and interior, you get a bit more of a comfort level. Then you ask the question, why would anyone buy a great 12-cylinder Jaguar and almost never drive it? Then you come to the asking price of just under $11,000. That’s used Hyundai money for one of the world’s greatest cars. Is there something we missed? Well, it could be that not many people appreciate the XJS Coupe yet so the market is pretty slim particularly where the car is somewhere outside of Seattle. We say it is worth the effort to get to the bottom of this one. One thing we need to keep in the back of our minds is this Jaguar will require a lot of re-commissioning no matter how great it looks. Cars like to be driven and are better for it. This car might turn into a leaking oil barge once you get it going. Seals tend to dry out without use. So plan on spending some major money base-lining maintenance and getting some new rubber on it. If we had room, we would pursue it so why not you? Click here to contact the owner
Is xjs still for sale?