Fifty years is a long time. A lot of manufacturers haven’t even been around that long, so it’s quite a big deal when an individual car reaches that milestone.
And this time it’s the turn of Jaguar’s most luxurious saloon, the XJ, which is marking its 50th birthday in 2018.
The XJ has been the transport of choice for celebrities, politicians, royalty and prominent business leaders in that time, and continues to be. Theresa May is frequently seen arriving to events and Downing Street in a new XJ, for example.
But what about the car’s history. We take a look back at 50 years of the iconic model.
The XJ dates back to 1968 when the model made its debut at the Earls Court Motor Show. It was originally intended to be a two-door coupe, but the decision was taken in the mid ‘60s to make it a four-door saloon instead. It cost a mere £1,797 at the time. Alongside the XJ6 and XJ8 (the number showcasing the number of cylinders), the XJ12 debuted in 1972, and became the first ever V12-powered saloon.
The Series 2 XJ came along in 1973, although the differences were few and far between. A revised grille, new wings, a reshaped dashboard and electric windows were the limited changes made to this XJ, but it remained as classy and as popular as ever. The Series 2 was the only generation of the XJ to spawn an official coupe, although arguably the 1980s XJS is an XJ Coupe in all but name.
Move forward to 1979 and it was the turn of the Series 3, which is arguably the definitive XJ. Italian design house Pininfarina got involved to turn up the style, although once again the styling was safely played.
Production setbacks meant that the next model – the XJ40 – didn’t arrive until 1986. It used a new straight-six engine, although the unit had first been seen on the XJS Coupe.
In 1988, the XJR nameplate was rolled out for the first time, although this model was little more than an improved chassis and a styling pack, and unfortunately gained no more power over the standard car. Thankfully, future XJRs would be more menacing.
The 1994 XJ300 was expected to be an all-new model, but instead was little more than a nip and tuck to the XJ40. Distinctive round headlights made their comeback, and would last until 2008 too. In the same year, the new XJR debuted as a more powerful - although still comfortable – sports saloon.
In 1997, the year saw the sad demise of Jaguar’s renowned V12 engine when the next generation X308 arrived. For the new XJR, Jaguar launched an ‘R Performance’ programme, which offered owners the chance to upgrade their model’s performance from factory.
The 2003 X350 was a big step forward for Jaguar, and it was interestingly built from an aluminium structure – helping to cut the bodyshell weight by as much as 40 per cent.
Purists sighed in 2005, though, when Jaguar offered a diesel – a 2.7-litre V6 to be precise – in its XJ for the first time. The luxury car game had moved on, and it was a sign of Jaguar modernising to meet consumer demands.
Perhaps the best-looking modern XJ – the 2007 X358 – made its appearance in 2007. It was a facelift in the truest sense, but a very smart one at that.
In 2009, there was the launch of the seventh-generation XJ – the X351, and the one we’re still on today. Its looks were perhaps the most radical yet, but it was what was needed to go up against some tough rivals in the firm of German brands Audi, BMW and Mercedes’ latest offerings.
While nothing but petrol and diesel powertrains have been offered on the XJ yet, a plug-in hybrid XJ_e was revealed in 2012.
In the run up to the XJ’s 50thbirthday, the XJR575 was launched as Jaguar’s fastest ever saloon, and built with the help of Jaguar Land Rover’s Special Vehicle Operations division. Sadly, this model was quietly axed earlier in the year.
But to mark 50 years of the XJ, Jaguar unveiled a delightfully luxurious XJ50 special edition. It commemorates the XJ’s innovation, performance, technology and luxury – all in one classy package. XJ50 badging, 20-inch alloy wheels and a black front grille set the car apart from non-special editions, and was priced from £74,280.
The XJ has lasted remarkably well, but with the current model now nearly 10 years into its model life, a new XJ is long overdue. But that said, Jaguar’s persistency to innovate in luxury and technology, the XJ has plenty more in store for the years to come.
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