Vehicle Description
Will the big cat from Coventry ever get the love it truly deserves
in the classic car game? This 1994 Jaguar XJS V12 2+2 convertible
is top-flight European sex appeal for a bargain-basement price, and
signs in the current market are all pointing to a fast-approaching
rise in collectability. Great colors certainly help, not to mention
the fact that driving this car will make you feel like a million
bucks, and nobody has to know just how affordable it really is
right now. With only 62,459 miles on the clock and low ownership
since new, this loaded luxury droptop is the epitome of a modern
classic that's sure to gain a ton of value in the coming years.
When you buy a Jaguar, you know you're getting something very
special. This graceful feline wears its original Flamenco Red
paint, and for 28-year-old car, it's absolutely astounding. Of
course, it's not perfect, but its condition today speaks volumes
about the quality of the workmanship when it was new and it's still
visible today, not to mention the care it has received over the
last three decades. The final evolution of the XJS shape was sleek
and handsome, and even in 1994 when this car was built, it hardly
looked like a 19-year-old design. By 1994, the XJS (note that the
hyphen in XJ-S was dropped to mark Ford's ownership) facelift was
in full swing, featuring a more aggressive front end that's
punctuated by a streamlined and color-matched bumper and aggressive
hood, pronounced fender flares, and the reimagined rear end that
comes equipped with a spoiler and those incredibly cool tinted
taillights. The flashy red paint shines up nicely and shows only
modest signs of use, a crisp pinstripe breaks up the shade at the
profiles, and there's just enough bright chrome to add an elegance
that is seldom seen on lesser cars. The big doors open and close
with a feeling of quality and by 1994 Jaguar/Ford had figured out
how to make a true convertible instead of that awful half-roof
thing they tried to pass off on customers just a few years earlier.
Adding to the car's curb appeal is that gold cat hood ornament, a
deep air dam and side vents underneath the front bumper, and a pair
of chrome exhaust pipes that exit from the rear bumper, and they
all make for a delightfully sexy car with a ton of street presence,
even today.
The interior is where Jaguar excels, as has been the case for a
century (even though the big cat moniker didn't arrive until 1935,
Jaguar was technically set up in 1922). Rich materials that look,
feel, and smell expensive have always been a big part of the Jag's
allure, and Ford did nothing to diminish the quality of their
high-end, luxurious cabins. Cream Beige leather buckets are
supportive enough for sporty driving but don't feel confining for
long trips and the leather, while showing a few minor signs of age
(mostly comfort marks, but no cracks or sun fading to speak of), is
really holding up nicely. Real wool carpets and genuine wood trim
on the dash, center console, and doors add to the upscale ambience
and the big, clear gauges (another redesign for the facelift
generation XJS) are easy to read at a glance. Everything was
standard on your top-of-the-line Jaguar, including power windows,
locks, and mirrors, power heated seats, a powerful Jaguar
AM/FM/cassette stereo, cruise control, dual-zone automatic climate
control, dual airbags, and a tilt steering column, so you won't be
wishing for anything while you're out driving. This is a 2+2 model,
which was first introduced in 1992, and I suppose you could call
the rear area a "back seat" but it's really just an exquisitely
upholstered package shelf that's only suited to children or golf
clubs. Nevertheless, having a rear seating area appealed to the
American market (and lowered insurance premiums), so these models
were produced and sold like hotcakes on our side of the pond. A
gorgeously tailored tan canvas convertible top offers a glass rear
window with defroster and folds into a rather British-looking stack
that hides under a matching black canvas boot for a tidy look.
Jaguar's mighty 6.0-liter HE V12 provides great power (304
horsepower to be exact) and while some might think it's just too
complicated to maintain, the last 28 years have proven that when
properly cared for, these engines are robust and reliable. Like all
Jaguar twelves, it's silky smooth at any speed and pulls with
increasing urgency as speeds increase, offering almost muscle
car-like levels of torque. The engine bay is impressively clean and
a work of art in-and-of itself, with individual intake runners and
exhaust manifolds that look similar to what you'd find in a vintage
E-Type, although modern fuel injection makes it far less
cantankerous. Backed by a familiar GM 4L80E 4-speed automatic
overdrive transmission, it's an effortless highway cruiser best
suited to long highway drives in first-class comfort. The
independent suspension soaks up bumps without giving up its
agility, a Jaguar trademark since the beginning, and the power
4-wheel disc brakes are suitably powerful. Handsome alloy wheels
outfitted with gold trim that matches the pinstripes are largely
unscuffed, and they all carry recent Sumitomo blackwall
radials.
With just three owners and only 62,459 original miles, this sleek
Jag has to be the bargain of the century. Fast, comfortable, and
stylish, few cars today can match its combination. Call now!