Jaguar XJ-S: от провала при запуске до легенды, продавшей 115 тысяч экземпляров

According to Jaguar Lovers' Forum Jaguar sold a total of 115,413 units of the XJ-S (including XJ-S, XJ-SC, XJR-S, and XJS variants) over its 20.5-year production run from 1975 to 1996. Jaguar produced and sold a total of 72,520 to 72,530 Jaguar E-Types (also known as the Jaguar XK-E) during its 14-year production run between 1961 and 1974 (per Hemmings). Let’s be polite here and say that the Jaguar XJ-S (later renamed to XJS) received a cool reception when it was unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1975. Expectations were high and with good reason. After all, Jaguar had brought us the XJ120 and the E-Type so everyone expected another head-turning piece from Jag until it was revealed. A lot of people were appalled by what they saw, “It’s not a proper Jaguar,” was the common response from those who saw it and others that saw photos later on. The biggest criticism was levelled at the flying buttresses at the back of the car. Sweeping down from the roof to the rear end of the car, they were disliked by many people who deemed them ugly and unsightly. It didn’t matter that they had been designed to allow the car to remain stable at speeds of 150mph and over, they were not well received at all. Why Was The XJ-S Shaped Like This? As we know, car designers don’t just turn up and scribble a design and then go home. Careful thought is put in to the design and this often starts with what they want the car to be. The E-Type was a sports car and designed as such whereas the XJ-S would be a Grand Tourer. This meant it had to have a different feel to it, it had to feel more luxurious and had to have a big engine capable of fast speeds to comfortably cross continents quickly. The US market was crucial if it was to be any sort of sales success and in the 1970s, new safety laws meant that certain design considerations had to be made that simply didn’t apply when the E-Type was designed. There was one harsh fact that proved that XJ-S was not a popular car in 1975: sales figures. Global sales figures showed that 3082 were sold in 1976 and didn’t really improve in the years that followed, slumping to just 1057 in 1980. At this point in the history of the XJ-S it is worth mentioning that there was a global oil crisis and fuel prices were very high meaning demand for a V12 powered car was low anyway. One other fact was that Jaguar was part of British Leyland (BL) in the 1970s and BL had a poor reputation for build quality. It seemed as though this was a recipe for disaster: a poorly built car made from poor quality parts that no one wanted. By the mid-1980s, Jaguar was no longer part of British Leyland and they had begun to address the issues that the XJ-S had. The perceived build quality had improved and with prices of fuel coming down, people started to consider it. It seemed as though storm that had formed during the launch had passed. There was one other thing that persuaded people to part with their money and that was the engine. High Effieciency V12 Engine Changed Everything Jaguar had developed the High-Efficiency 5.3 liter V12 engine. This was a less thirsty engine that its predecessor and as a result potential customers had a much more viable proposition. In 1989, Jaguar sold 10665 XJ-S cars as the public had now fallen in love with the XJ-S and it made sense as a grand tourer. In 1991 a facelift and redesign brought about a subtle name change to XJS and the car carried on selling until it ended production in 1996 after 21 years of production. What had looked like a disaster upon launch had become a success. Its production run lasted longer that the E-Type’s and it sold 115,413 units in those 21 years which for a V12 grand tourer is rather good. The XJS Is Seen In A More Positive Light Today When I see an XJS, I am still impressed by them. (I will freely admit I have always liked them). They have a presence and beauty about them that make you stop and take a second look at them. An XJS with spoked-wire wheels and flying buttresses, looks classy and ever so slightly understated. It’s not just me either that feels this way. Users on a recent Reddit thread were equally enthused by it. Seeing one prompted cmi_pledges to write, “Seeing it drive in to the fuel station in all its grandeur and it is one good looking car.” Brilliant_Positive184 agreed saying, “Arguably one of the most beautiful cars ever made. The mix of sports feel and luxury drive really did it for me.” This shows the appeal today of the XJS. It shows how perceptions can change over time and sometimes it is the backdrop into which a car is launched that feed these perceptions. Owners of the XJS models echo the positivity shared with Swedish-brick saying, “I have a 1996 4.0 Coupe Celebration. It’s a beautiful thing.” Dangerous-Cash-2176 gives a good reason for the success of the XJS saying, “This car has aged well, mostly because it looks nothing like what came before (E-Type) or after (XK8), in a good way.” Maybe that was the secret to the eventual success of the XJS, to build a car in its own right. Not to build a sequel but they made the car they wanted to make. It does make you wonder whether history could repeat itself with the Type 01. Does the XJ-S's slow-burn redemption make you more optimistic about the Type 01 surviving its own rocky launch, or is 1975 too different a moment in Jaguar's history to compare fairly? And if you've seen an XJ-S in person the way Chris and these Reddit owners have, did it change your opinion of the design the way it clearly changed theirs? Images by Jaguar Media. Chris Whitfield from Thorne, England, is Torque News Jaguar Land Rover news reporter. His enthusiasm for cars comes from enjoying numerous motoring experiences over the years from Minis to McLarens, Tractors to Tanks and Land Rovers to Ladas. Chris has driven all of those. Chris has also been published at Collecting Cars and Thorne Times. Read more of Chris's work on his author profile page. You can also follow Chris here: Set Torque News as Preferred Source on Google