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What a splendid car, knowledgeable owner, and enthusiastic presenter. The Series III Double-Sixes were the best of them all, and highly useable classics today.
Best looking large saloon car ever made with a lovely smooth V12. A shame about the 3 speed automatic gearbox which blunts the performance and not good for fuel economy but most auto boxes weren't that good in this era.
Had a silver S3 XJ12 followed by a Nimus White, S3 Daimler D6 with "pepperpot wheels". Very smooth even when not running on 12 cylinders! Electrics and rust were the main issues. Subsequently had XJR6, XJR8, and currently an XJ Sovereign 4 litre LWB (X308). Young lads think the car is cool. Loads of room; great for shopping!! Purchased at 100,000 miles now running better than ever with 202,000 miles, but differential starting to get getting noisy!! Jags demand constant maintenance. You must change oil & filter every 6 Months irrespective of mileage and keep a careful check on fluids + cooling system. Also, Jags need endless change of bushes and cars are sensitive to tyre pressures. Current X308 is, in my opinion, the best for a daily driver. It is low, sleek, quick, and resists the "tin worm" pretty well.
Having both a six and a double six series three I agree with everything Andy said. I also agree with him on the fascinating Broadspeed series two V12 Coupé. Thanks to you, Andy and his son for this video.
I had one of these back in the late '80s, courtesy of being on the early IT scene. Enjoyed it hugely; it was like having a turbine up front instead of mere pistons. Took it across Europe many times and loved cruising at 150 MPH on German motorways. Had to stop for fuel 2 or 3 times a day on trips my diesel Range Rover now covers with one stop 🙂
Great video on one of the most beautiful cars ever made. In some respects, it simply is the most beautiful car of all time, it ages better than 99% of it's rivals because people keep loving it more as time goes by. Hint to Jaguar; instead of building unobtainable D or C types, please remanufacture the Series III XJ. That'll make even more people happy.
Thank you for the lovely feedback and i couldnt agree more! The suspension particularly was so different and so much better than that on modern cars, really did float along.
@@CraigOnCars They do, with appropriate dampers, perfect relaxing cars for going out to dinner, and yet they respond beautifully when driven harder, lovely well balanced handling, although with the typically XJ slight understeer a bit hard on tyres. The range of abilities of that whole series of the XJ cars from 1967 to the end of the Series 3, including the XJS, is amazing. On rough dirt roads these Jaguars are superb. Usually nothing more than a slight movement of the right thumb (which is all that's usually needed on their perfectly sized steering wheels) to correct if the back end starts to move out of line. On such roads they are easily much faster than more recent lighter cars with more power, because the Jags are relatively low and heavy and their suspension is essentially well engineered racing car suspension made relatively soft, so the taller cars with harder suspension and relatively larger unsprung masses are greatly inferior for all those reasons and will bounce and spin off the road at speeds which the Jags do effortlessly. In the Jag you can have fun with a friend who is driving a taller lighter firmer car. Let him have his fun on sealed roads (although he will be fatigued long before you), then lead him onto a long dirt road, gently accelerate away and watch him disappear behind you.
Now theres an idea - a follow up video with Andy on some typically rough Welsh country roads - rally cross in a daimler double six! I need to experience an XJS, in fact if i had the space alongside my BMW e31 8 series an XJS is very near the top of my list of next classic to buy
@@CraigOnCars You should have no difficulty finding an entirely original V12 XJS from about 1989, one of the last of the first series (before the uglified American rear body spoiling exercise) therefore basically the same car as Andy's Daimler, and with a friendly owner who would be willing to share as Andy did. People who own these cars usually appreciate their good qualities and pleased to be asked about them. I suggest contact the Jag Drivers' Club.
I too recently took delivery of a V12 Daimler 20k miler Japanese import . Car is as near new as you can get Champagne trim , Doeskin etc with Dayton chrome wire wheels and it does look the business !! Having had a number of XJ6 series 2's before , I never ever dreamed of owning a "new " example as way out of my reach , But as the decades past and I found myself driving BMW 7 series for many years , I realised that even with the praise heaped on to the BMW's , that they wernt in the same class as the series 3 . not that they were a bad car and fully loaded as they say but they were missing that vital "je ne sais quois " that the Jag has in abundance . I now know that I will finish my driving days in a series 3 and to hell with the fuel consumption !!
Kudos to you for choosing to run a S3 V12 as your daily and even more so for finding such a low mileage example! Bet the smell inside with all that wood and leather is still like new! Top marks sir 😁
I’m restoring an 81 XJ12; there are faster cars, better built cars, certainly cars that are cheaper to run. But in my 28 years of driving there is nothing like an XJ12. Nothing. Modern Jaguars miss that thing as well, whatever it is. Inside they might have more and better equipment, their engines can produce more power, but still... NOTHING gets anywhere near an XJ12. Forget the 40 as well, it’s just ugly next to a series 1,2 or 3. Most under appreciated car of all time.
I think you may be right! Good luck with the restoration, im sure it will look amazing when finished. Im currently doing similar with my bmw e31 8 series. Thanks for watching!
Great car's it brought back great memories of my goldish coloured 1986 D reg I owed a few years back from Christmas Eve 2014 which was a pleasure to own, and drive as it gave me a big smile on my face when I did. Not bad on fuel with about 10 mpg in town and just over 20 on the motorway, and with 2 tanks it gets you out trouble BEAUTIFUL CAR.
I had a Jaguar Series 3 V12 in British Racing Green. Looked virtually identical to the car in the video. I loved it, a beautiful car and people had prejudiced views against it. Such as "its an old mans car," and "unreliable gas guzzler". I have had two V12 XJS's too, an awesome engine in beautiful cars!
That's a beauty! I used to own a Jaguar XJ12 Series which was also in British Racing Green. Have been a Jaguar fan since the age of 8. Currently have a Jaguar XJ8.
I have just bought a series 3 Daimler Double Six , just 20k on the clock, 1990 and as I have had many series 1 , 2 , and 3 to me they always were the ultimate in car design . You can keep the 7 series BMw's , the Mercs , and the lexus , you have to put the series three even above Rolls and Bentley . .
Wow that sounds like the find of the century! You must be very happy 😃. Enjoy! I’ll have to find a RR shadow or Bentley S to objectively test against the Double six
@@CraigOnCars I was torn between a Jensen Interceptor and the Daimler . I think I made the right decision , but I will be buying an Interceptor convertable at some point and would love to see a road test of a sympathetic nature . A test to discover the essence of the car , and what an mid 70,s supercar can offer in todays market. I hope I can be fired with enthusiasm as The Jensen has always represented what the Almighty would drive .....and I dont mean Clarkson !
@@fionacarstairs7326 another very classy car, good choice! As a matter of fact i have a Jensen Interceptor in the pipeline for filming when normal life here in the UK returns, so if you havnt already please do subscribe and i will try my best to meet your requirements! 😃
Nobody either notices or realises that the four door shape is more slender than the two door. The two door is more desirable because of its rarity, but it’s not a better looking car next to the four door.
Such a beautiful car !!! ... I know that modern cars will excel in every way ... but there's a million of them for sale on every forecourt !!! ... All with great big skinny alloy wheels with noisey tyres and a screen in the centre of the dash !!! ... That lovely old XJ12 must be a pleasure just to polish it while listening to the radio on a Sunday morning !!! ... GREAT CAR !!!
I remember that model well, and plenty preceeding it- my late Father owning from new a Series 1 2.8 litre and then the 4.2 litre XJ6. I have been a Jaguar driver for some twenty years, my first a new XJ6 SVP X300 in Carnival red with Oatmeal half leather interior, bought at the age of thirty, and for me an absolute dream car which in some ways IMO represented the best all Jaguar (no visible Ford input, apart from the switch in the driver's door bin for the electric folding mirrors) car I owned. I went on to have two V8 S Types, then an aluminium bodied XJ6, followed by two XFS Portfolios. However,of all the Jaguars I owned none had that 'specialness' of my first XJ6. Unfortunately I think Jaguar somewhat lost their way when they launched the XE and new model XF by losing that certain luxury that used to typify the brand. In 2015 I defected to Maserati and bought a Ghibli Diesel, which now at 5 1/2 years old still possesses the qualities that Jaguar lost. All that said it's good to see the company going back in the right direction with the latest facelift model of the XF, for too long they seemed to have lived in the shadow of Land/Range Rover!!
I used to have a right hand drive rolls royce silver shadow and I was often made to roll my window down only to be informed that my steering wheel was on the wrong side. Of course I would inform them that it was in fact on the right side, which it was. It always took them a few moments to get it. The only hard part was drive-though windows. The best incident was at an alcohol checkpoint. My friend on the left side rolled the window down and when asked if he had been drinking and he informed the policeman that he had indeed been drinking for hours. Just when they were preparing to get him out of the car I waved to them and said hi. I hadn't been drinking at all and was just driving him home.
Fabulous! One of my dream cars to experience and own, the shadow. I fear that i’ve missed the chance to own one now the way values are going. Fingers crossed i will be able to meet an owner of one to do a video, at least. Sounds like you have great taste in cars! 👍
I had a very special series 3, it was a TWR one 6.0 tuned engine with a 5 speed manual gearbox. Basically the XJS touring car in a series 3 body shell. Only 11 of the spec were ordered... It was amazing?!
@@CraigOnCars it was an option, mine did not have it, just TWR alloys... It looked totally standard just slightly lower... You could feel the engine come on cam after 4000 RPM, the whole car hunkered down at took off like a stabbed Rat! Very special car one I should never of sold!!!
They do look great in dark colours with those alloys (so much better than the pepper pots). Buy The Equalizer (series) box set and enjoy Edward Woodward wafting around New York in a black XJ6...
@@nadimatteeque4028 To fit the 4.2 litre version of the XK engine. If you close the bonnet of one of those cars and watch the gap you will see how closely it fits over the front ends of the camshaft covers, where the chain and sprockets are.
What a weird thing....stalling in reverse.. Mine never did that...but I had the 12 on carbs with the model 12 trans...this one has the GM400. Beautiful machines, fond memories of my own Daimler Double Six Vanden Plas...
@@CraigOnCars ...As British as a Bulldog! Daimler introduced the Vanden Plas as an upper echelon Double Six in 1972/73 and sold it initially only in the British and European markets. In Series 2 guise and later Series 3, they came to Australia and New Zealand and probably South Africa. The Jaguar Vanden Plas is what you’re thinking of which was US spec. Canadian drivers saw the Daimler brand too I believe...Then after shifting things about, Jaguar instituted trim level changes...all pretty complex...and now the British Daimler brand would appear to be in extended hibernation....
If it stalls going into reverse and does only 12 MPG and as low as single digit fuel economy when driven a bit harder then I would suspect the partial vacuum system which controls the ignition timing, which for the high compression engine is not simple. That system is complex, much more so than simply a connection from the inlet manifold to the distributor diaphragm. It has various pressure regulation components which start to fail. Replacements are unobtainable. The best solution is a good modern engine management computer which does both injection and ignition timing, installed and tuned by people who have done them on Jag V12s before and really got them right. Keep the original Lucas computer though, for the shed wall. Also have the fuel injectors cleaned and tested, if not already done, and perhaps replace the pressure regulator. The engine needs only one, not two as originally fitted. (Bizarre arrangement, like the radiator water flows.) Result will be better fuel efficiency, longer range between fills and improved driveability at all speeds, and, with a bit of luck, no more stalling. The fuel pumps are really good and will run practically forever if they don't get any junk coming into them - easily avoided by fitting a fine screen inlet filter.
Wow !!! ... You must really know that V12 engine mate !!! ... I always see them as almost an aeroplane engine that does very little except drive a giant A/C compressor ??? ... It must have been great for you having the knowledge of these great engines at your disposal ??? ... I remember when i was young that the top speed on the XJ12 was 153 mph and that was in carburetor form !!! ... I used to work for a Rover / Range Rover / Jaguar outlet in the late 80's and i remember the air conditioning being just icy cold as the air flow seemed a bit complicated ... but i remember the mechanic saying that the head gaskets never failed on them !!! ... They must be a very very beautiful car to drive and own !! .. THANKS FOR READING
@@CraigOnCars My pleasure mate !!! ... i've always thought with engines from that era ... that if a match was thrown to just an egg cup full of petrol on concrete ... they designers knew the "burn rate" and combustion qualities and built the engine from the inside out !!! ... Yes it may be 290 bhp for just above average acceleration ... but it balances with the sheer beauty of the car !!! ... yeh um almost "magic roundabout" feeling when driving them !!! ... i must confess i dislike new cars so much lol ... MANY THANKS
Must admit i was surprised at how quickly the daimler picked up acceleration wise but it was most alive in the corners. Surprising for such a big old thing. And yes, old cars have so much more character! 😃
Well , I am verry hard pressed to name some contenders , but probably : Rolls Royce Cloud from the 50s Maserati Quatroporte Rover 75 It is just a suggestion , you don't have to agree . But fact is - to me - the Jag / Daimler is a gorgious design , an artpiece on wheels . Specialy this one in BRG with Sandstone leather , it doesn't get better !
These cars put modern cars to shame, not just in the looks department but in ride/handling. There has been no car ever produced that gets the compromise between ride and handling better. Some may handle better but ride more poorly, some may ride better but handle more poorly. Sublime V12 engine. Last of the line with ABS and the battery in the boot. Beautiful motorcars.
@@CraigOnCars doesn’t matter at all, you learn from each one and that is all it was, something different for you to try. It’s a far more common car to be on UA-cam with established UA-camrs talk to them.
Thank you for watching! If you enjoyed that you may also like a few of my other specials on the Citroen SM, Aston Martin DBS or Lotus Elan 😃 I’ll have more coming soon!
@@CraigOnCars I've actually bought one last week. DD6, Brooklands Green, Japanese import, same year lol. Being my third S3 V12 I am a bit biased - love everything about them apart from the MPG. I liked how this video was presented, respectful, insightful and interesting bits of knowledge.
@@hartmannsson very nice! Congrats on the purchase. Thanks for the feedback, very much appreciated. I Have a few other similar videos released since this one on other classy british classics if you havnt seen them yet 👍
Yes I think thats right. The founder of the British Daimler Company in 1896 bought the Daimler name directly from Gottlieb Daimler himself. It wasn't until 20 years plus after his passing was the Daimler name then merged with Benz to create Daimler Benz AG in the 1920's.
Craig On Cars I don’t think we got these as late as ‘91 though. I could be wrong...pretty car! Drove my first V12 last year (850i manual) so I know how cool that can be...
Very true - though that didnt come along til 1993 even though the xj40 was first released to market in 1986 which was the replacement to the s3. If you wanted a v12 in a new XJ before 1993 you had to go for the s3
Is this the top model of the Jaguar XJ cars? When the Mk3 XJ6 became the Mk4 in 1986 with straighter lines, I think the Jaguar XJ12, (was that called Sovereign) and Daimler Double Six continued in the shape of the Mk3. I think the reason was the 5.3 litre engine wouldn't fit in the Mk4.
I think the Vanden Plas ranks above Sovereign in the hierarchy. Maybe that was in North America only? America got no “Daimlers” but plenty of Jaguar-branded XJ6s and 12s.
XJ series 3 ( 6 and 12) is the most gorgeous car ever. Daimler fluted grill and back ornament is a bit over the top and unnecessary. XJ series 3 shoud be remade in stainless or composite with controlled deformation, electric motor, airbag, ABS and ESP. XJ series 3, and for sport car Ferrari 512BB, Porsche 911 -930, 964, 993, 997 all 4x4 full electric.
They couldn't fit the v12 in the xj40 on purpose, BL wanted the xj40 to use the rover v8, jaguar privately said no way and designed the xj40 so a V engine would not fit, that saved the series 3 xj which is still a beautiful car to this day,
@@stringer-ik1pc jaguar revised the xj40 in 1992 with 140 new or modified panels costing £35 million so the v12 could fit, the series 3 ended production the same year,
@@CraigOnCars my first car in 1973 was a Mazda RX2, 1146cc rotary, the best I ever achieved was 18mpg, I figure 5.3L V12 will be thirsty. Presently my '68 Mercury Cougar, 302ci V8, achieves 15mpg on a good day.
Wrong. MOTOR magazine, March 27, 1982, road test, shows Daimler Double Six (5.3 V12) as 299bhp at 5500 revs, and 318 lb ft torque at 3000 revs. I've seen the same numbers elsewhere.
Mopar "quality" right up there w/ a 1989 Yugo! 😂 - I mean at least the '05 LR3 has the BMW engine, so not as unreliable as a normal LR engine. & if my 90yro mother buys cars(in part)bc of color or their neat rims, why not buy a ⛽️🐖 bc it has "cool tires" 🙄. I mean I get it though, last old car is a Daimler Double 6 & yeah it has "pretty" spokes & acres of Wood, Lambswool & leather😂. But it's V12 is probably not going to stay, despite what 1of my 🇬🇧bfs thinks is sacrilege. I like driving too much, to have a horribly underpowered gas hogging jaguar engine, that LOVES spending time at a shop to be Fixed😏😂Not sorry. Lots of fancy EU(former EU)cars that are horribly unreliable too, not just 🇺🇸cars
@k halliday thats a shame. It seems to work for other automotive channels. Perhaps i’ll check the levels more closely next time - i am still learning. Thanks for the feedback 👍. Hope you enjoyed the video all the same
@@CraigOnCars... Thanks for your courteous replies.... Sorry, but music seldom works on any of these channels. And here's why.... I click on these videos because I want to see the car, that is MY choice. When you add music that is YOUR choice. In other words you are imposing something, rather than offering it. All the best. Roman.
@@CraigOnCars Good video for sure, and thanks to you and Andy for your time and the car. I agree re the music though, particularly during speech. The Bach cello music is superb stuff (although this performance is not so good), but the time to put it in would have been only brief moments when no one is talking and the car is not making any sounds that have not already been heard. Perhaps just during otherwise silent static images of the car when parked. Most of Harry Metcalfe's videos that I have seen have no music. His videos on the subject of driving his 1969 Shadow to the Arctic have only brief moments of music. It's not Bach but not the usual annoying percussive trash either, and seems fine. ua-cam.com/video/VIdNcbsgOiM/v-deo.html Some of the cars in his videos make superb music of their own. His Countach, for example. If you search for my UA-cam username you will find some instances of comments I have made about the music in other people's videos. Much less kind than this comment :) Thanks again Craig. Keep up the good work.
@@LaurieWilliams-lk8fc thank you for the feedback and i’ll certainly take this on board for my next video, whenever covid will allow me to get back out there. I think i was inspired by the petrolicious videos but appreciate where you guys are coming from - also recognise that sound levels during editing may seem fine and unobtrusive at my end but on playback when live it could be different for each viewer. And ive very much a novice at this editing! Thank you for watching and engaging!
The high efficiency (Michael May head) version of the V12 made from 1981 is nowhere near as bad as people assume for a 5.3 litre engine. Autocar did a review of the new HE version of the XJS in 1981 and was surprised at how good the fuel mileage was. One odd thing about the Jaguar V12 around that time was that if it was started with its water temperature lower than about 40°C it would run with ignition retarded for 15 minutes to make it warm faster. Not a good thing for engine or fuel efficiency, done because of "emission" regulations (before the hoax that CO2 is pollution and is the only "emission" really took off as a political cause).
The higher compression was good for mileage, but the mpg ratio to h.p. was poor imo. Jaguar should have been able to at least match the c.i. of 326 to hp, and could have used an overdrive gear for better touring mpg. I owned a 1985 XJS v12 HE and mileage was maybe 15mpg highway, and sometimes below 10 mpg city and the extremly high first gear (64mph at redline) acceleration wasn't anything to talk about. I own a 2000 XKR and that car can get 24mpg cruising at 100mph with ease.
@@livingroomguitarist7 Acceleration of a healthy V12 XJS is really impressive. Fastest automatic production car in 1981, in acceleration and top speed, beating AMV8, de Tomaso, Mercedes and all the others. I'm assuming that yours was far from new when you bought it and had at least some of the faults I mentioned in an other comment on this page. Mine had an ignition coil (the one on the engine, with the high voltage connection used) with an intermittently bad internal connection too. I found that fault after realising that the engine was sluggish and becoming difficult to start and sometimes seeing unburned fuel in the air behind the car. Lucas coil.
@@LaurieWilliams-lk8fc I had replaced the ignition coil with the high energy coil as well, as lubed the distributor advance etc.. eventually had to replace the ecu as it had the standard issue. The car had great accleration on the interstate, had the car up to 140mph etc.... If it had a 4 speed auto it would have been much better. Even the Corvette had an overdrive gear and it could get mid 20s on the interstate same year. The auto in the Jag is a GM400 no excuse for not having better gearing ratios.
Enjoy? *PLEASE HIT THE LIKE BUTTON* to help me out - Thanks for your support 😃👍
Check out the Craig on Cars Specials playlist:
ua-cam.com/play/PLlKUAQ7QTf-f-HUqaJEkRWo8HcqDWbgbI.html
Beautiful. I worked on those until we stopped building them in December 92.
That must have been such a great experience to work on these cars!
Were you at Browns Lane then ? Had Radford Works closed by then ?
I was at Whitley from '99 onwards working on the 2nd-gen V8 (AJ33).
Beautiful car. Dad loved his Daimler Double Sixs 💖
My old man had a series 2 Daimler Double Six VP when I was a kid and have loved them ever since.
Same here, my grandad had several and have always had a soft spot. Such a classy design
What a splendid car, knowledgeable owner, and enthusiastic presenter. The Series III Double-Sixes were the best of them all, and highly useable classics today.
Very kind of you, thanks! Hopefully will bring you some more content you enjoy sometime soon
My father had a series 3 XJ6 it has and always will be my favourite car
Best looking large saloon car ever made with a lovely smooth V12. A shame about the 3 speed automatic gearbox which blunts the performance and not good for fuel economy but most auto boxes weren't that good in this era.
I’m a 28 year year old. I’m picking mine up tomorrow. It’s currently 1:45 am and I can’t even sleep! Too exited.
Great! Congrats on the purchase. A very classy and wise choice 👍. What spec is yours?
Be sure to share a picture on instagram and tag me in 👍
@@CraigOnCars happy to mate what the Insta name? 1989 Daimler 6!
Its @_craigoncars - enjoy that first drive home 👍
That is a beautiful Daimlet Double 6...thanks for sharing
Thank you for watching 👍
Had a silver S3 XJ12 followed by a Nimus White, S3 Daimler D6 with "pepperpot wheels". Very smooth even when not running on 12 cylinders! Electrics and rust were the main issues. Subsequently had XJR6, XJR8, and currently an XJ Sovereign 4 litre LWB (X308). Young lads think the car is cool. Loads of room; great for shopping!! Purchased at 100,000 miles now running better than ever with 202,000 miles, but differential starting to get getting noisy!!
Jags demand constant maintenance. You must change oil & filter every 6 Months irrespective of mileage and keep a careful check on fluids + cooling system. Also, Jags need endless change of bushes and cars are sensitive to tyre pressures.
Current X308 is, in my opinion, the best for a daily driver. It is low, sleek, quick, and resists the "tin worm" pretty well.
Poetry in motion. Simply beautiful.
Isn’t it just. Fabulous car, i want one!
Luv 20000
Having both a six and a double six series three I agree with everything Andy said. I also agree with him on the fascinating Broadspeed series two V12 Coupé. Thanks to you, Andy and his son for this video.
I had one of these back in the late '80s, courtesy of being on the early IT scene. Enjoyed it hugely; it was like having a turbine up front instead of mere pistons. Took it across Europe many times and loved cruising at 150 MPH on German motorways. Had to stop for fuel 2 or 3 times a day on trips my diesel Range Rover now covers with one stop 🙂
Great video on one of the most beautiful cars ever made. In some respects, it simply is the most beautiful car of all time, it ages better than 99% of it's rivals because people keep loving it more as time goes by. Hint to Jaguar; instead of building unobtainable D or C types, please remanufacture the Series III XJ. That'll make even more people happy.
Thank you for the lovely feedback and i couldnt agree more! The suspension particularly was so different and so much better than that on modern cars, really did float along.
@@CraigOnCars They do, with appropriate dampers, perfect relaxing cars for going out to dinner, and yet they respond beautifully when driven harder, lovely well balanced handling, although with the typically XJ slight understeer a bit hard on tyres.
The range of abilities of that whole series of the XJ cars from 1967 to the end of the Series 3, including the XJS, is amazing.
On rough dirt roads these Jaguars are superb. Usually nothing more than a slight movement of the right thumb (which is all that's usually needed on their perfectly sized steering wheels) to correct if the back end starts to move out of line.
On such roads they are easily much faster than more recent lighter cars with more power, because the Jags are relatively low and heavy and their suspension is essentially well engineered racing car suspension made relatively soft, so the taller cars with harder suspension and relatively larger unsprung masses are greatly inferior for all those reasons and will bounce and spin off the road at speeds which the Jags do effortlessly.
In the Jag you can have fun with a friend who is driving a taller lighter firmer car. Let him have his fun on sealed roads (although he will be fatigued long before you), then lead him onto a long dirt road, gently accelerate away and watch him disappear behind you.
Now theres an idea - a follow up video with Andy on some typically rough Welsh country roads - rally cross in a daimler double six! I need to experience an XJS, in fact if i had the space alongside my BMW e31 8 series an XJS is very near the top of my list of next classic to buy
@@CraigOnCars You should have no difficulty finding an entirely original V12 XJS from about 1989, one of the last of the first series (before the uglified American rear body spoiling exercise) therefore basically the same car as Andy's Daimler, and with a friendly owner who would be willing to share as Andy did. People who own these cars usually appreciate their good qualities and pleased to be asked about them. I suggest contact the Jag Drivers' Club.
@@CraigOnCars Choice between having a late 1980s XJS and a BMW ... hmmm, that's really hard, give me 5ms to make up my mind ...
I too recently took delivery of a V12 Daimler 20k miler Japanese import . Car is as near new as you can get Champagne trim , Doeskin etc with Dayton chrome wire wheels and it does look the business !! Having had a number of XJ6 series 2's before , I never ever dreamed of owning a "new " example as way out of my reach , But as the decades past and I found myself driving BMW 7 series for many years , I realised that even with the praise heaped on to the BMW's , that they wernt in the same class as the series 3 . not that they were a bad car and fully loaded as they say but they were missing that vital "je ne sais quois " that the Jag has in abundance . I now know that I will finish my driving days in a series 3 and to hell with the fuel consumption !!
Kudos to you for choosing to run a S3 V12 as your daily and even more so for finding such a low mileage example! Bet the smell inside with all that wood and leather is still like new! Top marks sir 😁
I’m restoring an 81 XJ12; there are faster cars, better built cars, certainly cars that are cheaper to run. But in my 28 years of driving there is nothing like an XJ12. Nothing. Modern Jaguars miss that thing as well, whatever it is. Inside they might have more and better equipment, their engines can produce more power, but still... NOTHING gets anywhere near an XJ12. Forget the 40 as well, it’s just ugly next to a series 1,2 or 3. Most under appreciated car of all time.
I think you may be right! Good luck with the restoration, im sure it will look amazing when finished. Im currently doing similar with my bmw e31 8 series. Thanks for watching!
Great car's it brought back great memories of my goldish coloured 1986 D reg I owed a few years back from Christmas Eve 2014 which was a pleasure to own, and drive as it gave me a big smile on my face when I did. Not bad on fuel with about 10 mpg in town and just over 20 on the motorway, and with 2 tanks it gets you out trouble BEAUTIFUL CAR.
I had a Jaguar Series 3 V12 in British Racing Green. Looked virtually identical to the car in the video. I loved it, a beautiful car and people had prejudiced views against it. Such as "its an old mans car," and "unreliable gas guzzler".
I have had two V12 XJS's too, an awesome engine in beautiful cars!
A man of great taste! I’d love to own an XJS, maybe oneday. What these V12s cost in fuel economy they gain in so many other areas!
Let them killjoy's drop dead , go your way !
That's a beauty!
I used to own a Jaguar XJ12 Series which was also in British Racing Green. Have been a Jaguar fan since the age of 8. Currently have a Jaguar XJ8.
215/70R15 tires. No wonder the ride is so smooth.
First car i drove sat on my dad's lap, good times that will never be forgotten ❤️
Good times indeed! Cherished memories - for me that was my dads Ford Capri - thanks for watching! You may enjoy some of my other specials 😃
I have just bought a series 3 Daimler Double Six , just 20k on the clock, 1990 and as I have had many series 1 , 2 , and 3 to me they always were the ultimate in car design . You can keep the 7 series BMw's , the Mercs , and the lexus , you have to put the series three even above Rolls and Bentley . .
Wow that sounds like the find of the century! You must be very happy 😃. Enjoy! I’ll have to find a RR shadow or Bentley S to objectively test against the Double six
@@CraigOnCars I was torn between a Jensen Interceptor and the Daimler . I think I made the right decision , but I will be buying an Interceptor convertable at some point and would love to see a road test of a sympathetic nature . A test to discover the essence of the car , and what an mid 70,s supercar can offer in todays market. I hope I can be fired with enthusiasm as The Jensen has always represented what the Almighty would drive .....and I dont mean Clarkson !
@@fionacarstairs7326 another very classy car, good choice! As a matter of fact i have a Jensen Interceptor in the pipeline for filming when normal life here in the UK returns, so if you havnt already please do subscribe and i will try my best to meet your requirements! 😃
A lovely elegant old school Jag in the best colour. My favourite remains the XJC in BRG of course.
Have you seen the Harrys Garage restoration of his XJC? Its a good watch 👍
Nobody either notices or realises that the four door shape is more slender than the two door. The two door is more desirable because of its rarity, but it’s not a better looking car next to the four door.
Such a beautiful car !!!
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I know that modern cars will excel in every way ... but there's a million of them for sale on every forecourt !!!
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All with great big skinny alloy wheels with noisey tyres and a screen in the centre of the dash !!!
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That lovely old XJ12 must be a pleasure just to polish it while listening to the radio on a Sunday morning !!!
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GREAT CAR !!!
Very much an occasion being in the Daimler/Jag, i agree!
That’s one of the most profoundly perfect observations I’ve ever come across. Bravo Sir!
@@petermyers5793 Cheers mate !!!
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But it's true !!!
perfect car. I want it.
My Dad had a Series II carburettor model which he would drive round town on the choke alone!
Thats crazy!
@@CraigOnCars 😅 if you ever find an example to test drive, you will see how easy it is to do.
Best car ever made
Certainly has to be one of them 👍
Very accurate comment Sir.
I had a 1984 XJ6 for a couple of years. I often regret selling it. I drive a 1996 XJ6 (X300) nowadays.
I remember that model well, and plenty preceeding it- my late Father owning from new a Series 1 2.8 litre and then the 4.2 litre XJ6. I have been a Jaguar driver for some twenty years, my first a new XJ6 SVP X300 in Carnival red with Oatmeal half leather interior, bought at the age of thirty, and for me an absolute dream car which in some ways IMO represented the best all Jaguar (no visible Ford input, apart from the switch in the driver's door bin for the electric folding mirrors) car I owned. I went on to have two V8 S Types, then an aluminium bodied XJ6, followed by two XFS Portfolios. However,of all the Jaguars I owned none had that 'specialness' of my first XJ6. Unfortunately I think Jaguar somewhat lost their way when they launched the XE and new model XF by losing that certain luxury that used to typify the brand. In 2015 I defected to Maserati and bought a Ghibli Diesel, which now at 5 1/2 years old still possesses the qualities that Jaguar lost.
All that said it's good to see the company going back in the right direction with the latest facelift model of the XF, for too long they seemed to have lived in the shadow of Land/Range Rover!!
Great video keep them coming
When do you want to do the next one?
@@CraigOnCars as in filming or the m140? 😂 I'm free to help out most weekends either way
You talking to yourself again Craig Musker? :)
@@madda_joe no I'm the younger more handsome Musker 😂😂😂
Yes it is!
I used to have a right hand drive rolls royce silver shadow and I was often made to roll my window down only to be informed that my steering wheel was on the wrong side. Of course I would inform them that it was in fact on the right side, which it was. It always took them a few moments to get it. The only hard part was drive-though windows. The best incident was at an alcohol checkpoint. My friend on the left side rolled the window down and when asked if he had been drinking and he informed the policeman that he had indeed been drinking for hours. Just when they were preparing to get him out of the car I waved to them and said hi. I hadn't been drinking at all and was just driving him home.
Fabulous! One of my dream cars to experience and own, the shadow. I fear that i’ve missed the chance to own one now the way values are going. Fingers crossed i will be able to meet an owner of one to do a video, at least. Sounds like you have great taste in cars! 👍
It's a beauty. What happened to beautiful cars with genuine brand personality? They all look the same now.
I had a very special series 3, it was a TWR one 6.0 tuned engine with a 5 speed manual gearbox. Basically the XJS touring car in a series 3 body shell. Only 11 of the spec were ordered... It was amazing?!
Oh wow that sounds fabulous! That must have been quite something to experience. Had the big body kit on it i believe, the TWR?
@@CraigOnCars it was an option, mine did not have it, just TWR alloys... It looked totally standard just slightly lower... You could feel the engine come on cam after 4000 RPM, the whole car hunkered down at took off like a stabbed Rat! Very special car one I should never of sold!!!
Beautiful luxury.
They do look great in dark colours with those alloys (so much better than the pepper pots). Buy The Equalizer (series) box set and enjoy Edward Woodward wafting around New York in a black XJ6...
The bonnet was originally designed with no centre bulge. That was added to fit the tall version of the XK 6 cylinder engine, not "to house the V12".
That was for the XJ-S. The Series 1 through 3 all had the centre bulge.
@@nadimatteeque4028 To fit the 4.2 litre version of the XK engine. If you close the bonnet of one of those cars and watch the gap you will see how closely it fits over the front ends of the camshaft covers, where the chain and sprockets are.
What a weird thing....stalling in reverse.. Mine never did that...but I had the 12 on carbs with the model 12 trans...this one has the GM400. Beautiful machines, fond memories of my own Daimler Double Six Vanden Plas...
It could just be my poor driving 😂. It certainly was a beautiful car, id happily own one! The vanden plas was the american model is that right?
@@CraigOnCars ...As British as a Bulldog! Daimler introduced the Vanden Plas as an upper echelon Double Six in 1972/73 and sold it initially only in the British and European markets. In Series 2 guise and later Series 3, they came to Australia and New Zealand and probably South Africa. The Jaguar Vanden Plas is what you’re thinking of which was US spec. Canadian drivers saw the Daimler brand too I believe...Then after shifting things about, Jaguar instituted trim level changes...all pretty complex...and now the British Daimler brand would appear to be in extended hibernation....
If it stalls going into reverse and does only 12 MPG and as low as single digit fuel economy when driven a bit harder then I would suspect the partial vacuum system which controls the ignition timing, which for the high compression engine is not simple.
That system is complex, much more so than simply a connection from the inlet manifold to the distributor diaphragm. It has various pressure regulation components which start to fail. Replacements are unobtainable.
The best solution is a good modern engine management computer which does both injection and ignition timing, installed and tuned by people who have done them on Jag V12s before and really got them right.
Keep the original Lucas computer though, for the shed wall.
Also have the fuel injectors cleaned and tested, if not already done, and perhaps replace the pressure regulator. The engine needs only one, not two as originally fitted. (Bizarre arrangement, like the radiator water flows.)
Result will be better fuel efficiency, longer range between fills and improved driveability at all speeds, and, with a bit of luck, no more stalling.
The fuel pumps are really good and will run practically forever if they don't get any junk coming into them - easily avoided by fitting a fine screen inlet filter.
Thats fab info, thank you! I’ll pass that along to Andy. Much appreciated
Wow !!!
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You must really know that V12 engine mate !!!
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I always see them as almost an aeroplane engine that does very little except drive a giant A/C compressor ???
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It must have been great for you having the knowledge of these great engines at your disposal ???
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I remember when i was young that the top speed on the XJ12 was 153 mph and that was in carburetor form !!!
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I used to work for a Rover / Range Rover / Jaguar outlet in the late 80's and i remember the air conditioning being just icy cold as the air flow seemed a bit complicated ... but i remember the mechanic saying that the head gaskets never failed on them !!!
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They must be a very very beautiful car to drive and own !!
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THANKS FOR READING
Thanks for all your engagement 😃
@@CraigOnCars My pleasure mate !!!
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i've always thought with engines from that era ... that if a match was thrown to just an egg cup full of petrol on concrete ... they designers knew the "burn rate" and combustion qualities and built the engine from the inside out !!!
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Yes it may be 290 bhp for just above average acceleration ... but it balances with the sheer beauty of the car !!!
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yeh um almost "magic roundabout" feeling when driving them !!!
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i must confess i dislike new cars so much lol
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MANY THANKS
Must admit i was surprised at how quickly the daimler picked up acceleration wise but it was most alive in the corners. Surprising for such a big old thing.
And yes, old cars have so much more character! 😃
Well , I am verry hard pressed to name some contenders , but probably :
Rolls Royce Cloud from the 50s
Maserati Quatroporte
Rover 75
It is just a suggestion , you don't have to
agree .
But fact is - to me - the Jag / Daimler is
a gorgious design , an artpiece on wheels .
Specialy this one in BRG with Sandstone
leather , it doesn't get better !
All very good suggestions indeed!
These cars put modern cars to shame, not just in the looks department but in ride/handling.
There has been no car ever produced that gets the compromise between ride and handling better.
Some may handle better but ride more poorly, some may ride better but handle more poorly.
Sublime V12 engine.
Last of the line with ABS and the battery in the boot.
Beautiful motorcars.
Simple comment to answer the tite: YES!
I love it that this now has 20k views 😍😍😍😍
I can’t believe it myself! 😃. Sorry the M4 video hasnt taken off the same way 😞 - maybe i came at it the wrong way
@@CraigOnCars doesn’t matter at all, you learn from each one and that is all it was, something different for you to try. It’s a far more common car to be on UA-cam with established UA-camrs talk to them.
Well the support was very much appreciated 👍. Maybe do another one soon? 😃
Still one of my favorite cars of all time. I still don't think any modern saloon car can match it.
Completely agree. A true case of they don’t make them like this anymore!
I have a 1987 Jaguar XJ6,,,,, we call her "Poetry In Motion".
Thats a very apt name! Whats your favourite thing about the car?
Lovely car.
Two of these Jaguars / Daimlers for sale in New Zealand at the moment. Both ex Japan.
Beautiful motor I enjoyed that
Thank you for watching! If you enjoyed that you may also like a few of my other specials on the Citroen SM, Aston Martin DBS or Lotus Elan 😃
I’ll have more coming soon!
@@CraigOnCars yeah just going through them now 👍
Nice.
Thanks! Any particular favourite feature on the car?
@@CraigOnCars I've actually bought one last week. DD6, Brooklands Green, Japanese import, same year lol. Being my third S3 V12 I am a bit biased - love everything about them apart from the MPG.
I liked how this video was presented, respectful, insightful and interesting bits of knowledge.
@@hartmannsson very nice! Congrats on the purchase. Thanks for the feedback, very much appreciated. I Have a few other similar videos released since this one on other classy british classics if you havnt seen them yet 👍
Will do. Btw, if you ever find yourself around the Edinburgh area and fancy doing a video on a GTV (916), feel free to get in touch ;)
Would love to! Drop me your contact details to craigoncars@outlook.com - what a fab excuse for a weekend break with the girlfriend 😉
Beautiful story, beautiful motor. “Don’t make ‘em like they used to!”
Mores the pity 😢
I completely agree. Im currently driving (briefly) a 2005 X350 XJ 4.2 and its not the same
I do miss my series 3 4.2 sovereign, though I live in hilly west yorks & don't miss the computer telling me 1 mpg.
Enjoyed that. Any issues insuring a Japanese import car then?
Thanks 😊. No i dont believe so, the classic car insurers are used to seeing imports. You tempted to import a car? 😉
Yea many times, just need deeper pockets!
@@jfro5867 dont we all! So many cars i’d like to experience
I believe those were sold in the US as Jag Vanden Plas as the Daimler name here is associated with Mercedes and can’t be used elsewhere.
Yes I think thats right. The founder of the British Daimler Company in 1896 bought the Daimler name directly from Gottlieb Daimler himself. It wasn't until 20 years plus after his passing was the Daimler name then merged with Benz to create Daimler Benz AG in the 1920's.
Craig On Cars I don’t think we got these as late as ‘91 though. I could be wrong...pretty car! Drove my first V12 last year (850i manual) so I know how cool that can be...
Very cool - I drive an 840ci sport - yet to try an 850 though!
Craig On Cars Yes, yours is quite beautiful.
They were sold as the Jaguar Vanden Plas in the US, without the fluted Daimler grille, and without the V12 (the 4.2 litre DOHC six).
Did I mention that I want one? I really do.
This actual one is for sale 😉
If I had a Daimler Double-Six. I would wear a suit. M.
I should have done the same! I will try harder next time 😂
The xj 40 came with the 6,0 v12 they called it xj 81
Very true - though that didnt come along til 1993 even though the xj40 was first released to market in 1986 which was the replacement to the s3. If you wanted a v12 in a new XJ before 1993 you had to go for the s3
Is this the top model of the Jaguar XJ cars? When the Mk3 XJ6 became the Mk4 in 1986 with straighter lines, I think the Jaguar XJ12, (was that called Sovereign) and Daimler Double Six continued in the shape of the Mk3. I think the reason was the 5.3 litre engine wouldn't fit in the Mk4.
I think the Vanden Plas ranks above Sovereign in the hierarchy. Maybe that was in North America only? America got no “Daimlers” but plenty of Jaguar-branded XJ6s and 12s.
Absolubtly.
XJ series 3 ( 6 and 12) is the most gorgeous car ever. Daimler fluted grill and back ornament is a bit over the top and unnecessary. XJ series 3 shoud be remade in stainless or composite with controlled deformation, electric motor, airbag, ABS and ESP. XJ series 3, and for sport car Ferrari 512BB, Porsche 911 -930, 964, 993, 997 all 4x4 full electric.
I think series 2 looks more elegant than the 3
At current fuel prices and assuming 15mpg at 70mph, it'll cost 58p/minute in fuel.
For reference: how tall are you, Craig? Doesn’t look like there was much headroom left.
They couldn't fit the v12 in the xj40 on purpose, BL wanted the xj40 to use the rover v8, jaguar privately said no way and designed the xj40 so a V engine would not fit, that saved the series 3 xj which is still a beautiful car to this day,
Wrong, there is a V12 xj40.
@@stringer-ik1pc jaguar revised the xj40 in 1992 with 140 new or modified panels costing £35 million so the v12 could fit, the series 3 ended production the same year,
@@stringer-ik1pc Not wrong. The story is correct. Jim Randle, the engineer who led the XJ40 development, clearly stated so in interviews.
@@LaurieWilliams-lk8fc There is a V12 xj40.
@@stringer-ik1pc Yes, after the modification to permit it to fit. Got it now?
The mileage per gallon sounds like my E55...
Due to a change in circumstances the Daimler in the video is for sale on carandclassic.com
Have you got the link Andy? I can pop a post in the Sunnyside group to share it if you like? Beautiful machine
I’d like to meet the very cool Japanese gentleman who thought this was the car to have in 1991.
Hah yes I'm with you on that one! Very good taste
he was surprised, how thirsty it is, really?
by all accounts it really is that thirsty!
@@CraigOnCars my first car in 1973 was a Mazda RX2, 1146cc rotary, the best I ever achieved was 18mpg, I figure 5.3L V12 will be thirsty. Presently my '68 Mercury Cougar, 302ci V8, achieves 15mpg on a good day.
@@ceedoubleyou I have an XJS with the same V12 engine and it gets about 13-14 mpg.
11 to 12 around town, 20 to 22 on a run...I've had one for 12 years now!!
@@gordonwilly just bought a 6.2L LS3,304kw, to replace 4L Turbo, inline 6 270kw, it will be interesting, what the fuel economy will be.
Nice but give me an AM Rapide S any day of the week…
For sale at:- www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1276307
I hear this time and again, single digit figures for fuel economy. If that's the case there's something wrong with your V12.
5.3 V12 never had 300bhp, that was the 6L versions
Wrong. MOTOR magazine, March 27, 1982, road test, shows Daimler Double Six (5.3 V12) as 299bhp at 5500 revs, and 318 lb ft torque at 3000 revs. I've seen the same numbers elsewhere.
@@paulrandomview i stand corrected
Vinod beach an birds
Mopar "quality" right up there w/ a 1989 Yugo! 😂 - I mean at least the '05 LR3 has the BMW engine, so not as unreliable as a normal LR engine. & if my 90yro mother buys cars(in part)bc of color or their neat rims, why not buy a ⛽️🐖 bc it has "cool tires" 🙄. I mean I get it though, last old car is a Daimler Double 6 & yeah it has "pretty" spokes & acres of Wood, Lambswool & leather😂. But it's V12 is probably not going to stay, despite what 1of my 🇬🇧bfs thinks is sacrilege. I like driving too much, to have a horribly underpowered gas hogging jaguar engine, that LOVES spending time at a shop to be Fixed😏😂Not sorry. Lots of fancy EU(former EU)cars that are horribly unreliable too, not just 🇺🇸cars
The music is intruding into the narratiion! Why?... You have ruined a perfectly good video.
Thanks for the feedback
@k halliday thats a shame. It seems to work for other automotive channels. Perhaps i’ll check the levels more closely next time - i am still learning. Thanks for the feedback 👍. Hope you enjoyed the video all the same
@@CraigOnCars... Thanks for your courteous replies.... Sorry, but music seldom works on any of these channels. And here's why.... I click on these videos because I want to see the car, that is MY choice. When you add music that is YOUR choice. In other words you are imposing something, rather than offering it.
All the best.
Roman.
@@CraigOnCars Good video for sure, and thanks to you and Andy for your time and the car.
I agree re the music though, particularly during speech. The Bach cello music is superb stuff (although this performance is not so good), but the time to put it in would have been only brief moments when no one is talking and the car is not making any sounds that have not already been heard. Perhaps just during otherwise silent static images of the car when parked.
Most of Harry Metcalfe's videos that I have seen have no music. His videos on the subject of driving his 1969 Shadow to the Arctic have only brief moments of music. It's not Bach but not the usual annoying percussive trash either, and seems fine.
ua-cam.com/video/VIdNcbsgOiM/v-deo.html
Some of the cars in his videos make superb music of their own. His Countach, for example.
If you search for my UA-cam username you will find some instances of comments I have made about the music in other people's videos. Much less kind than this comment :)
Thanks again Craig. Keep up the good work.
@@LaurieWilliams-lk8fc thank you for the feedback and i’ll certainly take this on board for my next video, whenever covid will allow me to get back out there. I think i was inspired by the petrolicious videos but appreciate where you guys are coming from - also recognise that sound levels during editing may seem fine and unobtrusive at my end but on playback when live it could be different for each viewer. And ive very much a novice at this editing! Thank you for watching and engaging!
Just found this, 1992 Daimler Double Six on highway
ua-cam.com/video/o3vt6-oTaNg/v-deo.html
Aaarrgh! Turn that bloody cello down a bit!
The only drawback is the fuel mileage, horrible.
The high efficiency (Michael May head) version of the V12 made from 1981 is nowhere near as bad as people assume for a 5.3 litre engine. Autocar did a review of the new HE version of the XJS in 1981 and was surprised at how good the fuel mileage was.
One odd thing about the Jaguar V12 around that time was that if it was started with its water temperature lower than about 40°C it would run with ignition retarded for 15 minutes to make it warm faster. Not a good thing for engine or fuel efficiency, done because of "emission" regulations (before the hoax that CO2 is pollution and is the only "emission" really took off as a political cause).
The higher compression was good for mileage, but the mpg ratio to h.p. was poor imo. Jaguar should have been able to at least match the c.i. of 326 to hp, and could have used an overdrive gear for better touring mpg. I owned a 1985 XJS v12 HE and mileage was maybe 15mpg highway, and sometimes below 10 mpg city and the extremly high first gear (64mph at redline) acceleration wasn't anything to talk about. I own a 2000 XKR and that car can get 24mpg cruising at 100mph with ease.
@@livingroomguitarist7 Acceleration of a healthy V12 XJS is really impressive. Fastest automatic production car in 1981, in acceleration and top speed, beating AMV8, de Tomaso, Mercedes and all the others.
I'm assuming that yours was far from new when you bought it and had at least some of the faults I mentioned in an other comment on this page.
Mine had an ignition coil (the one on the engine, with the high voltage connection used) with an intermittently bad internal connection too. I found that fault after realising that the engine was sluggish and becoming difficult to start and sometimes seeing unburned fuel in the air behind the car. Lucas coil.
@@LaurieWilliams-lk8fc I had replaced the ignition coil with the high energy coil as well, as lubed the distributor advance etc.. eventually had to replace the ecu as it had the standard issue. The car had great accleration on the interstate, had the car up to 140mph etc.... If it had a 4 speed auto it would have been much better. Even the Corvette had an overdrive gear and it could get mid 20s on the interstate same year. The auto in the Jag is a GM400 no excuse for not having better gearing ratios.
@@LaurieWilliams-lk8fc what does unburnt fuel look like? do you mean like a spray of liquid seen in your mirror?