I actually bought this car last year. I had to get the rear suspension replaced and it has a leak in the boot. Both before and after an absolutely fantastic car to own and drive daily. I owned another one previously and drove it as a daily for four years without any issues except rust (which was initially totally absent and them on literally every panel after four years.) I drove my old one from Milan back to Dublin via Paris the day after I bought it without a hitch and using the cruise control in 2018. One of the most enjoyable and easy trips of my life.
@@alexmoore432 Only the basic XJ6 came with round headlamps, and later versions like the 3.2 Sport or the rare XJ-R. The Sovereign and the Daimler came with the rectangular ones, which to me fit better with the overall design of the car.
@@E34Benzin The round ones are weird to me. Square is more of a 90s feel to me. A proper car. Not something weird or too unique like the round ones look. X j 40 bad ass
Had a 3.6 and 4.0, both Sovereigns absolutely bombproof engines, and the 4HP 22 ZF automatic transmission was incredible, smooth changing, and quick. Love the XJ40 it's getting better with age.
A friend inherited a newer Jaguar V8 XJ, a Ford product. The machine was flawless, a dream to drive, never a problem outside of normal wear and tear, and the definition of what a luxury sedan should be. I was driving a Mercedes of equal stance, a troublesome vehicle, cost around $4k in services annually. Today, the Mercedes is a garage queen, seldom driven, while the old Jaguar is a daily driver and on it's third owner.
Great video. Everything explained very well. When I was kid, I use to call this the box light XJ. I always felt this face was under appreciated, heard people say it’s not a proper jag in terms of its face. The box light’s certainly made it look “American” at the time. I also felt it look abit Bentley with the square lights too. Anyways, it’s my favorite XJ
Compared to the Series 3, I prefer the relative simplicity of the XJ40 having only one fuel tank and outboard rear brakes. The examples that survived would hopefully have had their issues sorted. It's truly the last classic looking Jaguar, and of course it was the last Jaguar when it was still independent. It's incredible to drive.
I have admired the XJ40 ever since it was introduced...would have loved to buy one at the time, but my budget was more in the Lincoln/Cadillac range. About 20 years later, a good friend was selling his 8-year old 1998 XJ8 and I bought it. What a car! I drove it 3-years and only spent $300 on repairs. Convinced that Jaguars could indeed be reliable, I also bought a 2007 XK Convertible for the weekends, and a 2005 S-Type for my wife. All three of these cars have been wonderful. I am so impressed at how "right" the XJ40 platform became through its X300/X308 iterations that I sold the 1998 XJ8 and bought a 2002 XJ Vanden Plas to have "the ultimate" version of what is certainly one of the most beautifully designed and built cars of all time. Though I have also fantasized about having a vintage Rolls Royce - from all that I've read about their maintenance costs - I think the Vanden Plas is giving me 90% of the pleasure at 10% of the running costs of a Rolls.
I had one and loved it despite on going issues with electrics, head lining and fuel pick up but it was a so so smooth drive but 0 to 100 took about a week but to cruise it’s perfect
I bought one of these for £600 in 2005. It was tired! But it was fantastic. It set me on a course for a lifelong love of Jaguar saloon cars. Fast, luxurious, superb ride quality, and the all important magical quality that you can't put your finger on. I just enjoyed getting into it every time.
My two teenagers saw an XJ40 last week and stopped in awe. Not car enthusiasts normally but they thought it was stunning. Dad should really buy a Jag 🤔
When the XJ40 came out it not only simplified the production compared to the previous series 3 cars , but it became more efficient in use and reliability was better , cutting down Jaguar warranty claims down considerably. People talk of the issues with reliability on these cars , but German cars GO WRONG TOO! Trouble is people seem scared to admit that. An old director boss of mine had Audi Quattros as company cars but later moved over to the Mercedes 190 Cosworth from the late 1980s . Supposed to handle brilliantly, fantastic engine etc; …. Biggest croc of shite going. Engine rattled like a London taxi on tick over , the ride /seat combination was terribly hard, called out main dealers after ranting to Mercedes GB over the excessive noise on start up from cold , went legal got his money back in the end . Think he went for another Audi after , but I said at the time , should have bought a Jaguar. An XJ40 Jaguar
They were flawed in detail and were never built quite well enough but they were a big leap forward over the Series 3, a car Mercedes and BMW never convincingly beat despite a few attempts. The ride and handling of the XJ40 was the best in the world in 1986, not bad for a company with bugger all money working from an outdated factory. The 3.6 engine was a fantastic lump and so tough. The time has certainly come for these cars - almost 40 years old. Blimey!
Fantastic review. I’ve just sold my early one, replacing it with a late x308. I think the x308 is a high point for Jaguar and shows what fantastic foundations were put in place by the xj40. Keep the Jag content coming!!!
The XJ40 have a Height of 1,37M. So it was remarkable, that Jaguar chose to build the successors(X300/X308), with a Height of just 1,31M. XJ Series 1-3 have a Height of 1,34M. Making the XJ40 the most accessible, among the classic XJ range. Jaguar most have known, making the X300 6 centimeters lower, would not gain them more customers. But it states how Jaguar went for the extreme, with building such low Super Sedan car's. I bought a X308, 3 years ago! That Car is a dream come true! Greetings!
The last real Mercedes was the W124. The 140 was excellent but overcomplicated. The idea that German cars are automatically better is a myth. I'm Afrikaans, not British btw but I've owned S classes, Audis, BMs and none of them were flawless in fact I hated the brand new Audi so much I drove the 1978 XJ6 every day. The XJ40 remains my favorite, although also unnecessarily complicated with the electronics, its sheer charm makes it forgivable. I was dreaming about it while driving a W140 for goodness sake. Now, living on a farm, I have two very old Range Rovers, 1984 and 1996 models, to satisfy my appreciation for proper old English cars. The only other Gen X cars you still see as daily drivers are the occasional W123 Merc. After many old Jags and Land Rovers I can say that old British cars have served me very, very well. Pity though that the modern JLR products are soulless Hyundai clones that will most certainly not be used by an enthusiastic pseudomasochist in 2062. Come to think of it, no modern car actually inspire me....which is why I'm watching videos like these at 23h45 on a Friday night. 😂
I was hired to shoot the car in this video as it’s going up for auction soon. I saw the licence plate in the thumbnail and said I recognise that! Amazing condition for a 35 year old car. ❤
The XJ40 was by far and away the best Jaguar ever made in my view. Those made between 1990-1993 are the creme da la creme. I've owned 15 and wouldn't have done so if they weren't so good. Leagues better than the earlier Series cars in terms of power, ride, performance, electronics, fuel economy, space, and ride quality.
@@garyanderson1987 hello Gary, i have the last original jag. My exhaust pipe is now 30 years old and nearly perfect. The whole car is in mint condition.
Always hated the rear taillights, beautiful car otherwise. Very well put together. The series III actually soldered alongside the XJ40 as the XJ12 until 1992
My dad had one of these after a run of XJ6s, and it tried to kill us once while going around the Stansted roundabout on the M11. The power cut out and locked up the steering and the brakes and we were heading for the hedge but somehow avoided it. A similar thing happened around Russell Square once too. The electronics were definitely a problem. So I've always held the XJ6 in much higher regard. Just didn't warm to the XJ40 unfortunately.
Thank God mine hasn't stopped on me like yours (yet) but it is full of electrical gremlins. I almost got rid of it after the transmission would only shift between second and third. I disconnected the battery and let it sit for a while. One day I decided to start it up again and it shifted through all four gears. It fixed itself!? It is beautiful but don't think I'll buy another one.
I have a 1993 Jaguar XJ40 with the 3.2L engine which has done 346700km and I love it. It is the four headlight version which I personally prefer. While it is not a daily driver, I have it on a 90 day permit system (over 12 months) through VicRoads in Australia. I have a 1974 Series 2 XJ6 and 1965 S-Type on 45 day permits. So, I get to drive my Jaguars for 6 months of the year, as long as they are not having work done on them! 😂Other states have similar systems.
I just bought myself my second XJ40, as a 65th birthday present. I LOVE these things! Look at my age & extrapolate the time-line.....Punk era, right? Now look at the stance of these beautiful cars.....PURE ATTITUDE! It fits, right?
Excellent review. I still have my dad's X301 V12 Daimler. It's been 30 years and it still smells like the first day. It drives beautifully. Staying in it is filled with some exotic silence and calm in a way that no German car can. It moves with unusual ease. The sounds are so resonant and pleasant. The chassis leans moderately when changing the driving direction and behaves very predictably. Dive under braking is very moderate for cars of its time. As for reliability in 30 yrs and 220 tkm there were electrical problems, if we consider as the weakest link, the bulbs. Connected with fuel costs concernes. Just to update it with recent trip cost from Barkarby (Stockholm) to Paklenica national park (Zadar county, Croatian coast) is 554€, 2400 km, Garmin calculated moving avg. 91km/h
I had 2 Daimler XJ40's, a '89 and a '94 (one of the last built). The '89 was a great car but it rusted and the electrics liked to go haywire and give alarming dashboard warnings. The ''94 was built like a tank, there wasn't a spot of rust and it had aircraft grade electrics, the Ford money had really done the trick. I currently have a X358 which is a great car but doesn't give quite the luxury feel of the XJ40's.
You get sick of that bloody headlamp lightbulb "failure" warning that wouldn't go away on the fluorescent instrument display? With that bloody big "X" graphic? Mine was there permanently!
…all comments regarding the perilous status of the Jaguar brand’s integrity within the crumbling British Leyland monolith are spot-on….. …the single most important reason for the lack of consumer confidence; and the sniggering commentary given these wonderful premium Jaguars in the hugely profitable North American market was all down to the perception of Jaguars being unreliable; ie. “spending more time in the shop than on the road”…this image badly affected overall sales, all of which benefitted BMW, Mercedes and Lexus immeasurably… …IMHO, the early 90’s versions which reverted back to analog guages, and back to the circular head lamps…are the most beautiful of its type ever made…particularly the Vanden Plas trimmed long wheelbase cars…👀🆒👍🏽😎
I have a 1990 xj40 sovereign for 1,000 usd at 89k miles! It’s glacier white and the biscuit interior. It was my first car I ever purchased and I don’t regret. The suspension makes such a comfortable ride despite these harsh Arizona roads. The stock rims and balloon tires really take away the look sexiness of this car but I bought some oem Dayton wire spokes on and it really brought the aggression and beauty of the car out. The gas is great, the engine is super reliable and honestly relatively cheap! It’s a great car if you wanna learn how to works on engines because this big engine is really easy to work on it has plenty of room under the hood so you can reach and see everything! There’s kits for an Chevy engine and transmission swap kits I think (1988-1996) with no fabrication needed all gm parts!!!suspension components is where it gets pricy but I’m telling you this jawn breaks necks. She’s my “Madura” 🦍🦍🦍 I plan a building a low rider with it (:
Great review, elegant design ageing nicely vs. modern fussy styling. Feel for Jaguar as when they try and move with the times they receive a backlash though can't help thinking they could charge more and put the money into better quality back in the 70s and 80s as brilliant cars to drive
Oh my life this brings back memories. I had a succession of three of these between 2003 and 2004. 1. 1989 2.9 XJ6 in white 2. 1990 3.6 XJ6 in blue 3. 1992 4.0 Sovereign in kinda Nightfire Red All three were basket cases, the worst being the '89 because it was pre-Ford. Happy memories though :)
Great video, although I am biased as an ardent XJ40 fan. I often wonder how many 40s were needlessly scrapped because of electrical faults, that in fact, were often just dry solder joints failing and could be easily fixed!
I had the 1990 upgrade losing the digital instruments and gaining much reliability, unfortunately the 92 to 94 went backwards with electrical faults. Having spent years working them I can say they were a really good car in comparison to what came afterwards
I remember that a friend ,who ran a local repair shop, had an XJ6 and a BMW 735 both G reg in for repair at the same time. Both had about 60,000miles on the odometer. The Jag was typically rusty and needed new sills and rear suspension arms. The bootlid was grotty in the folded double skins which took some sorting with a sandblast gun. The interior was tired with some wood veneer delamination and a split bolster.. The Beemer was mint with no rust and the interior was low rent in comparison but unworn. In the showroon as a new car, the Jag was streets ahead but 10 years later the BMW build quality shone brightly and the Jag's superficial glitz was only too apparent. Oh, and Jag electrics were by Joe Lucas, Prince of Darkness, rather than Bosch simple and reliable.
I have one and I love it! Also, it's funny that the revised instrument cluster presented at 4:03 is broken. All the 4 corners gauges are completely to the right. Mine decided to do that after this winter's storage and sadly I can't find a replacement unit with all the right specs/year for mine. I'm in the process of building a circuit with a lcd screen to replace one of the corner gauge and display the 4 now missing levels.
What year is your car? There are two XJ40 cars in a wrecking yard near me and one is the early 88 - 89 car with the 3.6L and the early gauge package. The other is a much later car with the revised gauges and the 4.0L
@@jensenhealey907efi Hi! Mine is a 1991 Sovereign XJ40, in km/h, not in mph. I also have a junkyard nearby with an 87 and a 91. It's sad that the 91 is missing its windshield; water and snow damaged the interior severely.
In October '95 I bought my first new Jaguar, an X300 XJ6 SVP in Carnival Red with Oatmeal half leather interior. Whilst like all subsequent Jaguar's I owned over the next twenty years, it had a few initial issues, but for sheer style and luxury it was a pinnacle for Jaguar. After seven years of owning a Maserati Ghibli (also an excellent car, and reliable) last yearI switched to an EV - a Genesis Electrified G80, designed by ex Bentley styling chief Luc Donkerwolke, and as a result often gets confused for a Bentley, this in many ways is the modern day version of that original XJ6, with that same sense of style and luxury and IMO represents the car Jaguar should be making now.
Thanks for another very informative video. I have never seen a Jaguar that offended my eye. This is a fine looking motor. The electronic gremlins it experienced are, I am sure, not a Jaguar exclusive. It does make me wonder whether complexity is a good idea.
i always wanted a jaguar since being a kid..ended up getting a 2.9 xj40 did want a 3.6 but this one turned up from a friend so bought it....i loved it and it loved the fuel lol...kept it for about a year and it scratched my jaguar itch id had all those years
Superb cars,bmw,audi,lexus and Mercedes cant hold a candle to these,especially in daimler spec.apart from the william lyons days the ford years are the best for jaguar.all went wrong once they sold it.sad times indeed for jaguar at the moment.
I own several of these cars and the only stumbling block to owning them long term it the lack of owner accessible diagnostics like that OBD2 that was on the X300 cars. That old PDU diagnostic system that plugs into these cars is VERY VERY difficult to find now and no current dealers still have the equipment. I really like the cars but not being able to pull full diagnostics from a car that has issues makes it tough to diagnose sometimes.
You are absolutely correct. I've owned an '89 for more than 20 years and the lack of a way to plug in a diagnostic tool is by far the hardest thing to deal with. These cars have the complexity that requires such a tool, but no method to pull proper diagnostics anymore.
@@voltron88888 It's too bad no-one has figured out how to reverse engineer the signals from this diagnostic system so they could be understood from something other than this very rare PDU system. The problem is XJ40 cars are not really worth very much on the collectible market so this really are only small numbers of people who still appreciate them for the excellent cars that they are.
I was very pleased to watch this video, and in particular the comment about the looks of the car. I understand how the Series III is appreciated by enthusiasts as it was a magnificent job by Pininfarina in updating the original 1968 look of the Series I and 1974 Series II. But I remember waiting for this car to be introduced, and following the spy photos of extreme-weather testing in Arizona and Northern Ontario in Canada. One must remember that although Jaguar's founder Sir William Lyons was long retired from the company, he remained a consultant, and he did give input on the progress of this car. There is a photo of him inspecting a prototype model circa 1985 near the end of his life. And yes, "chiseled looks" is how I have defined it. The handling is magnificent and agile, although the US models are too softly sprung, sadly for us. Funny thing is that I actually like the "Tokyo by Night" as you call it dash that provides information quickly, although the damn oil pressure gauge was notoriously unreliable. The only upside to Ford's purchase of Jaguar was infusion of cash into the company to improve the XJ40. I remember seeing its replacement the X300 for the first time in the metal where it was parked on a street in Toronto in February 1995. I just could not like it. The grille was lower and wider making it look too wide, and the retro round headlamps were a step backwards. Ford was ignoring the forwarding thinking British engineers who were benchmark cars like the Mini and the E-Type, and thinking stereotype "The Avengers" ye olde England of bowler hats, "hunting pink" (riding clothes), etc. Jaguar design righted itself with the XF and cars that followed under TATA ownership, but it may have been too late, sadly.
The XJ40 really came into it’s own after Ford took over 1990 onwards were fantastic. Build quality was better and the new 3.2 and 4.0 units are bulletproof. Base and ‘Gold’ specs are best avoided though, a 4.0 Sovereign is the way to go, incredible cars.
I agree that the XJ 40 was in some ways a better looking car than the series 3, with it's matching front and rear shaped lights. William Lyons liked the square lights, because Rolls Royce had introduced square lights several years earlier on their Spirit range, and he encouraged John Eagan who was doubtful about them, to go ahead with that design. I always thought that Pininferrina had spoilt the original design of the original XJ6 design, with the odd shaped tail lights and square rubber bumpers etc. on the series 3. However in 1994 Geoff Lawson brought back the original curvacious look of the original XJ6 design on the X300. I fell in love big time with Jaguars all over again.
Absolutely loved my XJ40 3.6 & have hankered after a Jag ever since. Unfortunately, when it was released, the XF looked like a Mondeo so I never fancied an XF. The S-Type was nice to drive but the odd looks put me off. The X-type WAS a Mondeo underneath (& was cramped for a growing family), so that was out. The last XJ is lovely but I don't need such a big car now. 5 years ago I tested an XE & it was dreadful. I do like the F-type, especially later ones but I'm now looking at Astons. 1st world problems, eh?🤔
Some would not agree with the comments about the styling , the square cortina headlights and the abysmal dash . which I guess is why you can pick a 40 up for very little money . My own series 3 V12 is on the other hand , motoring perfection and with a simply gorgeous styled body (no straight lines or chiselled edges ) . I hated the looks of the 40 when it came out and I still detest them today which I also guess is why Jaguar tried to make each subsequent varient of the 40 a little more like the series 3 each time .....and failed, so at the end of the line , we had a totaly corrupted shape that indeed was hideous , pehaps even as hideous as the curremt shaped Jags
If they had stuck with the narrow headlights and minimal chrome of that concept car at 1:33, it could have been a very beautiful car that would still look good today..
Maybe it's my age or maybe when my car enthusiasm started but the xj40 is probably one of my favourite jaguar cars. I'd easily take it over an e type especially in either Daimler v12 or full twr bodykitted guise. However I do think that a very late x308 is the high bar for the xj.
At some point, between 86 and 89, the booming economy, meant both the XJ40 and E32 had 18 month waiting lists, and asking prices, 3 grand over list. I had all manner of hell, yesterday, sharing similar innocent information! If you don’t believe me, ask TOM HARTLEY. XJ40 and E32 made him his fortune 😂
So much more character than the Germans even if the build was not as good. I love these. I would not mind one myself especially a V12 or V8. Lovely interior, the soft leather seats (unlike the 7 series) and wood and low driving position. My mate’s dad Rod Hull (yes the Rod Hull) had a Jaguar Sovereign 3.6. Always remember the mix of leather and Rod’s pipe smoke from the interior when I went for a ride in it (he also had a Merc W123 estate: a man of taste!)
The XJ40 was seen at the time to be a massive leap forward compared to the Series 3. I lived on Browns Lane at the time of its release and, as car enthusiasts, we were all really excited to see the new model roll out of the gates without all the disguised bodywork. But now it seems to be the least desirable of all the XJs. I think what did for it, was that it took them 6 years to fit the V12. And if you want an example of the worst of the British car industry, there it is. In the BL years, Jaguar deliberately engineered the XJ40 so that it could not take the Rover V8 engine which Jaguar bosses at that time feared would devalue their brand. It took them 6 years after the belated launch to fix the mistake!
@@Omegaman1969 I agree. I last went there in 2016, some 25 years after I lived there. I was mortified that there was nothing left apart from the old social club.
The E32 was an absolute Masterpiece of Executive car design, Must be one of the finest BMW vehicles ever produced, The XJ40 like so many Jaguar's is a nearly car, Can't see Jaguar surviving much longer unfortunately.
I do not know how you can have a review of the early XJ40 and not mention the word rust once. My father purchased this exact same model ('88 3.6 Daimler) in 1993. When he proudly showed me his new purchase something made me lift the rear carpet and underlay and there was the staring back at me was the roadway . The rear floor pan had completely rusted into holes (on both sides). Poor quality materials badly put together. Not much more to say really.
This replaced the Series 3 XJ in 1986 with straighter lines and less curves. But the top model that did not become the XJ40 was the V12 Jaguar XJ12 and Daimler Double Six because the engine would not fit, and continued in the shape of the series 3 until about 1993.
It is interesting that in this period that Ford had the company and sold it..,the 220 was also developed with little budget.....and Ford said they payed too much for the company...The wanted a cash cow..,and were disappointed to only get people who wanted to do a good job...
There was a lovely red 3.6 XJ40 on E-Bay just the other day that I was very tempted to buy. The only thing that made me hesitant was that it didn't have ABS. It was standard on the Sovereign and Damiler models but only an option on the entry-level car. That and rather spartan-looking cloth seats.
If the car had a 3.6 I'm assuming it would have come with the earlier ABS system. If that's the case, you're better off without it! Parts availability for the earlier systems is nonexistent and they can be extremely difficult to diagnose when issues pop up.
@@voltron88888 It didn't have ABS at all. I just happen to have the 1989 Jaguar brochure ! I do have a 1987 Granada Scorpio with ABS... which still works !
These were absolute garbage. Developed on a shoestring budget- they looked cheap. A friend of mine worked on these cars at Jaguar House, Liverpool. He thought they were abysmal.
Preferred the look of the base XJ6 with the round headlamps series 3 look I have a 2011 XF which I love I think early Xf paid homage to Series 3 not a fan of modern squints lights
Sir , you are biased indeed and maybe you have not tried an equivalent v12 series 3 but I can assure you , the 40 is not fit to lick the 3's boots and that handbrake digging into the thigh !! what about the truely ghastly dashboard that resembles the HiFi I had before the last one ! Come come , the car is a big Granada with Jaguar refinements . Time has not been kind to 40 model . Time has been on the side of the series 3 and that is testimony to the model.
Twin air bags means no glovebox. Heaven help you if you need the chassis welding ... full of expanded foam. Dad had one ... a Soveriegn ... the electric windows packed up, the central locking packed up, the climate control packed up ..... in fact the only thing electrical that didn't pack up were the wipers. Heaps of junk. He offered it to me for free but I declined.
I have a 1988 jaguar xj6 for 37 years I love it and no problem. With it. My jaguar has one 200 hundred. Awards..
Had an XJ81 (XJ40 6L V12) for 12 years after buying it at 18 months old for about half the new price. Beautiful car and much admired.
Can't Imagine the fuel bills...
@@dkkatwa Well, when I worked in town and travelled 3 miles each way in very heavy traffic I was a gallon a day. 6mpg. But it was a nice place to sit.
@@alanhunter2009 I had the Daimler double six for a while 1994 year ... Can see the fuel gauge go down, I was sure....
Yeah, i drive the same as majestic version. Beautiful and cheap to repair. Sometimes hard to find parts.
15 liters average and 18 l, town for 12 cylinder, 6 liter. It's OK
These have always looked good to me, but they get even better with the years. Good vid! Thanks
I actually bought this car last year. I had to get the rear suspension replaced and it has a leak in the boot. Both before and after an absolutely fantastic car to own and drive daily. I owned another one previously and drove it as a daily for four years without any issues except rust (which was initially totally absent and them on literally every panel after four years.) I drove my old one from Milan back to Dublin via Paris the day after I bought it without a hitch and using the cruise control in 2018. One of the most enjoyable and easy trips of my life.
I always used to hate the rectangular headlamps over the Series III's double round units. But they have kind of grown on me recently.
The squares only fitted to Daimler versions, but agree
@@alexmoore432 Only the basic XJ6 came with round headlamps, and later versions like the 3.2 Sport or the rare XJ-R.
The Sovereign and the Daimler came with the rectangular ones, which to me fit better with the overall design of the car.
@@E34Benzindefinitely agree
@@E34Benzin
The round ones are weird to me. Square is more of a 90s feel to me. A proper car. Not something weird or too unique like the round ones look. X j 40 bad ass
Used to see loads of these as a kid in the 90s, it's like deja Vu! beautiful looking jaguar.
Had a 3.6 and 4.0, both Sovereigns absolutely bombproof engines, and the 4HP 22 ZF automatic transmission was incredible, smooth changing, and quick. Love the XJ40 it's getting better with age.
The straight six remains a legend.Very tuneable and on a good day could beat their 5.3 V12.
A friend inherited a newer Jaguar V8 XJ, a Ford product. The machine was flawless, a dream to drive, never a problem outside of normal wear and tear, and the definition of what a luxury sedan should be. I was driving a Mercedes of equal stance, a troublesome vehicle, cost around $4k in services annually. Today, the Mercedes is a garage queen, seldom driven, while the old Jaguar is a daily driver and on it's third owner.
Wow good to know
Great video. Everything explained very well. When I was kid, I use to call this the box light XJ. I always felt this face was under appreciated, heard people say it’s not a proper jag in terms of its face. The box light’s certainly made it look “American” at the time. I also felt it look abit Bentley with the square lights too.
Anyways, it’s my favorite XJ
Thanks for sharing!
Compared to the Series 3, I prefer the relative simplicity of the XJ40 having only one fuel tank and outboard rear brakes. The examples that survived would hopefully have had their issues sorted. It's truly the last classic looking Jaguar, and of course it was the last Jaguar when it was still independent. It's incredible to drive.
I have admired the XJ40 ever since it was introduced...would have loved to buy one at the time, but my budget was more in the Lincoln/Cadillac range. About 20 years later, a good friend was selling his 8-year old 1998 XJ8 and I bought it. What a car! I drove it 3-years and only spent $300 on repairs. Convinced that Jaguars could indeed be reliable, I also bought a 2007 XK Convertible for the weekends, and a 2005 S-Type for my wife. All three of these cars have been wonderful. I am so impressed at how "right" the XJ40 platform became through its X300/X308 iterations that I sold the 1998 XJ8 and bought a 2002 XJ Vanden Plas to have "the ultimate" version of what is certainly one of the most beautifully designed and built cars of all time. Though I have also fantasized about having a vintage Rolls Royce - from all that I've read about their maintenance costs - I think the Vanden Plas is giving me 90% of the pleasure at 10% of the running costs of a Rolls.
I had one and loved it despite on going issues with electrics, head lining and fuel pick up but it was a so so smooth drive but 0 to 100 took about a week but to cruise it’s perfect
I bought one of these for £600 in 2005. It was tired! But it was fantastic. It set me on a course for a lifelong love of Jaguar saloon cars. Fast, luxurious, superb ride quality, and the all important magical quality that you can't put your finger on. I just enjoyed getting into it every time.
My two teenagers saw an XJ40 last week and stopped in awe. Not car enthusiasts normally but they thought it was stunning. Dad should really buy a Jag 🤔
When the XJ40 came out it not only simplified the production compared to the previous series 3 cars , but it became more efficient in use and reliability was better , cutting down Jaguar warranty claims down considerably. People talk of the issues with reliability on these cars , but German cars GO WRONG TOO! Trouble is people seem scared to admit that. An old director boss of mine had Audi Quattros as company cars but later moved over to the Mercedes 190 Cosworth from the late 1980s . Supposed to handle brilliantly, fantastic engine etc; …. Biggest croc of shite going. Engine rattled like a London taxi on tick over , the ride /seat combination was terribly hard, called out main dealers after ranting to Mercedes GB over the excessive noise on start up from cold , went legal got his money back in the end . Think he went for another Audi after , but I said at the time , should have bought a Jaguar. An XJ40 Jaguar
The XJ40 is a beautiful car.
My wife bought herself a '90 Sovereign against my advice. 2 years later, she doesnt look at it and I absolutely adore it.
I love the look of the original digital dash!
They were flawed in detail and were never built quite well enough but they were a big leap forward over the Series 3, a car Mercedes and BMW never convincingly beat despite a few attempts. The ride and handling of the XJ40 was the best in the world in 1986, not bad for a company with bugger all money working from an outdated factory. The 3.6 engine was a fantastic lump and so tough. The time has certainly come for these cars - almost 40 years old. Blimey!
Enjoyed that watch and listen, you truly gave a great sense of “wafting around”. Love it. Thank you 👍
Thank you kindly! -Phil
Fantastic review. I’ve just sold my early one, replacing it with a late x308. I think the x308 is a high point for Jaguar and shows what fantastic foundations were put in place by the xj40. Keep the Jag content coming!!!
Sadly XJ8 saddled with lots of problems and an engine and gearboxes both prone to fail not as reliable as the ones on XJ40
The XJ40 have a Height of 1,37M.
So it was remarkable, that Jaguar chose to build the successors(X300/X308), with a Height of just 1,31M.
XJ Series 1-3 have a Height of 1,34M.
Making the XJ40 the most accessible, among the classic XJ range.
Jaguar most have known, making the X300 6 centimeters lower, would not gain them more customers.
But it states how Jaguar went for the extreme, with building such low Super Sedan car's.
I bought a X308, 3 years ago!
That Car is a dream come true!
Greetings!
Many years ago I had a 1988 XJ40 Sovereign when it was about 12 years old.. Lovely thing with Citroen style height adjustable rear suspension.
The last real Mercedes was the W124. The 140 was excellent but overcomplicated. The idea that German cars are automatically better is a myth. I'm Afrikaans, not British btw but I've owned S classes, Audis, BMs and none of them were flawless in fact I hated the brand new Audi so much I drove the 1978 XJ6 every day. The XJ40 remains my favorite, although also unnecessarily complicated with the electronics, its sheer charm makes it forgivable. I was dreaming about it while driving a W140 for goodness sake. Now, living on a farm, I have two very old Range Rovers, 1984 and 1996 models, to satisfy my appreciation for proper old English cars. The only other Gen X cars you still see as daily drivers are the occasional W123 Merc. After many old Jags and Land Rovers I can say that old British cars have served me very, very well. Pity though that the modern JLR products are soulless Hyundai clones that will most certainly not be used by an enthusiastic pseudomasochist in 2062. Come to think of it, no modern car actually inspire me....which is why I'm watching videos like these at 23h45 on a Friday night. 😂
Love this comment
I was hired to shoot the car in this video as it’s going up for auction soon. I saw the licence plate in the thumbnail and said I recognise that! Amazing condition for a 35 year old car. ❤
The XJ40 was by far and away the best Jaguar ever made in my view. Those made between 1990-1993 are the creme da la creme. I've owned 15 and wouldn't have done so if they weren't so good.
Leagues better than the earlier Series cars in terms of power, ride, performance, electronics, fuel economy, space, and ride quality.
You drive 15, wow a lot of experience. I, drive a xj 81 majestic now
I want to buy one that’s reliable and holds the British history of uniqueness. Buy the Ford take over cars 1994?
@@garyanderson1987 hello Gary, i have the last original jag. My exhaust pipe is now 30 years old and nearly perfect. The whole car is in mint condition.
Always hated the rear taillights, beautiful car otherwise. Very well put together. The series III actually soldered alongside the XJ40 as the XJ12 until 1992
Beautiful Jaguar and another good video 🚘🚙🚗👍👍👍👍👍⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
My dad had one of these after a run of XJ6s, and it tried to kill us once while going around the Stansted roundabout on the M11. The power cut out and locked up the steering and the brakes and we were heading for the hedge but somehow avoided it. A similar thing happened around Russell Square once too. The electronics were definitely a problem. So I've always held the XJ6 in much higher regard. Just didn't warm to the XJ40 unfortunately.
Thank God mine hasn't stopped on me like yours (yet) but it is full of electrical gremlins. I almost got rid of it after the transmission would only shift between second and third. I disconnected the battery and let it sit for a while. One day I decided to start it up again and it shifted through all four gears. It fixed itself!? It is beautiful but don't think I'll buy another one.
I have a 1993 Jaguar XJ40 with the 3.2L engine which has done 346700km and I love it. It is the four headlight version which I personally prefer. While it is not a daily driver, I have it on a 90 day permit system (over 12 months) through VicRoads in Australia. I have a 1974 Series 2 XJ6 and 1965 S-Type on 45 day permits. So, I get to drive my Jaguars for 6 months of the year, as long as they are not having work done on them! 😂Other states have similar systems.
I like the XJ40 with the square lights and the electronics. I actually like the look of the Series III better though.
I just bought myself my second XJ40, as a 65th birthday present. I LOVE these things! Look at my age & extrapolate the time-line.....Punk era, right? Now look at the stance of these beautiful cars.....PURE ATTITUDE! It fits, right?
The rectangular headlights look good
Excellent review. I still have my dad's X301 V12 Daimler. It's been 30 years and it still smells like the first day. It drives beautifully. Staying in it is filled with some exotic silence and calm in a way that no German car can. It moves with unusual ease. The sounds are so resonant and pleasant. The chassis leans moderately when changing the driving direction and behaves very predictably. Dive under braking is very moderate for cars of its time. As for reliability in 30 yrs and 220 tkm there were electrical problems, if we consider as the weakest link, the bulbs.
Connected with fuel costs concernes. Just to update it with recent trip cost from Barkarby (Stockholm) to Paklenica national park (Zadar county, Croatian coast) is 554€, 2400 km, Garmin calculated moving avg. 91km/h
What an excellent vid. Loaded with facts and very, VERT watchable
I had 2 Daimler XJ40's, a '89 and a '94 (one of the last built). The '89 was a great car but it rusted and the electrics liked to go haywire and give alarming dashboard warnings. The ''94 was built like a tank, there wasn't a spot of rust and it had aircraft grade electrics, the Ford money had really done the trick. I currently have a X358 which is a great car but doesn't give quite the luxury feel of the XJ40's.
You get sick of that bloody headlamp lightbulb "failure" warning that wouldn't go away on the fluorescent instrument display? With that bloody big "X" graphic? Mine was there permanently!
…all comments regarding the perilous status of the Jaguar brand’s integrity within the crumbling British Leyland monolith are spot-on…..
…the single most important reason for the lack of consumer confidence; and the sniggering commentary given these wonderful premium Jaguars in the hugely profitable North American market was all down to the perception of Jaguars being unreliable; ie. “spending more time in the shop than on the road”…this image badly affected overall sales, all of which benefitted BMW, Mercedes and Lexus immeasurably…
…IMHO, the early 90’s versions which reverted back to analog guages, and back to the circular head lamps…are the most beautiful of its type ever made…particularly the Vanden Plas trimmed long wheelbase cars…👀🆒👍🏽😎
I have a 1990 xj40 sovereign for 1,000 usd at 89k miles! It’s glacier white and the biscuit interior. It was my first car I ever purchased and I don’t regret. The suspension makes such a comfortable ride despite these harsh Arizona roads. The stock rims and balloon tires really take away the look sexiness of this car but I bought some oem Dayton wire spokes on and it really brought the aggression and beauty of the car out. The gas is great, the engine is super reliable and honestly relatively cheap! It’s a great car if you wanna learn how to works on engines because this big engine is really easy to work on it has plenty of room under the hood so you can reach and see everything! There’s kits for an Chevy engine and transmission swap kits I think (1988-1996) with no fabrication needed all gm parts!!!suspension components is where it gets pricy but I’m telling you this jawn breaks necks. She’s my “Madura” 🦍🦍🦍 I plan a building a low rider with it (:
Great review, elegant design ageing nicely vs. modern fussy styling. Feel for Jaguar as when they try and move with the times they receive a backlash though can't help thinking they could charge more and put the money into better quality back in the 70s and 80s as brilliant cars to drive
Oh my life this brings back memories. I had a succession of three of these between 2003 and 2004.
1. 1989 2.9 XJ6 in white
2. 1990 3.6 XJ6 in blue
3. 1992 4.0 Sovereign in kinda Nightfire Red
All three were basket cases, the worst being the '89 because it was pre-Ford. Happy memories though :)
Great video, although I am biased as an ardent XJ40 fan.
I often wonder how many 40s were needlessly scrapped because of electrical faults, that in fact, were often just dry solder joints failing and could be easily fixed!
I had the 1990 upgrade losing the digital instruments and gaining much reliability, unfortunately the 92 to 94 went backwards with electrical faults. Having spent years working them I can say they were a really good car in comparison to what came afterwards
My father bought a XJ40 new in 1988.It was British Racing Green and has a manual transmission.It was a pig to drive.
I remember that a friend ,who ran a local repair shop, had an XJ6 and a BMW 735 both G reg in for repair at the same time. Both had about 60,000miles on the odometer. The Jag was typically rusty and needed new sills and rear suspension arms. The bootlid was grotty in the folded double skins which took some sorting with a sandblast gun. The interior was tired with some wood veneer delamination and a split bolster.. The Beemer was mint with no rust and the interior was low rent in comparison but unworn. In the showroon as a new car, the Jag was streets ahead but 10 years later the BMW build quality shone brightly and the Jag's superficial glitz was only too apparent. Oh, and Jag electrics were by Joe Lucas, Prince of Darkness, rather than Bosch simple and reliable.
I have one and I love it! Also, it's funny that the revised instrument cluster presented at 4:03 is broken. All the 4 corners gauges are completely to the right. Mine decided to do that after this winter's storage and sadly I can't find a replacement unit with all the right specs/year for mine. I'm in the process of building a circuit with a lcd screen to replace one of the corner gauge and display the 4 now missing levels.
What year is your car? There are two XJ40 cars in a wrecking yard near me and one is the early 88 - 89 car with the 3.6L and the early gauge package. The other is a much later car with the revised gauges and the 4.0L
@@jensenhealey907efi Hi! Mine is a 1991 Sovereign XJ40, in km/h, not in mph. I also have a junkyard nearby with an 87 and a 91. It's sad that the 91 is missing its windshield; water and snow damaged the interior severely.
In October '95 I bought my first new Jaguar, an X300 XJ6 SVP in Carnival Red with Oatmeal half leather interior. Whilst like all subsequent Jaguar's I owned over the next twenty years, it had a few initial issues, but for sheer style and luxury it was a pinnacle for Jaguar.
After seven years of owning a Maserati Ghibli (also an excellent car, and reliable) last yearI switched to an EV - a Genesis Electrified G80, designed by ex Bentley styling chief Luc Donkerwolke, and as a result often gets confused for a Bentley, this in many ways is the modern day version of that original XJ6, with that same sense of style and luxury and IMO represents the car Jaguar should be making now.
Thanks for another very informative video. I have never seen a Jaguar that offended my eye. This is a fine looking motor. The electronic gremlins it experienced are, I am sure, not a Jaguar exclusive. It does make me wonder whether complexity is a good idea.
i always wanted a jaguar since being a kid..ended up getting a 2.9 xj40 did want a 3.6 but this one turned up from a friend so bought it....i loved it and it loved the fuel lol...kept it for about a year and it scratched my jaguar itch id had all those years
Superb cars,bmw,audi,lexus and Mercedes cant hold a candle to these,especially in daimler spec.apart from the william lyons days the ford years are the best for jaguar.all went wrong once they sold it.sad times indeed for jaguar at the moment.
I own several of these cars and the only stumbling block to owning them long term it the lack of owner accessible diagnostics like that OBD2 that was on the X300 cars. That old PDU diagnostic system that plugs into these cars is VERY VERY difficult to find now and no current dealers still have the equipment. I really like the cars but not being able to pull full diagnostics from a car that has issues makes it tough to diagnose sometimes.
You are absolutely correct. I've owned an '89 for more than 20 years and the lack of a way to plug in a diagnostic tool is by far the hardest thing to deal with. These cars have the complexity that requires such a tool, but no method to pull proper diagnostics anymore.
@@voltron88888 It's too bad no-one has figured out how to reverse engineer the signals from this diagnostic system so they could be understood from something other than this very rare PDU system. The problem is XJ40 cars are not really worth very much on the collectible market so this really are only small numbers of people who still appreciate them for the excellent cars that they are.
I was very pleased to watch this video, and in particular the comment about the looks of the car. I understand how the Series III is appreciated by enthusiasts as it was a magnificent job by Pininfarina in updating the original 1968 look of the Series I and 1974 Series II. But I remember waiting for this car to be introduced, and following the spy photos of extreme-weather testing in Arizona and Northern Ontario in Canada. One must remember that although Jaguar's founder Sir William Lyons was long retired from the company, he remained a consultant, and he did give input on the progress of this car. There is a photo of him inspecting a prototype model circa 1985 near the end of his life. And yes, "chiseled looks" is how I have defined it. The handling is magnificent and agile, although the US models are too softly sprung, sadly for us. Funny thing is that I actually like the "Tokyo by Night" as you call it dash that provides information quickly, although the damn oil pressure gauge was notoriously unreliable. The only upside to Ford's purchase of Jaguar was infusion of cash into the company to improve the XJ40. I remember seeing its replacement the X300 for the first time in the metal where it was parked on a street in Toronto in February 1995. I just could not like it. The grille was lower and wider making it look too wide, and the retro round headlamps were a step backwards. Ford was ignoring the forwarding thinking British engineers who were benchmark cars like the Mini and the E-Type, and thinking stereotype "The Avengers" ye olde England of bowler hats, "hunting pink" (riding clothes), etc. Jaguar design righted itself with the XF and cars that followed under TATA ownership, but it may have been too late, sadly.
The XJ40 really came into it’s own after Ford took over 1990 onwards were fantastic.
Build quality was better and the new 3.2 and 4.0 units are bulletproof.
Base and ‘Gold’ specs are best avoided though, a 4.0 Sovereign is the way to go, incredible cars.
I agree that the XJ 40 was in some ways a better looking car than the series 3, with it's matching front and rear shaped lights. William Lyons liked the square lights, because Rolls Royce had introduced square lights several years earlier on their Spirit range, and he encouraged John Eagan who was doubtful about them, to go ahead with that design. I always thought that Pininferrina had spoilt the original design of the original XJ6 design, with the odd shaped tail lights and square rubber bumpers etc. on the series 3. However in 1994 Geoff Lawson brought back the original curvacious look of the original XJ6 design on the X300. I fell in love big time with Jaguars all over again.
Nowhere near as beautiful as the series 3 and earlier but likeable in their own way.
Absolutely loved my XJ40 3.6 & have hankered after a Jag ever since.
Unfortunately, when it was released, the XF looked like a Mondeo so I never fancied an XF.
The S-Type was nice to drive but the odd looks put me off.
The X-type WAS a Mondeo underneath (& was cramped for a growing family), so that was out.
The last XJ is lovely but I don't need such a big car now.
5 years ago I tested an XE & it was dreadful.
I do like the F-type, especially later ones but I'm now looking at Astons.
1st world problems, eh?🤔
Some would not agree with the comments about the styling , the square cortina headlights and the abysmal dash . which I guess is why you can pick a 40 up for very little money . My own series 3 V12 is on the other hand , motoring perfection and with a simply gorgeous styled body (no straight lines or chiselled edges ) . I hated the looks of the 40 when it came out and I still detest them today which I also guess is why Jaguar tried to make each subsequent varient of the 40 a little more like the series 3 each time .....and failed, so at the end of the line , we had a totaly corrupted shape that indeed was hideous , pehaps even as hideous as the curremt shaped Jags
If they had stuck with the narrow headlights and minimal chrome of that concept car at 1:33, it could have been a very beautiful car that would still look good today..
P38 Range Rover more closely represented the best (innovation) and worst (reliability).
Maybe it's my age or maybe when my car enthusiasm started but the xj40 is probably one of my favourite jaguar cars. I'd easily take it over an e type especially in either Daimler v12 or full twr bodykitted guise. However I do think that a very late x308 is the high bar for the xj.
Great review. We think alike. I still love the old girls. Great looking car and very unique indeed. Huge fan. Thank you.
At some point, between 86 and 89, the booming economy, meant both the XJ40 and E32 had 18 month waiting lists, and asking prices, 3 grand over list. I had all manner of hell, yesterday, sharing similar innocent information! If you don’t believe me, ask TOM HARTLEY. XJ40 and E32 made him his fortune 😂
Used to drive one around with a straight exhaust. Lovely car. Ridiculous noise coming from a luxury car
So much more character than the Germans even if the build was not as good. I love these. I would not mind one myself especially a V12 or V8. Lovely interior, the soft leather seats (unlike the 7 series) and wood and low driving position. My mate’s dad Rod Hull (yes the Rod Hull) had a Jaguar Sovereign 3.6. Always remember the mix of leather and Rod’s pipe smoke from the interior when I went for a ride in it (he also had a Merc W123 estate: a man of taste!)
The XJ40 was seen at the time to be a massive leap forward compared to the Series 3. I lived on Browns Lane at the time of its release and, as car enthusiasts, we were all really excited to see the new model roll out of the gates without all the disguised bodywork. But now it seems to be the least desirable of all the XJs. I think what did for it, was that it took them 6 years to fit the V12. And if you want an example of the worst of the British car industry, there it is. In the BL years, Jaguar deliberately engineered the XJ40 so that it could not take the Rover V8 engine which Jaguar bosses at that time feared would devalue their brand. It took them 6 years after the belated launch to fix the mistake!
Such a shame Browns lane is now a housing estate and there is not even a Jaguar Museum. My Parents both worked next door to Jaguar in 58/59 as GEC.
@@Omegaman1969 I agree. I last went there in 2016, some 25 years after I lived there. I was mortified that there was nothing left apart from the old social club.
The E32 was an absolute Masterpiece of Executive car design, Must be one of the finest BMW vehicles ever produced, The XJ40 like so many Jaguar's is a nearly car, Can't see Jaguar surviving much longer unfortunately.
I do not know how you can have a review of the early XJ40 and not mention the word rust once. My father purchased this exact same model ('88 3.6 Daimler) in 1993. When he proudly showed me his new purchase something made me lift the rear carpet and underlay and there was the staring back at me was the roadway . The rear floor pan had completely rusted into holes (on both sides). Poor quality materials badly put together. Not much more to say really.
This replaced the Series 3 XJ in 1986 with straighter lines and less curves. But the top model that did not become the XJ40 was the V12 Jaguar XJ12 and Daimler Double Six because the engine would not fit, and continued in the shape of the series 3 until about 1993.
It is interesting that in this period that Ford had the company and sold it..,the 220 was also developed with little budget.....and Ford said they payed too much for the company...The wanted a cash cow..,and were disappointed to only get people who wanted to do a good job...
So graceful and beautiful
There was a lovely red 3.6 XJ40 on E-Bay just the other day that I was very tempted to buy.
The only thing that made me hesitant was that it didn't have ABS. It was standard on the Sovereign and Damiler models but only an option on the entry-level car.
That and rather spartan-looking cloth seats.
If the car had a 3.6 I'm assuming it would have come with the earlier ABS system. If that's the case, you're better off without it! Parts availability for the earlier systems is nonexistent and they can be extremely difficult to diagnose when issues pop up.
@@voltron88888
It didn't have ABS at all.
I just happen to have the 1989 Jaguar brochure !
I do have a 1987 Granada Scorpio with ABS... which still works !
I always like the square headlights
Nice example. I also like the shape of the XJ40 compared with the XJ. Classic car bargain??????
It sure is!
That’s a very good review
Sad to say that this model is not a good looking Jaaaaaaaag.
Great cars I really like Jags.
Was it fitted with a limited slip differential and was that unit interchangeable with the XKR which would improve its handling?
Please double check what I'm saying, but I heard the Daimler version had one, but not the Jaguar version. It don't know if it would fit or not.
Daimler had lsd as standard.
Many years ago I had an XJ40 Sovereign. lovely old thing, absolute magic carpet ride but a bit of a money pit.
I had a 2.9 25 years ago, worst car mistake of my life
These were absolute garbage. Developed on a shoestring budget- they looked cheap. A friend of mine worked on these cars at Jaguar House, Liverpool. He thought they were abysmal.
Lmao,you aint got a clue what your on about.excellent cars.
Preferred the look of the base XJ6 with the round headlamps series 3 look I have a 2011 XF which I love I think early Xf paid homage to Series 3 not a fan of modern squints lights
@@keithgiles6734 XJ6 is a beautiful car Series i-iii, far better looking than the saloons which succeeded it.
This Jaguar Is also the last Jaguar
I love it how much😊
Had three of them and rust rust and more rust is /was the problem which makes them a nightmare to restore I would never want to restore one 🤦♂️
Sir , you are biased indeed and maybe you have not tried an equivalent v12 series 3 but I can assure you , the 40 is not fit to lick the 3's boots and that handbrake digging into the thigh !! what about the truely ghastly dashboard that resembles the HiFi I had before the last one ! Come come , the car is a big Granada with Jaguar refinements . Time has not been kind to 40 model . Time has been on the side of the series 3 and that is testimony to the model.
All a matter of opinion, surely the correct answer is to have both? -Phil
Had a 1986 3.6 at 3 years old. To be honest not a great car.
omg i like it
Twin air bags means no glovebox.
Heaven help you if you need the chassis welding ... full of expanded foam.
Dad had one ... a Soveriegn ... the electric windows packed up, the central locking packed up, the climate control packed up ..... in fact the only thing electrical that didn't pack up were the wipers.
Heaps of junk. He offered it to me for free but I declined.
What pity, all my runs. Xj 81
Jaguars had been, worst cars ever.
Lmao, you havent got a clue if you think jaguars are the worst cars ever.your just a British car basher.