Rare 5-Speed: 1985 Jaguar XJ-S
Whenever an enthusiast’s thoughts turn to the Jaguar XJ-S, they almost invariably imagine a luxurious Grand Tourer featuring the glorious but insanely complicated V12 engine. However, this 1985 example is a captive import featuring a rare 5-speed manual performing the shifting duties. Its presentation is virtually faultless, and the only thing it needs is a new home. The seller has listed the Jag here on Craigslist in Arvada, Colorado. They set their price at $23,500, and I must say a big thank you to Barn Finder Tony P for spotting it.
Jaguar introduced the XJ-S in 1975 as a replacement for its venerable E-Type. Many people expected the new model to be a sports car, but Jaguar elected to produce what was more of a Grand Tourer. It planned a production run of under a decade, but the final XJ-S didn’t roll off the line until 1996. The culprit was a lack of available funds to develop a replacement, and you must examine the company’s financial records from the period when Jaguar was part of the British Leyland behemoth to gain an insight into the scope of the problem. They reveal that the marque derived greater income and a larger profit from the sale of spare parts than from the sale of the cars driving off its showroom floors. The situation would exist until the marque gained independence in 1984, with our feature car rolling off the line the following year. Its presentation is superb, with its Poseidon Dark Green paint shining impressively. There is no evidence of marks or defects, and the steel looks perfect. The seller doesn’t mention rust issues, and no meaningful corrosion of any description is visible in the supplied photos. The chrome and glass look incredible for a survivor-grade classic, and although the Borbet wheels aren’t original, they add to the appearance of a car with surprising performance potential.
Many readers would expect to tilt forward the hood of this XJ-S to reveal the beautiful V12 powerplant. The North American V12 sent 262hp and 290 ft/lbs of torque to the rear wheels via a three-speed automatic transmission. However, buyers in other markets could order their new toy with a DOHC 3.6-liter straight-six with a 5-speed manual transmission that fed its 225hp and 240 ft/lbs to the road. The lower power and torque of the six might suggest a less potent package, but the opposite proved the case. The smaller engine resulted in a curb weight that was an incredible 300 lbs lower than the V12 version. A driver steering a V12 would take 16.3 seconds to cover the ¼-mile on the way to 148mph. The six scored a slightly lower top speed of 145mph, but the ¼-mile sprint took 15.7 seconds. This XJ-S captive import landed in North America in the early 1990s. The odometer currently shows 17,650 miles, but the car received a documented speedometer and odometer replacement in 1992. The original unit showed 30,636 kilometers, meaning this classic has effectively covered 36,686 miles since it rolled off the line. It is in excellent mechanical health, running and driving perfectly. The new owner could fly in and build a relationship with their new classic by driving it home.
This Jaguar might not have a V12 under the hood, but that doesn’t mean the new owner must forego the luxury touches that are a hallmark of the XJ-S. The Cream leather upholstered surfaces look supple and inviting. There are no signs of wear or stains and no evidence of abuse. The carpet is excellent, and the walnut veneer appears free from the cracking and deterioration that can plague this type of trim. The factory stereo has made way for a modern CD unit, but I can’t spot any other modifications. The leather, air conditioning, power windows, and power locks should make life on the road pretty pleasant.
The smaller engine may prompt some people to turn their backs on this 1985 Jaguar XJ-S, but the optional transmission offers performance improvements over its V12 sibling. The larger engine can also be incredibly complicated to maintain, especially if something goes awry. The sweet DOHC six hasn’t earned that reputation and uses less fuel. This car is an absolute gem that has only been on the market for a day. I think it will find a new home fairly quickly, but are you tempted to make it yours?
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Comments
Not only the drivetrain and wheels are not original. This looks like an old chassis built up with late “80’s parts.
I have a “75 XJ-S which is original and very different from this one. Bumpers, rear lid, complete interior (no wood in 1975) etc. I suppose this originally a regular automatic V12.
Seller states the car was imported. The 6 cylinder and the 5-speed were available overseas. Here’s another one.
https://www.autoscout24.com/offers/jaguar-xjs-3-6-gasoline-violet-0ce70527-1ce7-4196-b576-2a0ae5eea6b8
David,
I S. Spec cars are different from cars that are sold in other countries. If you go to the Craigslist ad you will see that this car was legally imported into this country and that is when the speedometer was changed.
As such, your comments about this car being made up of parts from here and there is mistaken at best.
Hi BG, I have a “75 and a “89 and have had in the past bout 10 of them. I am not criticising this car, maybe it is a very good car and a manual is nice.
It is just so that there is nothing “75 to be seen on this one, perhaps the advertiser mistyped “85.
David, It’s not a ’75. It’s an ’85 Euro spec car. The title to the Barn Finds post is incorrect but the write up correctly describes it as an ’85. Read the posting and the Craigslist post, it is correctly described. I had a ’92 with the 4.2 Six and Automatic It is a wonderful car and with the 5-speed even better!
I am surprised the folks at the front office let the title go in error for so long (2 days as of writing this). Where’s the care?
Headline is incorrect, body of the story says ’85, and that’s what this car is. I test drove one that was in the hands of the Jag factory rep who visited our dealership. The first impression reminded me of my old 400/4 speed Firebird. Exhilarating.
The six is a huge plus over the twelve. I had a twelve for a very short time. Never ever again. Coupled with three pedals, what’s not to like. I’ve alawys been fond of the XJS elegant styling.
Haig, I’m sorry you are down on the 12cyl engines. Did you have the early carburated model? If so, I can understand your frustration. The later fuel injected models were much more reliable and held their adjustments well.
In my experience, unless one did their own maintenance, most garage mechanics shied away from endorsing the V12 out of ignorance.
The XJS was never a favorite of mine with its automatic transmission ( in fact, no classic cars with automatics are liked by me). This car with the 6 cyl and the ability to shift it makes it very interesting. The marque of a true classic. ( to me!!)
This is the last inline 6 Jag worth owning. It’s exactly what you want for that weekender. You wouldn’t want to sit in traffic but then what classic cars are any fun sitting in traffic anyway? This has style and the best thing Jaguar did: Inline 6. I believe the head featured was bench-ported by same unit that worked with Rolls Royce engines. It has a lot going for it. More range than any Tesla. And no waiting to turn around go back the other way. Without that 12 that I’ll never understand what Jag was ‘thinking’.
Whilst the V12 was a great accomplishment, the in-line six was Jaguar’s small block Chevy or Ford. In production for decades and powered a myriad of cars. But the XJS, while available with the six was always and automatic in the US. So this is a gray market car, as implied, or a conversion; each could have issues.
Suspect this is a transplanted drive train as per Wiki they were made with a manually shifted 6-cyl:
“Between 1983 and 1987, the six-cylinder-engined cars were only available with a five-speed manual transmission (Getrag 265), ”
What a great car
Made, yes, but not officially imported to the US, as per a following passage in that Wiki article: “The earlier, manual models were not imported by Jaguar into the United States, which had to wait until the facelift manual 4-litre XJS…”
I.e., Jaguar only imported the XJ-S with automatics up until the 1991 facelift, when a manual finally became available here with the new 4.0L AJ6 straight-6 engine.
How is it a “captive import”?
Some actual road test data shows it’s a bit slower in the 1/4 than the computer sim cited here. Not by much, though.
Price £19,248 Engine 6 cyls in line, 3590cc, petrol Power 225bhp at 5300rpm Torque 240lb ft at 4000rpm 0-60mph 7.4sec 0-100mph 19.7sec Standing quarter mile 15.9sec, 92mph Top speed 141mph Economy 17.6mpg
Yes, “captive import” is a misnomer here, referring to foreign-made models officially imported by and sold under a domestic marque, such as the many various Mitsubishis rebadged as Dodge/Plymouth models for the US.
The author probably meant “grey market import”, meaning a car privately imported rather than officially imported by the manufacturer.
I have a 92 all original survivor 5 speed .
Dr Google let me down this morning ,and I couldn’t find my notes from prior research.Iirc ,there were over 100,000 XJS’s made with a total of only a few hundred Manuals.Memory says 380,and all were 6 cyl .I am not a stick shift only guy ,and in fact, in a GT car, would just as soon have an automatic.I did pounce on mine when I ran across it just for the rarity and long term hold potential.The manual changes the entire driving dynamics of the car.The power is where you want it at all times .Previous owner had it 18 years ,and was more driver than enthusiast, and reported no troubles.I have a large multi brand collection , so don’t get to drive the 92 XJS as much as I’d like ,but have never had an issue in 5 years.She fires and purrs after 6 months of storage .So there you have my endorsement for a manual XJS.As for this particular car ,I can’t vouch for the authenticity ,or answer questions raised above.GLWS
Listed in the ad as an ‘85.
These are interesting but underwhelming, esp with a 3.6.
Spent a decade in a Jaguar specialty shop, and had a good client / friend with a 92 4.0 5speed convertible…not nearly as engaging as expected. These were sold new for a few years in Canada, not sure about the US, and after intake and exhaust mods along with some suspension updates – better shocks, stiffer sway bars – it was better, but sedate would best describe it.
I wish Jag had offered this set up in the states. The V12 sure sounded nice when they ran, but they never really ran well for too long, and to get them fixed, required you leave one of your kids as a hostage until the bill was paid.
I had probably 10 XJ-S cars over the years, all automatic, all V12. Most had the 4-headlamp system which I prefer over the Euro look. Several were convertibles. Loved them all. Kept them in Pirelli tires as no other brand carried the same panache. Would have liked to experience a manual trans, but not at the expense of not having the V12….
I knew a Jag shop owner in Massachusetts that converted a 12 cylinder auto to a 12 cylinder 5 speed. It was a great driving car, but liked the 6 cylinder version better.