HISTORY
The Jaguar XJ-S was already an old car by the time of its facelift. But as a result of that facelift, it enjoyed a new beginning and a litany of new fans
FEW CARS make it to sixteen years old, let alone without any meaningful attempt at a facelift. Which means that when Jim Randle admitted in 1991 that the XJ-S “had been withering on the vine”, it wasn’t necessarily PR puff. Alongside cars like the BMW 8-series and Mercedes-Benz R129 SL it was looking decidedly out of date – and the latter even replaced an XJ-S convertible as Princess Diana’s transport in 1991. If even the Royals were choosing to buy foreign cars instead of the XJ-S, it was time for a change at Jaguar…
A facelift for the XJ-S had been part of a series of proposals undertaken by an independent Jaguar in the 1980s, but alongside the new technical centre at Whitley and concerns over build quality, there simply wasn’t the money to action it. Likewise, the XJ41 project intended to succeed it was stagnant – and Jaguar’s financial situation looked bleak. With neither a facelift nor a replacement for the car unlikely, the ageing XJ-S would simply have to soldier on. But Ford’s takeover would change that.
Ford acquired Jaguar in November 1989, in a £1.6 billion deal that saw the latter become a wholly owned subsidiary of the former. One of its first actions was to approve the facelift of Jaguar’s grand tourer, as a stopgap measure while it conducted an investigation into Jaguar’s financial position. Jaguar might have left the 1980s in a stronger position than it entered the decade thanks in no small part to John Egan, but it was far from home and dry.
In May 1991, Jaguar unveiled the facelifted car – which brought with it a new name. The hyphen had gone, making the new model the XJS. Chief among its changes was the fitment of the 4.0-litre six that had made its way into the XJ40 two years earlier, developing 223bhp and available with a choice of five speed manual or four speed automatic transmission. The V12 continued as before in 5.3-litre form, though detuned in order to meet emissions regulations.
The car was easy to differentiate from its successor, with visually larger rear windows in truth occupying the space where the extractor vents had previously sat. These softened the appearance of the car and took the edge of its 1970s look, while at the back there were full width rear lights that owed much to the XJ40 in shape. The bootlid was reshaped to accommodate these, while at the front there was a new full width radiator grille missing the badge holder in the middle. Less easy to spot at first glance were the doors, which now sported frameless windows on the coupe. The roof was also flatter and the rear screen, while still framed by buttresses, was at a more rakish angle.
