Take to the Road Special – 30 Years of the Jaguar XJ40 Part 1

The Jaguar XJ40 has lived with a slightly tarnished image from the moment of its release in 1986. Like many other Jaguar models, it was tasked with succeeding a popular predecessor and for the XJ40, this was a tough task indeed. The Series 1-3 Jaguar XJ6 saloons were always considered attractive and represented to many of Jaguars core customers, the key principals of the marque. Those were grace, style, with a dash of pace. So when the long delayed successor to the Series 3 XJ6 was unveiled to the world in 1986, Jaguar could be forgiven for being just a little disappointed with the reaction to their new luxury saloon, which they had dubbed the best saloon in the world.

Take to the Road Jaguar XJ40 Feature
The new Jaguar XJ40 was a technology tour de force when launched in 1986.

All the attention focused on the cars restrained styling and its square headlights. This was of course the 1980s and most manufacturers had dropped what were considered old fashioned round headlights, in favour of more modern square headlights. Jaguar fans didn’t like this move and felt the new XJ40 was very un-Jaguar. So right off the mark the new saloon was on the back foot. Indeed it is a familiar picture really.

The XJS was not very well received when it replaced the legendary E-Type. You could also say the modern era XF and XJ saloons have alienated some of Jaguars more traditional clientele. That does not mean they are bad cars. They are a product of their time, as was the XJ40.

So why did I buy a 1988 Jaguar XJ40? There are a number of reasons. First of all I was looking for a relatively cheap luxury saloon to take on a trip from London to Ireland. The journey was going to involve a lot of driving and take a maximum of 12 days. While I was perfectly confident that my 1995 VW Golf GTi was up to the task, as the holiday approached, I became more and more uneasy about covering over 800 miles in a manual car without cruise control. So I hatched a plan to find a cheap luxury saloon that had an automatic transmission, cruise control, a nice big engine and lots of room for myself, my partner and our dog. As we were going to be away for 12 days, we were taking a lot of “stuff” with us so a big saloon/estate was essential. And so began the search through the classifieds for a car that would match the criteria.

My search focused on atypical Mercedes, BMW and Jaguar saloons from the 1980s, purely because prices for many were low, i.e. under £2,000. Which was my maximum budget. The more I searched the more I got pulled towards the Jaguar XJ40 and I noticed that prices for the once expensive luxury barge had pretty much bottomed out. After weeks of searching I finally came across a Jaguar Sovereign that looked good. It’s maroon/burgundy paint caught my eye and reminded me of the maroon Daimler V8 250 I used to own. That car had a cream interior, a typical combination with a red coloured car.

However the Sovereign had a “Saville” grey interior, which I thought looked rather nice for a change. As this was a Sovereign, it had a much high spec level than the less desirable entry level XJ40s. So I went to look at the car and found it was very clean for a 1988 XJ40. The test drive was very positive and I fell in love with it right away. The deal was done and I was the proud owner of a 1988 Jaguar XJ40 Sovereign.



Take to the Road Jaguar XJ40 Feature
The Sovereign on purchase day, waiting for the drive back to London.

My first drive in the Sovereign really was an event. Everything felt effortless, from the steering to the 4 speed automatic transmission to the extremely smooth 3.6ltr 230BHP straight six. I drove it back home nearly 250 miles after I bought it and that was a real test for the car. The more I drove it the more I liked it and the cruise control allowed it to simply waft along down the motorway, the comfortable and supportive seats making it a very satisfying experience. And the engine felt strong and pulled like a train. It was just great.

Take to the Road Jaguar XJ40 Feature
The square highlights proved unpopular. As a result Jaguar offered a quad round light conversion option. Much more traditional.

Over the next few weeks I got the car serviced at a Jaguar specialists and sorted a few bits and pieces before the big trip. And I gave it a good clean and detail inside and out. I always find you get to know a car very well when you give it a good thorough detail and as I smartened up the Jag, I started to notice the little things that didn’t jump out at me when I bought it. Little details like the half open option switch on the sunroof, the integrated head rest lights, the directional roof light for the driver/passenger, to the soft open of the door ash trays and the pop up vanity mirror in the glove box. They might not seem importance but they were nice little touches and showed that Jaguar had been paying attention when they designed the cars interior.



Take to the Road Jaguar XJ40 Feature
The XJ40 interior is traditional Jaguar with lots of leather and wood trim. It is a very nice place to sit.

In the weeks leading up to the big road trip to Ireland, I used the Sovereign quite a bit around London. I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to use in London’s notorious traffic. Despite the fact the XJ40 is a big car, it didn’t feel it and to date it is the easiest large car I’ve ever driven in a city. Yes you could argue any automatic car is easy to drive in a busy built up environment, but the Jaguar just felt different, that bit more special. Which is exactly what Jaguar intended for its customers, who were after all, wealthy individuals who had discerning tastes. After spending a long hard day in the board room winning deals for your firm, the last thing you wanted was a car that made you feel even more exhausted on the drive home. The effortless driving experience and sumptuous ride is what the XJ40 was all about. And I was now enjoying that experience at a fraction of its 1986 launch price.

Take to the Road Jaguar XJ40 Feature
Gone was the leaping cat hood ornament in favour of a more pedestrian friendly snarling cat badge.

After doing a little more research on the XJ40, I realised that its 30th Anniversary was due in 2016. Personally I always like the idea of an anniversary when it comes to cars. It is an occasion I always feel is nice to mark, an opportunity to put the car in the spotlight and honour the designers and engineers that created it. And on reading more about the XJ40’s prolonged development phase, I realised it was the last car that Jaguar co-founder and former boss of the company, William Lyons, had input into before he died in 1985.

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The man who was called “Mr Jaguar” always had a creative input into his cars and even though he had retired from the company in 1972, he still kept tabs on developments at Browns Lane, providing guidance on the design of the XJ40. I realised how important this connection was and with the anniversary around the corner, I hatched the plan to make a film about the XJ40. And we petrolheads all know the best way to celebrate a car is to take it on a big road trip.

Follow the rest of the Jaguar XJ40 Journey in Part 2

How did the Jaguar XJ40 get on during it’s big road trip to Ireland? Watch Part 2 to find out how the big cat fared in the Emerald Isle.

Take to the Road Jaguar XJ40 Feature
Although the XJ40 wasn’t offered in LWB form, it is a long car which enhances passenger comfort.

8 Comments

  1. Pingback: Take to the Road Video Feature: The Sporty V12 - 1988 Jaguar XJS V12 - Take to the Road

  2. Jøran S. Pettersen 26th September 2016 at 10:21 am

    Hello Niall! As a happy long-time owner of a 1993 BRG 3.2 litre, I enjoyed your videos on the XJ40 very much! Thank you 🙂

  3. Niall Julian 27th September 2016 at 11:59 am

    Hi Jøran! That is great to hear 🙂 Thank you for watching. Glad you enjoyed them. Enjoy your 3.2 🙂

  4. Frédéric PAUL 28th February 2017 at 9:45 pm

    Very good choice Niall. Owner of a 260e Mercedes-Benz from 92, I’m looking for an Xj40 as a second car. In order to make some romantics trips all over Europe to with. I will test this week a 1992 Sovereign 4.0 Tuscany bronze with Barley interior. Very nice videos…

  5. Niall Julian 1st March 2017 at 9:51 am

    Thanks for watching Paul. Glad you enjoyed the film. The XJ40 would make for a perfect 2nd car, especially for long drives across the continent. Its what it was built for. Good look testing the Sovereign! Hope it is a good one 🙂

  6. Pingback: Take to the Road Special - 30 Years of the Jaguar XJ40 Part 2 - Take to the Road

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