At $7,500, Is This 1995 Jaguar XJS Class Without The Cost?

The next vehicle Jaguar sells will likely be priced in the stratosphere, but there are many more accessible ways to let the cat out of the bag. Today’s Nice Price or No Dice XJS is one of those, so let’s decide if it’s purrr-fectly priced for what it is.

Medallions are generally good things, whether in the form of a medal lauding some noteworthy achievement, or as a tasty entree at a fancy restaurant. That makes being on the receiving end of a medallion rarely a bad thing. When it comes to Medallion cars, however, there are fans, detractors, and a huge swath in between, who are entirely apathetic to the model’s charms and/or pitfalls. And that’s despite its interesting history of being sold under multiple brand names, owing to its arrival (and unduly being shuffled off to Buffalo) during Chrysler’s convoluted purchase of AMC from Renault.

That indifference continues to this day, as evidenced by your comments on the 1988 Renault/Eagle Medallion we looked at on Monday. Not even an appreciably low $2,000 asking price could engender much enthusiasm for a car of questionable appeal that requires a tow to get to its next resting place. When all was said and done, that came away with a 75% ‘No Dice’ loss.

While the Renault/Eagle Medallion may have enjoyed only a brief production run, the 1995 Jaguar XJS with which we are about to become acquainted today represents a model that boasts a full 21 years of sales, during which it underwent numerous changes and improvements. One of those changes was the surprisingly successful conversion from a coupe with mullet-like flying buttresses on the back into a 2+2 convertible that’s laudably handsome with the top up or down.

This one, in white with a biscuit interior and matching top, rocks a clean title and, less fortunately, 170,156 miles on the clock. That’s a lot for any car, but it’s even more astounding that a Jag has made it that far, considering the marque’s reputation for less-than-stellar reliability. According to the seller, recent maintenance totaling over $4,000 and a critical eye from an independent Jaguar mechanic have helped keep the car on the road.

Another aspect in this Jag’s favor is the collection of Ford bits that have worked their way into the model. Jaguar undertook a major refresh of the XJ-S for the 1991 model year, following Ford’s acquisition of the marque. That included the option of Jag’s AJ6 DOHC straight-six engine in the re-badged XJS in preference to the previous silky-smooth but unfathomably thirsty V12. One fun fact about this generation of Jags is that, while the marque was owned and funded by Ford, the V12 cars continued to use transmissions purchased from General Motors. The six-cylinder cars, on the other hand, mated their 237-horsepower mill with a four-speed automatic sourced from ZF. Per the seller, both the engine and transmission in this car are in “great shape.”

That also described the car’s overall looks, as it seems to suffer no issues with the paint, underlying bodywork, or any element of the English drawing room masquerading as the passenger compartment. With the exception of the wheels, it all appears to be stock factory, as well, right down to the leapers on the floor mats. Being a fancy car, it offers all the bells and whistles that Jag and Ford could throw at it, including power windows and locks, automatic climate control, and an electrically operated top. One fun feature is the parking brake, which sits between the driver’s seat and door, requiring some dexterity of the driver’s left hand to operate.

As one might expect out of a Jag of a certain age and with so many miles, it’s not all tea and crumpets with this car. The ad notes that it suffers from what are described simply as “electrical gremlins,” but stops short of providing specifics about what those might entail or whether they affect the car’s drivability or safety. 

One place where those gremlins have focused their deviltry is in the driver’s door, rendering the window mechanism non-functional. Fortunately, it’s stuck in the up position, so errant raccoons won’t easily nest inside the car. Considering that the seller claims the car to have been serviced and inspected by that Jag expert, it’s surprising that it hasn’t been fixed prior to the sale. Less unexpected, but just as frustrating, the A/C is noted to suffer a leak and hence won’t cool without the addition of refrigerant. That, of course, will just leak out anew. On another note, the headlamp lenses look a touch clouded and in need of a good refresh as well.

In fact, the impression one gets from the somewhat half-assery of the car’s current state makes it seem like the present owner is tired of just putting money into the car only to have it immediately demand additional investment like it’s a ne’er-do-well brother-in-law. Or maybe having been the owner of a number of old British cars over the years, I’m just projecting. Either way, we now need to decide whether it’s a foolhardy idea to take on an old Jag that the seller admits is plagued by electrical gremlins, and, if so, whether it’s worth $7,500 to do so.

What do you think? Is this admittedly good-looking Jag a relative deal for that kind of cash? Or do the gremlins need to be exorcised before even that amount could be considered?

You decide!

Los Angeles, California, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.

H/T to Don R. for the hookup!

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