Jaguar XJ12 Series III
| Produced: |
1979-1991, 5408 produced. |
|---|---|
| Types: |
Saloon,4 doors,5 seats |
The final derivative of the XJ12 arrived in 1979, the XJ12 Series III. Like the XJ6 the XJ12 benefited from the clean-cut, new body designed by famed Italian design house, Pininfarina. The new body featured more glass, slightly squarer lines around the roof area, plus new front and rear end styling.
The XJ12 was still hampered by poor fuel consumption (13mpg at best) until the HE model arrived in 1981. The HE model (or High Efficiency) produced more power (299bhp) and could return slightly better fuel consumption figures of around 16mpg. The XJ12 Series III soldiered on until the late 1980's, outliving the XJ6 due to problems with installing the engine in the new XJ40 series.
Additional source of information advises that: the V12 engine did not "soldier on to the late 80's". It was the flagship car in the Jaguar/Daimler line and was produced until the very end of 1992 (my own 1992 Series III model was sold new in May, 1993). The term "xj12" is also inaccurate as this is a base-trim model. The vast majority were the upscale V12 Sovereign or Double Six models, and for Canada only, the Jaguar V12 Vanden Plas, truly the king of the road. Further fuel consumption on the highway is regularly as good as 25 miles to the Imperial gallon, as I have proved with more than a dozen of these beautiful cars.
| Capacity | Config | Model | Bore/Stroke | CR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5343cc | S12 OHC | Jaguar V12 | 90mm x 70mm | 9 |
| Type | Gears | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Automatic | 3 |
| Top Speed | 0-60 | SQM | MPG | Engine Pwr | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 147 mph | 7.5 s | 13 mpg | 285 bhp 5750 |
| Front | Rear | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Disc | Inboard disc |
| ISBN | Title | Publisher | Buy this book |
|---|---|---|---|
| 185520083X | Jaguar XJ12, XJ5.3, V12 Gold Portfolio 1972-90 | Brooklands Books |
| Title | Pages | Options | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Article |
Twin test - Battle of the barges |
34 |
 |
|
| Publication | Practical Classics November 2010 | |||
| Twin test - Battle of the barges - Ruthless German efficiency versus pure Britishness. But is the Mercedes-Benz W126 S-class better that the Jaguar XKSIII? Chris Chilton settles the issue once and for all. | ||||
| Article |
Buying guide - Jaguar & Daimler XJ6 & XJ12 (1968-1992) |
100 |
|
|
| Publication | Practical Classics January 2008 | |||
| Buying guide - Jaguar & Daimler XJ6 & XJ12 - Six cylinders or a dozen? Reading this should help make up your mind. | ||||
| Article |
Our Cars |
38 |
|
|
| Publication | Classic Cars September 2003 | |||
| Our Cars - 1977 Porsche 911 Carrera 3.0-Litre-Phil Bell. 1985 Fiat 124 Spider-Ben Field. 1972 Fiat 130 Saloon-Martin Buckley. 1969 Triumph Vitesse, 1967 Jaguar 420-Malcolm McKay. | ||||
| Article |
Buyer's guide - Bargain big cat |
88 |
|
|
| Publication | Classic Car Mart March 2009 | |||
| Buyer's guide - Bargain big cat- With an winning combination power and range-topping luxury. Jaguar's XJ is a real cut-price classic. | ||||
| Article |
Buying Power - Jaguar XJ6 Series 1 |
32 |
|
|
| Publication | Classic Car Weekly 7 August 2008 | |||
| Buying Power - Jaguar XJ6 Series 1- Jaguar's saloon for the Seventies set the standard for Big Cat saloons to come for several generations, including the current XJ model today. IAN SEABROOK goes back forty years to the beginning of the line. | ||||
| Article |
Technical Questions, Answers & Advice |
42 |
|
|
| Publication | Jaguar Enthusiast June 2005 | |||
| Technical Questions, Answers & Advice - Taken from the many queries our technical experts get from memebers, this month Dave Marks concerntrates on the XJ Series models 1,2 and 3. | ||||
| Article |
Family cats |
88 |
|
|
| Publication | Classic & Sports Car February 2003 | |||
| Family cats - Jaguar rewrote the saloon car rulebook with the exceptional XJ6. Richard Heseltine tracks its evolution from Series 1 to the last but one XJ12 made. | ||||
