The 1979 Jaguar XJ is a British-made luxury machine that was offered as an inline six-cylinder engine XJ6 or the V-12 XJ12. The 1979 base was produced at the tail foot of the turbulent 1970s when Jaguar was stuff of the ill-fated British Leyland aggregation, which was plagued with labour strife and build-quality issues that compromised the purity of the motorcar.
Origins
The XJ replica debuted in 1968 to alternate the legendary E-Type Jaguar. It was too the carry on Jaguar that was conceived with the input of Jaguar founder Sir William Lyons. The XJ series was a agreeable replacement in terms of model. The saloons, or four-door sedans, were roomy, plush and possessed appreciable force under the hood. By the 1970s, nevertheless, the British automotive Production was on the verge of collapse as many automakers sought refuge under the Parasol of British Leyland. The roof was a tad more square to allow for more headroom. The much plusher Vadan Plas model was added.
Specifications
Most Jaguar collectors warn buyers to avoid purchasing pre-1982 XJs due to lingering quality issues. Nevertheless, Jaguar did produce fine examples of the 1979 XJ6 and XJ12. The XJS coupe also was offered.
The Look
The 1979 Jaguar XJ6 and XJ12 got a boost in its reputation when the Italy-based coach designer Pininfarina signed on to give the XJ a facelift. Pininfarina was a longtime designer of exotic luxury sports cars, including Ferrari, and was also responsible for designing such mass-produced sports cars like Alfa Romeo. The Saloon exhibited sleeker lines, a more defined front end, sculpted housing for the headlamps and an improved slightly smaller split waterfall grille. Mismanagement, neglect and damaging strikes hurt the quality of the XJ with significant problems with electrical components and sheet metal that was prone to rust, according to Worldonline and Greatescapecars.
Series III
By the time the Jaguar XJ Series III arrived in 1979, most of the car's problems had been sorted out, although Jaguar's reputation was severely damaged.The1979 XJ6 sat on a 113-inch wheelbase. It had differing overall lengths for the European and U.S. models. The European version measured 191.7 inches long and the U.S. version was 200.5 inches long. Depending on options, the XJ6 had a curbside weight rating between 3,860 and 4,065 lbs. Starting price was $25,000, but XJ6s with all the trimmings could cost as much as $40,000.
Power and Performance
Two engines were offered on the XJ6: the 3.4-liter and the 4.2-liter inline six-cylinder. The 3.4-liter engine had a horsepower rating of 161. The 4.2-liter version offered 176 or 300 horsepower. The XJ12 was equipped with a 5.3-liter V-12 generating 295 or 299 horsepower. It should be noted, however, that U.S. federally-mandated emissions standards were in a state of flux in the 1970s and horsepower ratings often varied widely. The 1979 XJ6 has been clocked at 10.5 seconds in 0-60 mph testing, while the XJ12 could achieve 0-60 in 8.5 seconds.
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