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Junkyard Gem: 1990 Jaguar XJ-S Convertible

The Jaguar XJ-S sold for big money, cost big money to keep running, and depreciated hard once its edges got a bit rough. You'll still find examples of the XJ-S in the big American self-service yards nowadays, but this '90 is the first convertible I have found in many years. 4,715 1990 XJ-Ss were sold in the United States; I haven't been able to find a reliable figure for the number of convertibles, but it must have been small. That makes today's Junkyard Gem a real rarity— not as hard to find as a Ford Tempo All-Wheel-Drive, of course, but still a prize. Jaguar kept the 5.3-liter V12 in production from 1971 through 1992, and when it was running properly — which wasn't as often as XJ-S owners wished— it couldn't be beaten for smoothness. By 1990, Jaguar had switched from fuel injection by The Prince of Darkness to a system made by Magneti Marelli. This one is quite rough, and it shows signs of having been parked outdoors with the top down for a few years. Since you can buy nice examples for well under ten grand, restoring this one would have been a money-losing proposition. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Some of you may remember a cameo by a similar XJ-S convertible in the film The Big Lebowski. In it, Bunny Lebowski reveals that none of her toes have been cut off by kidnappers; some suspension of disbelief is required here, because Americans couldn't buy the '90 XJ-S with a manual transmission. Maybe it's a gray-market six-cylinder car. The price tag on a new 1990 XJ-S convertible was a stunning $57,000, which comes to about $113,000 in inflation-adjusted 2018 dollars. Still, BMW shoppers had to pay $70,000 for a new 750iL that year, and that V12-powered machine didn't even have a convertible top. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Here is V12 power wrapped in soft leather. Related Video: Featured Gallery Junked 1990 Jaguar XJ-S Convertible View 22 Photos Auto News Jaguar Automotive History

New Jaguar crossover to be called 'XQ'?

As part of its upcoming portfolio expansion, Jaguar will be adding two key models to its lineup in the next few years. The first is a small, 3 Series-fighting sedan tentatively called XS, and the other is said to be a new crossover, which may be dubbed XQ, as Edmunds reports. Jaguar filed a trademark application for the name "XQ" with the United States Patent and Trademark Office earlier this year, according to the report.
Jaguar executives have long said that the company is investigating new, higher-volume segments for the brand to compete in, and this certainly isn't the first time we've heard rumors of a CUV with a pouncing cat badge. Edmunds opines that since the Land Rover brand will no doubt continue to tackle the more traditional SUV segments, the Jaguar brand could easily house an offering in the luxury crossover market.
As for how a Jaguar CUV could come to fruition, Edmunds offers two suggestions. The first would be to build a vehicle on the smaller platform that will underpin the XS, as it will accommodate both rear- and all-wheel-drive applications and will be used for a number of differently sized vehicles. The second, more logical suggestion, is that the Jag CUV will ride on a version of the all-aluminum D7u platform used in the Land Rover Range Rover and Range Rover Sport.

Stolen Jaguar E-Type reunited with owner after 46 years

Barely six months into owning it, Ivan Schneider had his Jaguar E-Type stolen from outside of his Manhattan apartment in 1968. Now, 46 years later, the somewhat beat-up convertible has been recovered just before it was about to be shipped to a new owner in The Netherlands.
US Customs agents at the Port of Los Angeles found the car during a routine check, and they contacted Schneider to arrange returning it to him. When the feds found it, the E-Type was already in a shipping container ready to go to its new owner. The condition is hardly perfect today, including rough paint and a replacement door, but Schneider is ecstatic to get his classic back.
Understandably, the now 82-year-old never thought he would see his droptop Jaguar again. Schneider told the LA Times that he bought the E-Type for $5,000 after winning a case as a lawyer, and it was originally painted gray. Now, he plans to have to have the vintage convertible restored to its former glory in New York.