Find or Sell Used Cars, Trucks, and SUVs in USA

Junkyard Gem: 1990 Jaguar XJ-S Convertible

Sun, Aug 12 2018
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

    By Murilee Martin

    See also: Jaguar E-Type Series 3 gets tasteful upgrades thanks to E-Type UK, Our love of SUVs is killing people in the streets, Jaguar F-Pace vs. Porsche Macan | Performance luxury crossover comparison.

    2040Cars.com © 2012-2025. All Rights Reserved.

    Designated trademarks and brands are the property of their respective owners.

    Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of the 2040Cars User Agreement and Privacy Policy.

    0.135 s, 7828 u