1974 Jaguar XJ12L Saloon

Description

One of the finest luxury saloons of the 1970s, the Jaguar XJ12 was first seen in July 1972, powered by the same silky smooth V12 motor found in the Series 3 E-Types. To cope with the additional power over the regular six-cylinder model, Jaguar installed bigger front brake discs, stiffer front springs up front and tyres rated for the higher speeds attained by the XJ12. Make no mistake, this was one of the fastest four-door cars available anywhere, capable of reaching a genuine 145 mph, a speed matched by few cars of the day, while the 0-60 mph sprint was covered in the rapid time of 7.4 seconds. Fed by Bosch fuel injection made under licence by Lucas, the 5.3-litre V12 featured a single-overhead camshaft per bank and developed around 300 bhp at 5500 rpm and the XJ12 was only available in automatic form. Not surprisingly, Jaguar made some improvements to the cooling and Coventry also made the decision to offer a long-wheelbase version to increase legroom in the rear compartment. The XJ12 also boasted a more luxurious interior than its XJ6 sibling, with better quality materials and additional standard features. Hailed as one of the best high performance saloons on the market, the XJ12 was revised, along with the rest of the XJ range, in September 1973, due to new crash regulations imposed by the American market. Known as the Series 2 model, the bumpers were redesigned, while the interior also came in for some treatment as a result of the new safety measures, along with a vastly improved heater unit. Proving the worth of the original design, the XJ12 ultimately remained in production until the early 1990s and good examples are fast becoming sought after by Jaguar collectors who recognise the importance of the model in the marque's illustrious history.