When the Jaguar XK-E sports car debuted in 1961, its sleek envelope-style monocoque body was ultra modern looking, indeed almost futuristic. It was sold, however, alongside Jaguar saloons whose pontoon styling with their distinct fenders was beginning to look a little dated.
Jag rectified this for 1968 with an entirely new sedan, the Jaguar XJ. Initially riding on a 108.75" wheelbase, it was powered by either a 2.8L or 4.2L DOHC inline six, although only the larger motor was sold here in the USA.
For the '73 model year the XJ got a slight restyling, with the bumpers raised to meet federal impact standards. The grille shrank and a larger opening under the bumper was added to make up for it. The regular wheelbase had been joined by a long wheelbase version in 1972, which added four inches between the axles, all of which went to rear seat legroom.
This one, in classic British Racing Green, looks to be a 1974 model, going by the rubber protector on the front and bumpers and the location of the front turn signals.
For the North American market the dual SU carburetors were replaced by Zenith-Strombergs, and the 4.2L six was rated at 186 SAE net horsepower.
When Road & Track tested a '73 model, it managed a 10.7 second zero-to-sixty time and strolled through the quarter mile in 17.1 seconds with a trap speed of 77mph. Price as tested on that 1973 Jag came to $8,965, which translates to about $65,750 in 2025 dollars.
This one was photographed in May of 2025 using a Sony a700 and a 16-50mm f/2.8 zoom lens.
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