WHILE IT has used other engines from other manufacturers, and adapted engines to its own specification, Jaguar has produced only four engine designs completely from scratch in over 100 years of history and over 75 years of the Jaguar name plate. And to us, it seems fitting to observe that the first and second of those engines last saw service in models which, in 2024, are celebrating anniversaries. Jaguar’s first engine, the XK, was introduced in 1948 and – while the limited run Daimler DS420 ensured it lasted util 1992 – its last home as a mainstream production engine was in the Series III XJ6 launched in 1979. Jaguar’s second engine was originally designed for the XJ – a V12 unit initially displacing 5.3 litres, fitted to the Series 3 E-type, the XJ-S, and the XJ12 before being replaced by a supercharged V8 for 1997. The last car to bear the XJ12 name – and the final Jaguar V12 – was the X305 XJ12, launched in 1994 as part of the X300 saloon series.
As one of these swansong models turns 30 and the other turns 45, we thought it would be interesting to bring them together to see how the XJ evolved, to pay homage to two great saloon car families, and to mark the passing of two of Britain’s most iconic engines.
Jaguar XJ6 Series III
The XK engine may have been designedof production for mainstream models. Even then, it wasn’t over – the Daimler DS420 limousine would survive into the 1990s using the same powerplant.
