1988-1990 Jaguar XJ-S
Typical asking prices*: $4,500-$8,000
Collector status: Buy and drive

The Jaguar XJ-S, which replaced the iconic XK-E, had a 21-year production run, from 1976 to 1996, that holds up today as one of most time-tested nameplates in automotive history. As such, three are plenty to choose from the 115,000 or so that were built in that time. The most plentiful of these were the XJ-S H.E. (High Efficiency) that rolled off between 1983 and 1990. About 10,000 units per year were made. That, in most people’s book, doesn’t qualify as collectible. Very well, but let’s take a look at its competitive set, that is, a 2+2 coupé harnessing a v-12: There’s the Ferrari 400i and… and… there’s the Ferrari 400i. That’s it. Now let’s compare the 400i—which is without question a bargain at current $35,000-$40,000 prices for a clean, well-documented and recently serviced one—to the XJ-S. A pristine example might fetch $8,000. It’s more common to find an excellent XJ-S, i.e., a well maintained, low mileage (under 80K), unmolested car for around $6,000. It’s really a question of what do you have to lose. True, Jaguars have a well-earned reputation for being unreliable or finicky at best. However if we apply one of car collecting’s guiding principles—buy the best car you can afford—to the XJ-S, the chances of finding one that’s been properly maintained, or even pampered, at a very affordable price is pretty good. The 1988-1990 Jaguar XJ-S is particularly attractive as it was offered in coupé or convertible if the flying buttresses aren’t your cup of tea. In addition, unlike the early cars, there are both 6-cylinder and high-efficiency v-12 models. Later cars, referred to as facelift (slightly modifying the model designation as XJS, dropping the hyphen), did feature larger engines with more power along with improvements in the transmission. The “facelift” however, especially the tail treatment, seems out of character for the car. A nice XJS can be bought for well under $10,000 as well, but the combination of styling, efficiency and choices of models make the 1988-1990 cars the most desirable long term.