Description
Although introduced with XK six-cylinder power under the bonnet, it had always been Jaguar's intention that its flagship saloon would accommodate the new all-alloy V12 engine that had debuted in the E-Type, and the resulting XJ12 duly appeared in July 1972. With a top speed of over 135mph courtesy of the 5. 3-litre V12's 253bhp, the XJ12 combined high performance with a level of luxury unmatched by many a less-accommodating Grand Tourer costing several times as much.
The 'Sovereign' version took its name from the range-topping Daimler variant and came with just about every conceivable optional extra incorporated as standard.
A truly magnificent car, the original XJ12 bowed out in Pininfarina-styled Series III guise in 1992. By that time the restyled XJ40 version of the XJ6 had been around for six years, and it was not until 1993 that Jaguar got around to introducing a 12-cylinder car on the XJ40 platform called, appropriately enough, 'XJ12'.
