This car is the very last XJ40 version of the XJ6 saloon to be built. With the long production period from 1986 to 1994, a total of 208,733 XJ40 cars were produced.

The XJ40 was first all-new Jaguar saloon since the introduction of the Series 1 XJ6 in 1968. Introduced at the 1986 Motor Show it featured a new engine family, state of the art electronic technology, and the new unique Jaguar J-gate automatic transmission operation. The all-new body had significantly improved build methods over previous models, but its angular styling and six-light design were a break with Jaguar traditions, and perhaps for that reason, the XJ40 is sometimes seen as controversial.

A new Jaguar saloon under the code number XJ40 had been proposed as early as 1972, with many different ideas being examined. The final styling proposal was adopted by 1980. It was quite the longest development programme in Jaguar’s history, and the new car was also the most stringently tested model that Jaguar had produced up to that time, with 250 prototypes and development cars covering over five million miles.

The XJ40 was powered by the AJ6 six-cylinder engine, which had been in small-scale production for the XJS since 1983. With the XJ40, the AJ6 replaced the classic XK engine in Jaguar’s saloon range. In addition to the original 3.6 litre AJ6, there was now a single overhead camshaft 2.9 litre version. These engines were later upgraded to 3.2 litres and 4 litres respectively. The original model range consisted of XJ6 and Sovereign versions with both engine sizes, and a Daimler 3.6 litre. Originally the XJ40 had not been designed to accept the V12 engine, but eventually a 6-litre XJ12 appeared in 1993.

The XJ40 was then replaced by the much-revised X300 which marked a return from the angular styling of the XJ40 to a more traditional Jaguar look.