A Fantastic Selection of Period Jaguar XJ Magazine Adverts

The Jaguar XJ is one of the most iconic luxury sedans in British automotive history. The Jaguar XJ6 debuted in 1968, designed under Sir William Lyons, founder of Jaguar. It replaced several older Jaguar saloons with one flagship model. It featured smooth inline-six engines (2.8L or 4.2L) and elegant styling that set the tone for Jaguar luxury. The XJ12 (1972) introduced a V12 engine, making it the fastest four-door production car in the world at the time.

The XJ was designed to replace four existing saloon models, combining the best features of each. Ads emphasized its unique combination of quiet luxury and sporty handling, fulfilling the long-held Jaguar mantra: “Grace, Space, Pace.”

From between the 1970s and mid-1980s was a period of industrial difficulty for Jaguar, but the advertising campaign had to maintain the prestige of the XJ (Series II and Series III) despite internal quality issues. Adverts often positioned the Jaguar not just as a possession, but as a dream, a reward for success. A well-known Series III campaign used the evocative line, “Jaguar XJ. Some day, Some day.” This aimed to keep the brand positioned at the very top of the aspirational luxury market, regardless of contemporary build quality concerns.

With the XJ12 being one of the only V12-powered sedans in the world, advertisements highlighted the engineering exclusivity and sheer performance of the car, often using sleek photography to convey luxury and power in equal measure.

With the introduction of the all-new XJ40 in 1986 and subsequent investment under Ford, advertising shifted to focus on renewed engineering and technology. The XJ40 era, with its more angular design, focused on the car as a symbol of modern British engineering, keen to compete directly with German rivals like BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

In the mid-1990s, when Jaguar returned to the classic, rounded look (under Ford), the advertising highlighted the return to heritage paired with newly improved quality and the smooth performance of the new V8 engine (in the X308).