Jaguar XJ40s are so plentiful in U-Wrench-It yards that I don’t even notice them as I wander around searching for the elusive Suzuki Equator (no luck there, yet). In fact, none of the Jags I’ve photographed prior to today’s Junkyard Find have been XJ40s, but we’ve got a one-of-121-built super-rarity here in Denver: a genuine Vanden Plas Majestic!
I must admit that I’d never heard of the Majestic before spotting this car, and my first thought that that I was looking at aftermarket badges sold by Manny, Moe, and/or Jack.
However, the MAJESTIC badging is everywhere in this car, so I realized I had a factory-built special edition car in front of me. The stretched wheelbase was a clue, too.
Determining the cause of junkyardization proved easy enough. It’s a shame for a car like this to end its career in some depressingly everyday crash with, I dunno, a Chrysler Cirrus.
The El Cheapo window-film job indicates that the final owner may not have been quite as wealthy as the car’s original purchaser.
The list price of the ’92 Majestic came to $59,500, or just over $108,000 in 2019 dollars. The 1992 Lexus LS400 went for $42,200, but didn’t have quite as swanky an interior.
The 4.0-liter straight-six made 223 horsepower, which resulted in leisurely acceleration for this two-tonner. Not that anyone bought this car for fast driving, of course.
This must have been one of the last American-market car ads to emphasize the ashtray.
If you like these junkyard posts, you can reach all 1600+ right here at the Junkyard Home of the Murilee Martin Lifestyle Brand!
I’ll bet it’s been in that yard since ’96 ;-)
I found that Suzuki Equator for you – but it’s not in a junkyard:
https://www.lincolnofwayne.com/used/Suzuki/2012-Suzuki-Equator-9c76c72c0a0e0adf0bac9faf044dfa51.htm?searchDepth=1:1
The car the Daimler Sovereign could’ve been…
I well remember swooning from envy hormones when seeing XJs.
There’s some kind of biblical lesson here.
Yep, biblical, Jaguar was without a doubt one of the deadly sins
I guess cars only get two score and six.
I feel pity for the owner whenever I see a Jaguar, old or new.
Old ones, too?
Give me a clean Mark 2 and I’ll revel in your pity.
Don’t pity them unless they’re not happy ~
Jags, like any old British car or for that matter Fiats & Renaults, are easily maintained to be fun and reliable daily drivers, you just have to have the knowledge and desire .
-Nate
Awesome hood prop!
You mean the steering column in a Jag DOESN’T go there?
No doubt there’s a TSB to fix that.
Just jiggle the Lucas electronics, it’ll be fine
That’s a front wheel drive axle half-shaft.
Wow, that Jag really was screwed up ;-)
I’ve noticed in the past two years that values on XJ40s have gone from “totally worthless” to “not very good”.
I mean, I know I’d be better off just lighting my money on fire, but damn.
tinyurl.com/y95urszc
Oh, God, the J-gate shifter. I’d forgotten all about that.
I could own a big V12 for less than $17k*?!???!!! Well that settles it, I’m off to the bank. What wonderful times we live in!!!
( *low voice quickly adds, “taxes and fees may apply”)
https://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/cto/d/san-jose-rare-presidential-vsel600-for/6800837666.html
My preferred V12 costs less than half that!
Come to Los Angeles, you’ll get a V12 Jag for $1,700 .
Good luck with it, even my whacky elderly British Ex pat Mechnic who loves & drives a Jag. MKII won’t have a V12 .
-Nate
Someone needed some spark plugs, real baaad.
Not enough photographs ~ if the seats retain the folding tables I imagine they’d be ripe for a classic Low Rider project .
-Nate
The New Car Scent aroma tree reminded me of this skit from In Living Color, the funniest guys on TV back in the day. Remove the extra punctuation (not sure it’s needed to post).
http://www.youtu.be.com/watch?v=mb4OffU8OwE
1992, high-end luxury, no airbag.
That’s Jaguar.
These XJ Jaguars had the motorized mouse belts in 90-92. Luxury with Hyundai Excell safety features.
I wonder if Prince Phillip was behind the wheel of this one.
TOO SOON
He rolled a armored Land Rover in a tussle with a Kia…
Hahahahaha!
Those old Brits are taking that kind of je nais sais quoi to the grave with them.
Nope not an armored Land Rover but the entry level and very maligned Freelander.
https://jalopnik.com/i-cannot-believe-prince-philip-drives-a-freelander-of-1831884285/amp
You can find these on Craig’s list for like $2k or a few
quid.
Freelanders are Land Rovers and Prince Philip’s was “specially adapted” for royal use
https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/local-news/prince-philip-crash-land-rover-15697987
Armored for Royal Use….if the five seconds I got looking at Reagan’s limo are anything to go by, two inch windows, carbon fiber floor pan, and doors that can stop a mortar round-also runflats you can’t buy at Tire Rack. The Prince would probably have flipped it easy with the 1000 extra pounds propped way up high…..
How many cars of Royal Guards (whatever they are called) have to go out with him ? US Secret Service won’t even let the Presidents and family drive themselves…
Turn Jaguar loose with explosives?
Also I thought all Majestics were painted ruby red. But that seems not to be the case. I need to read up on just what exactly Majestic meant, aside from badges.
OR, find one for a Rare Rides. That sounds like a better idea.
All Majestics were Regency Red. I suppose someone may have had it repainted or really wanted to make their Vanden Plas a Majestic (which wouldn’t explain the stretched wheelbase). If it was a true Majestic the 4th character of the VIN would be an M.
If I remember correctly, the short wheel base models were red in color. The long wheel base models were the dark brown color; or something like that.
Where is your majesty now?
What a great car to restore. Did someone get the car out of the junk pile and save it or is it still there?
Before my dad got his SSEi and then Cadillacs he had an XJ6 Sovereign. I was visiting that summer and he took me with him to the Boston area to buy it off some guy. It was a 1990 model and he bought it in the summer of ’92. I remember because the guy had the Olympic Dream Team on tv while we were there. I thought it was ok, but I was never taken with it. Especially considering he was replacing his ’88 Corvette with it.
A little while later I mentioned that I thought it sounded loud while sitting in the back, there was a lot of road noise. He shrugged it off but I guess it stuck with him because the next time I saw him he had his new Bonneville. He told me that he had read that the rear ends of that particular Jag was known for going bad and what I had described were exactly what the symptoms were. So he unloaded it before it became a problem.
I’m pretty sure he took quite the bath on that.
A friend of mine’s boss took him out to lunch in his brand new XJ6, they were going over a railroad crossing when the rear window fell in
I remember reading a review of one of these in Consumer Reports in 92 or 93. The standard car review back then was 1 page, listing how it drove, fuel economy, features, and fit and finish issues (a count of how many defects the specific car they were reviewing had). The Jaguar review was 2 pages, with the entire 2nd page listing the extra long list defects the car had!
A close-up of the pod to the right of the steering wheel would’ve been interesting to see what all those buttons are for.
Murilee’s junkyard series is one of my favorite reads on TTAC.
Trip computer and cruise control. The switch on the vertical panel is for cruise on/off and resume. The buttons on the sloping panel are trip computer functions.
Bet none of them worked
Cruise was made by Hella, it seemed pretty durable.
That half shaft holding up the hood of the Majestic is so undignified!