Want to see what's inside? Click on the photo to remove a body panel (four different views).

The XJ220 story begins with Jim Randle, who was Jaguar's Director of Product Engineering in the 1980's. As you might imagine, he took an interest in the Group 44 and TWR racing efforts which were in progress at that time. But he felt that the GTP had moved away from Jaguar's main products. He felt that Jaguar should be involved in Group B racing, where there was a homologation rule requiring manufacturers to build 200 examples of any car raced. He built a cardboard model of a Group B car in his home, just for fun.

Gradually, Jim began to form a team of volunteers for the purpose of bringing life to his idea. Starting in 1986, the "Saturday Club", as the group came to be known, created the XJ220 in just 18 months. Randle's powers of persuasion came into play, as he convinced Jaguar and dozens of contributing manufacturers of the value of providing assistance for the project.

Taking design cues from the still-born XJ13 project, the car was meant to evoke Jaguar styling, while employing the latest aerodynamic technology. The power train was originally a mid engine V12, driving all four wheels. Power to the front wheels was to be delivered by a drive shaft which passed through the center of the engine "V", driving an offset front differential. This allowed a narrow center console for more comfortable seating. The name "XJ220" was intended to reflect it's maximum speed. Overall, the car was intended to be superior to super cars such as Ferrari F40, Porsche 959 and Lamborghini Diablo.

The prototype was completed in 1988. Jaguar management was invited to inspect the finished product, and was convinced that it had product potential. Dramatically unveiled at the 1988 NEC Motor Show, the car was an immediate hit with press and public. Offered to the public at £360,000, the XJ220 was seemingly a runaway success: 1500 orders were received within 48 hours. Jaguar had only intended to build 350 cars.

Following the show, Jaguar turned the project over to JaguarSport Ltd, a joint venture between Jaguar and Tom Walkinshaw Racing. As TWR engineers went through the show car, they found that it was impractical from a production viewpoint. Perhaps the greatest disappointment was that the V12 and four wheel drive train were simply too heavy for the car to accomplish its mission. A decision was made to switch to a JaguarSport V6, an engine which had only seen service on race tracks to that point. The drive train was reengineered as a rear-drive transaxle. Styling wise, the basic shape of the show car was retained, but conventional hinged doors replaced the cantilevered gull wing doors of the prototype.

The car was finally "ready" in 1992. Unfortunately, a recession and a general price slump for collector automobiles resulted in a very soft market. As a result, JaguarSport ended up producing only 270 cars. Many of these remained unsold for years. The example in these photos is one of the last of the "leftover" 220's, photographed shortly after it's June, 2001 delivery. The color is "Le Mans blue". (Jaguar ran a team of 220's in the 1993 Le Mans. They ended with a class win, but were subsequently disqualified on a technicality.)

Driving impressions. The XJ220's high performance all-aluminum engine produces an unfamiliar sound at idle. For those used to an XK or V12, the sound is louder and much less refined. Idle is fast, and a bit rough. The air-conditioning system is just adequate, due to the huge expanse of glass. Roof line is a bit too low for tall drivers. The seats are similar to racing seats, they hold you in place with a very tight grip. At street speed, the car is cumbersome, it really needs an open road to show it's stuff. Handling is well balanced, the centrally mounted engine results in a car which has excellent control. Acceleration is a brutal experience. At first, the engine clatters along, accelerating quickly but not dramatically. Somewhere around 3000 rpm, the sound becomes angry and focused as the turbos kick in and the engine comes on cam. It then picks up speed like a rocket ship. It takes just 3.5 seconds to reach 60MPH, but that doesn't tell the story: I would guess that it takes about a second to go from 30-60. In summary, it's a powerful and agile car, but more suitable to the track than the street.

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About the author - Michael Frank is Vice President and Webmaster of the Jaguar Touring Club. His red 2+2 E-type is a familiar sight at JCNA events in the Northeast. Currently, he is building a reproduction of the 1963 Cunningham Lightweight E-type.

Acknowledgment - This automobile is presented through the courtesy of Automotive Restorations, 1785 Barnum Avenue, Stratford, CT 06614. AR is a fully equipped automotive restoration shop, with expertise in Jaguar and other fine collectible cars. They can be contacted at 203-377-6745.

Copyright © 2001 Michael Frank, New York. All rights reserved.

Posted: 9/2001