1976 Jaguar XJS Trans-AM

This Jaguar XJS Trans-AM Racing Car wears number 44 and was driven by Robert (Bob) Tullius during the 1976 and 1977 Trans-AM racing seasons. It accounted for one first-place victory in 1976 and five in 1977.

Bob Tullius was born in Rochester, New York in 1935. He is an Air Force Veteran who had planned on a teaching career after he finished college, but entered the sport of racing instead. In 1961, he began racing his TR3. This lead to stock car racing, driving for names such as Buck Baker and Jim Pascal.

Much of his later success was achieved in his own modified cars, which were known as Group 44 cars. The Group 44 racing team was formed by Bob Tullius and Brian Fuerstenau and provied Triumph/British Leyland with many victories and championships.

Tullius lost his Dodge sponsorship but continued to race in the series. He has the second most career Trans-Am races with a total of sixty. First in this category is George Follmer with sixty-five races. Tullius had 21 career wins in the Trans Am series, making him second in career wins behind Mark Donohue.

Jaguar approached the team to develop the XJS for IMSA GTP and Trans-Am competition. The XJS was Jaguar's replacement for the E-Type in 1975. Group 44's engineer, Brian Fuerstenau and chief mechanic, Latton Foushee, did much to prepare the cars for competition. The engine was given a dry-sump oiling and the fuel-injection system was replaced with six twin-choke Weber carburetors. At the start of the season, the car produced 475 horsepower. By season end, the car had been tuned to over 500 horsepower. The car was given a four-speed gearbox. An eight-point roll cage was fitted to strengthen the car and to protect in case of an accident.

The Group 44 team enjoyed modest success in IMSA GTP competition and even brought the Jaguar marque to LeMans, a first since the 1950s in a D-Type with factory support. In the Trans-Am Series, the Group 44 Jaguar XJS cars won 13 of the 21 events they were entered.

This Jaguar XJS was offered for sale by RM Auctions at Amelia Island, Florida. This car is the 1977 SCCA Championship Group 55 car and has spent many of recent years in the Bob Tullius Collection. It was offered without reserve and estimated to sell between $250,000 - $350,000. The car is powered by a 5.5-liter V12 engine and produces over 500 horsepower. There is a four-speed manual gearbox and A/P racing disc brakes on all four corners.

At auction, Bob Tullius drove the car onto the stage and was greeted by a loud applause. There was much interest in this car, as it is very rare and has a strong racing history. At auction, the car found a new owner, selling for $225,500.

By Daniel Vaughan | Apr 2007

The Jaguar factory was founded long before the Jaguar brand became first used in 1945. The foundation of the firm was first set in 1922 by William Lyons and William Walmsley in Blackpool, England. The name was originally Swallow Coachbuilding, Co, and got its start by constructing motorcycles and sidecars. Eventually, they moved on to building bodies based on the Austin Seven chassis. The name of the company was changed during the 1930's to SS car Ltd when their own SS were being produced. Following World War II the name was dropped and changed to Jaguar Cars Ltd. Jaguar took over British Daimler in 1960, and from that point on Jaguar utilized the name of Daimler for its elegant and superior models.

The Jaguar XJ was designed in 1968 and has continued on today, though it has evolved in many ways. It was three years later in 1971 when a V12 engine was added to the Jaguar E-Type. The only twelve-cylinder engine in the world at the time, it was later also added in the Daimler Double Six and the Jaguar XJ 12. Also available as a convertible, the XJS became available during the mid-seventies. A luxury GT coupe from Jaguar, the Jaguar XJ-S was the replacement to the legendary Jaguar E-Type in September of 1975.

Based on the XJ saloon, it was developed as the XK-F though very dissimilar from its predecessor. A competent grand tourer, it was much more aerodynamic than the e-type. It was produced until April 4, 1996. The V12 version came with the choice of either an automatic transmission or manual, though the manual was eventually dropped. Able to reach a top speed of 60 mph in 6.9 seconds, the XJ-S could accelerate to 150 mph.

Receiving a new High-Efficiency engine, the 1981 XJ-S HE was now the fastest automatic-transmission car in the world at 155 mph. A year later the V12 XJ-S achieved the first and second at the Tourist Trophy race at Silverstone. A cabriolet version debuted as a new 3.6-liter Jaguar AJ6 engine was added to the line-up. In 1985 a V12 XJ-SC was released.

XJS driver Armin Hahne and John Hoss won the James Harie Bathurst 1000 motor race in Australia in 1985. To celebrate Jaguar's win at Le Mans, a special XJR-S version on the V12 5.3 litre car was released in 1988. The vehicle came with a unique factory-fitted body kit, alloy wheels, and minor performance modifications. At one point Jaguar did consider producing a luxury Daimler version but unfortunately was never put into production.

The British company Lynx sold a high-quality four-seat full convertible conversion throughout the entire life of XJ-S. Producing around 75 hand-built two-door estate/shooting brake/station wagon versions of the XJS, Lynx marketed these models under the 'Lynx Eventer'. This model was a success due to the removal of the 'flying butresses' which were so unpopular with the XJ-S models. Though Jaguar was encouraged to market their own version of this vehicle, they never did. Re-engineered in 1991 with a substantial face-life, the vehicle was renamed the XJS. The new vehicles incorporated body styling updates, the adoption of the AJ6 4.0 liter engine rather than the 3.6 litre version, and a totally redesigned interior.

Aiming for a smoother and more contemporary look, nearly 40% of the vehicle's body panels were changed including the rear wings, sills, doors, and boot. The 4.0 litre Convertible in the XJS line was introduced the following year and featured a driver's side airbag. This new facility made Jaguar the first UK company that offered this. The car now had larger rear windows, the main detail that did not change was the flying buttresses which the designer Geoff Lawson argued were 'part of the car's character'.

The V12 was increased to 6 litres in 1993, and the vehicle received a new 4-litre version of the AJ6. Two years later several revisions were made to the 4-litre AJ6 engine. The substantial revisions were meant to highlight the major differences between the AJ16 and the original AJ6. Now the vehicle was fitted with new rear brakes and fitted with outboard rear disc brakes. The introduction on XK8, production of the XJS came to an end in 1996.

By Jessica Donaldson