IN THIS FEATURE A retrospective Jaguar XJ (1968 - 73) Jaguar XJ (1968 - 73) Jaguar XJ (1968 - 73) Jaguar XJ Series II (1973 - 79) Jaguar XJ Series II (1973 - 79) Jaguar XJ Series II (1973 - 79) Jaguar XJ Series III (1979 - 86) Jaguar XJ Series III (1979 - 86) Jaguar XJ Series III (1979 - 86) Jaguar XJ40 (1986 - 94) Jaguar XJ40 (1986 - 94) Jaguar XJ40 (1986 - 94) Jaguar X300 (1994 - 97) Jaguar X300 (1994 - 97) Jaguar X300 (1994 - 97)

Sporting prowess was not exclusive to the two-door models, though, and a very important model for Jaguar was the first XJR. A limited-edition 3.6 with tuned chassis and suspension, metallic paint and slightly tacky leather interior with contrasting piping, it was developed by TWR for more involving handling, quicker responses and more direct steering. It cost a heftly £8000 premium over the standard car, but proved successful, and was then developed further with the 4.2-litre (223 bhp) engine. Also providing a boost for Jaguar was the XJ-S convertible, this time with a fully roofless body, produced with help from German soft-top specialists Karmann. This came with both 6- and 12-cylinder engines, the latter epitomising Eighties excess and the always-slightly-dodgy gin 'n' golf clubs image that Jaguar still has difficulty shaking off today. The 6.0-litre XJR-S coupe was a rather more credible performance machine, with 0-60 mph acceleration in 7 seconds despite its bulk and outputs from 299 bhp to 333 bhp. The XJS 4.0 (with the new 223 bhp AJ16 engine) and V12 (which cost a staggering £50,500 as a coupe and £58,800 in Convertible form) continued to sell right up to their replacement by the back-to-basics XK8 models in 1994, the cars which really did go back to the values of the original E-Type.