XJ-S V12 (1976-1981)

Introduced in 1976 the XJ-S was to become Jaguars longest running model, spaning 21 years. The car was intended as a replacement for the E-type, but it was a huge departure from traditional Jaguar lines. In 1976 British Leyland was all but bankrupt and little money was available to advertise the new model. There were early reliability problems and poor fuel economy at a time of high fuel prices. No convertible was offered. All these factors combined to produce very low initial sales.

XJ-S V12 HE and 3.6 (1982-1991)

The HE (High Efficiency) model was fitted with new cylinder heads designed by Michael May. This allowed the compression ratio to raise from 9:1 to 11:1 and hence raised the power output to 262 hp. New wheels and a burl elm interior helped sales figures increase.

XJ-SC  (1984-1988)

The XJ-SC or XJ-S Cabriolet had removable roof panels over the front seats and a folding soft top over the rear. It was originally offered only with Jaguars new AJ6 3.6 litre engine. In 1986 the V12 became available.

XJ-S Convertible  (1988-19??)

Finally 12 years after the launch of the XJ-S a full convertible was available. The soft top was operated by the touch of a button. The rear quarter windows went down automatically with the top.

XJS V12 and 4.0(1992-1996)

XJR-S (1993)