Jaguar XJS History

The XJ-S (later styled XJS) replaced the E-Type in 1975 as a refined grand tourer rather than an outright sports car, built on a shortened XJ saloon platform and noted for its prominent 'flying buttress' rear pillars. It launched with the 5.3-litre V12 into the teeth of a fuel crisis.

Slow at first, it was rescued by improvements including the 'High Efficiency' V12 of 1982 and the addition of six-cylinder AJ6 models and a convertible. Across more than 20 years some 115,000 were built before the XJS gave way to the XK8 in 1996.