JAGUAR XJ-SC (1983-1988)
The Jaguar XJ-S was not a true replacement for the E-Type in the eyes of many enthusiasts, but over time it matured into an excellent grand tourer. One of the biggest early stumbling blocks was the lack of an open-top option, Jaguar having bowed to the projected needs of the American market and chosen to produce the car in fixed-head form only. But the XJ-SC of 1983 would change all that.
Launched initially as a 3.6-litre, and subsequently expanded to include the V12 engine, the XJ-SC wasn’t the convertible everyone had been expecting. Instead, it was a cabriolet with fixed side windows in the manner of Baur’s BMW conversions; it was fitted with a folding rear hood and two fixed panels above the driver and passenger, removable to create a targa and easy to store in the boot. This might have looked unusual and been unorthodox, but
