AS THE number of cherished examples declines, the ‘X200’ S-Type is in danger of becoming a footnote in Jaguar history, yet it’s one of the most significant models from the brand’s modern history. Not only was it responsible for lifting Jaguar sales over the 100,000-per-year mark for the first time, but it also demonstrated the potential for the company with the resources of Ford behind it. Yes, the retro styling puts the car firmly in the Marmite camp, but few will deny that under the curves was a state-of-the-art car and indeed the platform was continued into the Mk1 XF range. A good example still feels like a very modern car today and they’re currently something of a bargain too.
Plans for a smaller Jaguar model had been in the works for some time, but the official announcement came in July 1995 when Ford announced that it would invest £500m in the Castle Bromwich plant to build a new smaller model. Even the mighty Ford Motor Company would have baulked at the idea of funding an all-new platform for such a low-volume model and the solution was to use the rear-drive DEW98 platform which was then in development for the Lincoln LS and Ford Thunderbird.
The popular misconception is that Jaguar was simply handed the Lincoln drawings and told to add some wood and leather, but the reality is rather different. As Nick Hull relates in his fascinating title engineers from Ford were based at Jaguar’s Whitley development centre in
