Shed of the Week turns its attention to Jaguar, and immediately feels a pang of patriotic guilt at calling this old Jag a ‘shed’.
The dear old XJ-S has been many things to many people, watching the changing face of Britain through its oddly shaped headlamps from its birth in September 1975 to its eventual demise in April 1996.
It braved an onslaught of criticism at launch for not possessing the beauty or the sporting focus of its illustrious predecessor, the Jaguar E-type. Jaguar had majored on GT ability, superb refinement and long-legged pace, and also gone off at something of a tangent in the styling studio. Then it flew straight into an oil crisis with a V12 lump that struggled to make double figure economy. Things looked bleak.
Somehow, however, Jaguar managed to turn it around, with a restyle, new engines and racing success, and the big Cat would go on to enjoy a very successful 1980s – a period that our chosen one dates from with its atypical bright red paintwork.
Sure, Shed would like a V12 example. But to lift the long bonnet on such a creation is like viewing the guts of an alien, and about twice as scary. At this price? We don’t think so…
The XJ-S has endured the rough years since passing on, with many simply rusting away or gently expiring in the corner of a yard. The classifieds used to be full of tatty old examples, but you don’t tend to see so many now. Still, their appreciation as a modern classic has begun, and tidy V12 examples are starting to command fair prices – a surge which hasn’t reached a more humble 3.6 litre models like ‘ours’.
Many wished the XJ-S had turned out differently, and given a time machine and the necessary remit, Shed would probably work to see exactly that. As is, there’s nothing quite like an XJ-S. It’s a true original, and we’re very glad it exists…
Advert:Signal red, good condition, s/history, 4 previous owners. Mot till 03/08, taxed till 09/07. Four good p600 tyres, recent rear arm and both rear radius bushes replaced, and h/b pads (for mot). Drives very well; good interior, e/w,abs,pas,e/m.