The XJS succeeded the beautiful XJ Coupe. A gentleman's car that was in production for over 20 years based on the XJ models over the same period.
Behind the wheel
I have driven the XJS V12 series I. "Our" V12 was imported from Switzerland sometime in the late 90s. The car had been partially damaged in a fire and had the engine replaced. It was like a new car. It is a special feeling to sit behind the wheel of an XJS with a V12. The car did not feel particularly big on the road. I remember that the automatic transmission lever seemed a bit rickety. I had imagined something more macho, something that would allow you to change gears faster. You don't do that in an XJS. It is a gentleman's car. It is shifted into gear with two fingers. I remember we slid down from Olerud north of Hamar and drove along an idyllic part of Mjøsa down towards the center of Hamar. My wife sat next to me, and the owner – a colleague and friend – sat in the back. It is a coupé and not a sea of space, but a tasteful interior. In terms of driving, the XJS thrives at a calm, slightly graceful speed.
Model history
The Jaguar XJS was produced in 3 series. Series I from 1975-80, Series II from 1981-90 and Series III from 1991-96. The model has always been based on the XJ model over the same period. The Series I was only supplied with a 5,4 liter V12 engine. In series II, the engine was improved somewhat, with higher performance and lower consumption. In 1983, the XJS was offered with a 3,6-liter inline-six, taken from the XJ. Externally, there is little that separates the two series from each other. One feature is that the Series II has a blank strip on the upper side of the front bumper. The Series III represents the time when Ford took over Jaguar. Then the XJS got new engines – 6,0 V12 and 4,0 straight six. From the outside, it can be difficult to detect the changes. The rear side window received a different design and the bumpers also received a slight change. With Series III, the XJS also came as a convertible.
About the pictures
The burgundy red cabriolet has been photographed in various places in Bærum. The white one was parked along the street in Céret, France. The black one is photographed at the Norwegian Vehicle History Museum at Hunderfossen. A photo of Lynx Events was also taken in two places in Bærum, - the Kadettangen in Sandvika and at Fornebu.
Lynx Events
Lynx Eventer is based on the conversion of standard XJS cars into a Shooting Brake variant. This is a very rare car. The total number built is 67. Of these, only 18 cars were equipped with the steering wheel on the left side.
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