It’s hard to see this shape of Jaguar without thinking of anything other than the old establishment yet, when new in 1979, the Series III did set the cat among the pigeons. No, really, it did. For the first time Jaguar contracted an outside firm to pen the lines of one of its saloons. Pininfarina subtly altered the Series II’s glasshouse, roof, grille and rear lights to create a new and elegant silhouette. It was hardly a wild departure from what had come before but the combination of foreign design expertise, plus some modern touches to the inside did set it apart – largely for the better.
Can electric cars ever be more than white goods? We drive the first wave of enthusiast-pleasing pioneers to find out if they can challenge the classic establishment.
Final flourish The XJ12 Series 3 remained in production for over two decades, only finishing in late 1992. We revisit the very last example on its 30th anniversary
