Paul Wager · Articles

Jaguars return to independence in the 1980s, and how it made the company much more desirable to Ford. With 2024 marking 40 years since Jaguar managed to prise itself away from the might of BL, we examine the background to that short-lived period of independence.

Fads in the car world have left a legacy of weird and wonderful creations, but one of the most comfortable niche vehicles has to be the luxury panel van…

Vaughan discovers that there’s much more to this cute British sports car than meets the eye.

We find a former Jaguar race car enjoying an active retirement

Due to its aerodynamic magnesium body, lightweight tubular chassis and Jaguar’s powerful 3.4-litre XK engine, ever since its introduction in 1957, the Lister ‘Knobbly’ (so called due to the tall front wheelarches flanking its low nose) had quickly become the car to beat in international sports car racing. One of the other main reasons for the car’s success was Lister’s works driver, the Scot Archie Scott Brown. Despite having a badly deformed hand and severe mobility problems with his legs, he was still an immensely talented and courageous driver.

Searching for a classic Jaguar survivor? Then on the evidence of this beautifully preserved XJ12, Norway looks like a good place to start.

The last-of-the-line X-Type was a very different beast from the early cars, but we meet one X400 fan who has combined the two with some neat OEM-style upgrades.

The Cabriolet was intended as a stop-gap model but together with the six-cylinder option was responsible for rescuing the XJ-S.

The six-cylinder XJ-S was also offered in coupe form and quickly became the thinking man’s choice. We find a remarkable survivor.

Due to the global economic downturn of the early Nineties, Jaguar and its racing partner, TWR, had already pulled out of the World Sportscar Championship at the end of the 1991 season and then the American IMSA series the following year. But with the team contemplating a return to the Le Mans 24 Hours in 1993, three V12-powered XJR 12Ds were entered into the Daytona 24 Hours in late January as a way of gathering race experience with the cars.

It might look largely standard but this Series 3 XJ12 has a startling pace thanks to a 6.0-litre TWR engine.

Straight and narrow. We find a neatly upgraded XKR which takes inspiration from Jaguar’s own back catalogue.

Famously unforgiven for its challenging looks, Ford’s much-ballyhooed Edsel now prompts an indulgent smile wherever it goes.

There was plenty of excitement when it was announced in March 1976 that Jaguar was to participate in the European Touring Car Championship. Not only was the powerful 5.3-litre XJ12 Coupe chosen to compete in the BMW-dominated series but it would be prepared and entered by Ralph Broad’s successful Broadspeed Engineering outfit.

One man’s mission to make his Jaguar stand out from the crowd has seen this F-Type gain a subtle new identity.