Jaguar XJS-C 3.6 Cabriolet Manual

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The XJS, rather like the MGB was a victim of anticipated changes to US legislation. Such was its reliance on this powerful export market, that British Leyland’s product development programme was driven by what was happening, or thought to be happening across the Atlantic.

For some time, the safety lobbyists had pushed for a ban on open cars, the general consensus being that they would probably be successful, although as history has proven, thankfully this was not to be the case. When the E-Type replacement was unveiled at the Geneva Show in 1975, there was no soft-top in sight.

That had to wait until 1983, when the XJ-SC cabriolet arrived. It was a versatile design that combined lift-out targa panels with a folding rear hood and is now a much rarer car than the full convertible that succeeded it in 1988. Fitted with the new 3.6-litre AJ6 six-cylinder engine mated to a manual 5-speed Getrag 265 gearbox as standard, the new configuration was plenty powerful enough and offered significantly better fuel consumption and long term reliability.

Being offered here from a deceased estate, this one-owner XJS 3.6 Cabriolet was purchased new by the late owner in 1985 and used by his wife as her everyday car. It has covered 90,000 miles and has been well looked after and garaged when not in use.

There are a number of service and maintenance bills on file and it is MOTd until July 2015. This rare manual version could do with some straightforward attention to several areas of paintwork in order to bring it back to its full potential.