Author: Richard Heseltine
Photography: Manufacturers/Historics Auctioneers/RM Sotheby’s
Lynx XJ-Spyder
Few cars ever looked better following roof-removal surgery than the XJ-S. Lynx Engineers was the first company to offer a ragtop edition, its XJ-Spyder having been launched in 1981. The St Leonards on Sea operation was better known for its exacting copies of competition Jaguars. However, it had prior form with this sort of thing, having ‘chopped’ as many as 16 XJCs.
Did you know? Lynx also offered a go-faster XJ-S package under the Performer banner.
Lynx Eventer
Not content with making the XJ-Spyder, Lynx followed through with the fabulous Eventer. The prototype was completed in the summer of 1982, and 67 were produced in pre- and post-facelift forms. A special version with Gucci badging and matching luggage remained a one-off despite plans to offer replicas in limited numbers.
Did you know? The side rear glazing was unique to the Eventer. The top part of the one-piece rear tailgate was appropriated from the Citroën Ami.
100+ Wheels
Based on a pre-production development hack, and known as Interstate Six, this one-of-a-kind XJ-S was a pickup. Oh, and it had six wheels, a 454cu in Chevrolet big-block V8 in place of a V12, and at least one magazine in the late 1970s claimed it was good for 187mph. The car, er, truck was built by Graham Swann at the behest of 100+ Wheels.
Did you know? Special items in this promotional vehicle included a leather-lined pickup bed, complete with drinks cabinet.
Pininfarina
This beautiful roadster was Pininfarina’s retort to the ‘folded paper’ look that was all the rage in the 1970s. Jaguar donated an XJ-S development hack which was comprehensively filleted on arrival in Turin. Under the direction of Lorenzo Ramaciotti, the new body was formed from metal and aluminium. Unveiled at the 1978 British International Motor Show, the XJ Spider captivated.
Did you know? The prototype was fully functional, the original BRG hue making for way for metallic silver over time.
Glenfrome
Bristol’s Glenfrome Engineering achieved fame (notoriety) for its many extravagant Range Rover conversions during the 1980s. It wasn’t above reworking the Jaguar XJ-S, either. The XJS Coupe was touted as a four-seater, the makeover including the removal of the hyphen. It emerged 254mm longer, the signature feature being its squared-off roof.
Did you know? The roofline here was similar to that of a Daimler variant of the XJ-S, the sole prototype having been made in 1985.
Railton
Designer William Towns had mooted an XJ-S-derived product as far back as 1979, but it was only seven years later that he and Jaguar historian Philip Porter set about creating something only to part ways. Towns regrouped and joined forces with John Ranson to revive the Railton brand with the Jaguar XJ-S-based F28 Fairmile and F29 Clairmont models in time for the big reveal in 1989.
Did you know? The Railton was to have been offered in open and closed forms, and you could have ordered one as late as 1992. There weren’t many takers.
Lister
The revival of the Lister nameplate was inspired by journalist/broadcaster Simon Taylor. He commissioned Laurence Pearce to build the first hot-rodded Jaguar XJ-S to wear the once-famous name, ever more extreme variants following during the 1980s and into the early 1990s.
Did you know? The Lister Le Mans boasted a seven-litre V12 equipped with twin superchargers.
MacPherson
This uniquely American take on the Jaguar XJ-S began in 1986 when a Chevrolet dealer ordered a brand new small-block Corvette V8 engine. He then tasked Art and Mike Chrisman with inserting it into a 1976 XJ-S and extensively restyling the car’s body.
Did you know? The rear arches/wings were reworked Porsche 928 items.
Banham
Paul Banham was well-known for parting the roofs from exotica before he moved into the kit car arena in the mid-1990s. Originally an in-house conversion, the XJ-SS was offered for DIY builds from 1996. The headlights were initially borrowed from a Vauxhall Corsa, the rear lamps from a Ford Mondeo.
Did you know? Non-kit Banham makeovers included a coupé with the rear buttresses removed.
TWR
The original TWR concern was a colossus on-track and in the go-faster arena, not least with the XJ-S. The reborn concern unleashed its steroidal Supercat in 2024, power coming from a supercharged V12 tuned to produce 660bhp. Production of this extreme Restomod is limited to 88 units.
Did you know? Project instigator, Fergus Walkinshaw, is the son of Tom Walkinshaw who won the 1984 European Touring Car Challenge aboard an XJ-S.
Which of these wild XJ-S transformations is your favourite? Let us know in the comments below.
