1984 Jaguar XJ-S Coupe

Description

The Jaguar XJ-S was intended as a successor to the E-Type but filled a different role in the market – far more the refined and luxurious grand tourer than pure-bred sports car. ‘HE’ denotes the High Efficiency edition of the engine which appeared in 1981, the highlight being special swirl-design cylinder head designed by Swiss racing driver Michael May. The HE lived up to its name by delivering much improved fuel economy.  The interior was also upgraded with fillets of walnut, as if to reassert the model’s status as a luxurious grand tourer. Partly because it was seen as not being a successor to the celebrated E-Type, the XJ-S languished in the used car market until some years ago when the authentic GT character of this distinctive model – with its trademark V12 (the sole engine choice in the earlier years) – was increasingly recognised. Sales of the XJ-S in Australia were very slow until the HE variant became available here in 1983.