1981 Jaguar XJ6 Series 3 Saloon

Most cars are at their best right from the outset, the purity of the original design gradually lost as manufacturers mess about in their efforts to keep sales moving. However, few would disagree that Jaguar's final incarnation of the XJ series was a triumph, from the shape - gracefully reinterpreted by Pininfarina, the first time Jaguar had outsourced styling - to the engineering changes underneath made the Series III, the new Jaguar was a better car in every way. First announced in March 1979, the Series III XJ6 brought with it not only more modern styling, with greater glass area, but huge improvements in build quality along with innovations like a five-speed gearbox (another Jaguar first) although most were fitted with Borg Warner automatic transmissions. More power was extracted from the venerable XK engine (in either 3.4 or 4.2 guises) thanks to bigger valves and fuel injection. The Series III XJ6 is a classic Jaguar saloon that can be enjoyed every day, with no shortage of spares or specialists able to work on them, and can be immensely rewarding cars to own.