Jaguar XJ-SC

If you’re after a muscular, stylish fourseater convertible then the much underrated Jaguar XJS Cabriolet makes a better bet, reckons our Group Editor.

- Paul Wager

Let’s get one thing clear from the start: I’m not about to trash the Stag by repeating a stream of myth and rumour gathered from the ill-informed. In fact, to be honest, I’ve always had a soft spot for the Stag, which despite its perceived failings was a glittering high point in the lumpen gloom of British Leyland. It’s just that I really like the XJ-S in all its forms and although they may not have been rivals back in the day, the open-air XJ-S is now a similar price to a nice Stag and many buyers will doubtless have both on their shortlist.

Rising values of the Triumph over the last few years mean that the fairest comparison pricewise would be the sleek full convertible XJS, but there’s also an often-overlooked contender in the shape of the XJS Cabriolet, or XJ-SC as it’s often referred to.

Created in response to Jaguar’s US dealers’ pleas for an open car during the ’80s, the Cabriolet shares its T-bar layout with the Stag and as a result is a more rigid, less compromised proposition as a driver’s car than the full convertible.