Jaguar XK8 & '73 E-type V-12

New vs. Old Convertibles
Take a tour through the main portion of Jaguar's efficiently modern spit-and-polish assembly plant in Coventry, England, and you'd never guess what lies behind closed doors. Way back on the lot, in two compact, nondescript buildings, awaits the real essence of this classic British automaking icon. Push open the heavy rolling doors and prepare to enter another time and place.

Welcome to Jaguar's wood shop and leather crafting facilities, workshops teeming with old-world artisans whose lifelong dedication to their trade is immediately evident. "If you haven't worked here for at least 25 years, you're still considered a rookie," our guide chortled as we took in the sights and smells of burled walnut being cut into dashboard-size strips, of the freshly tanned Connolly cowhides being painstakingly hand-checked for flaws, and of the dapper, besmocked workers attending to their chosen tasks.

The contrast of this to the megalopoly of parent Ford Motor Company is truly astounding and stands as solid testimony to the promise that Ford wouldn't Detroit-ize this legendary automaker. It's just that promise that makes the new XK8 so good.

Obviously, you can't talk Jaguars without talking heritage. Designed by Chief Stylist Geoff Lawson, the newest cat is alive with the past-with sensual forms of the E-type clearly evident in the shape of the hood, grille, and headlights. The first E-type (known as the XK-E in the States) debuted in 1961 at the Geneva Auto Show to worldwide acclaim and ignited another British sports car revolution. The E-type was the next evolutionary link from the D-type, that three-time LeMans-winner built between 1954 and 1956. Powered by a 3.8-liter/265-horsepower (gross) DOHC straight-six with three carburetors, the sexy E-type was every man's fantasy of a race car for the street, and with its lightweight semi-monocoque chassis design, four-speed gearbox, four-wheel disc brakes, rack-and-pinion steering, and limited-slip differential, this Brit was no poseur. Zero to 60 mph took only 6.8 seconds, and top speed was close to 150 mph. All that for $5595, or about half the price of a comparable new Ferrari.

Today's ragtop feline is probably an even better deal, when you adjust the dollar amounts for 36 years of inflation and add in nice stuff like air conditioning, heated seats, and a CD player. With a base price of $69,900 and an as-tested tally of $74,310, our Ice Blue convertible looked and felt the part of a proper British sports car, but this is clearly not a race car. More precisely, it's a luxurious sportster for the fleet of spirit, for the person who seeks individuality and driving flair but who isn't willing to give up a whit of comfort.

In size, stature, and temperament, the XK8 is more like the larger and heavier '71-'74 Series 3 E-type than it is the '61-'68 Series 1, and it's for that reason we're showcasing a '73 E-type (courtesy of Grant Woods from Cars With Class of Santa Monica, California) on these pages. When they're parked side by side, it's easy to see where 24 years of development have taken the open-Jaguar theme. The XK8 rides atop a 102.0-inch wheelbase, measures 187.4 inches in bumper-to-bumper length, and tips the scales at 3862 pounds. By contrast, the vintage car is shaped with a 105.0-inch wheelbase, 184.5-inch overall length, and weighs 3385 pounds. Both Jags feature decent-size trunks, canvas convertible tops, four-wheel-disc brakes, and seductively curved forward-tilting hoods, but the XK8 delivers a space-saver spare tire, power-operated roof, and anti-lock braking, and hides a delicious new V-8 under that gorgeous hood.