Rover800.Info

Here's my current, second project car. Right now it's at the bodyshop getting some metalwork done, so I have to complete the Sterling's engine transplant quickly befor the Jag returns. I have a blog on the restoration and it's at www.blogger.com Look underJaguar XJ-S Refurbishment
From the research I've done, only 2000 appear to have been produced for the entire 1987-1988 run and very few still exist. This is the only one I have ever seen in person, but I have seen ads on Hemmings for two others.

How rare ar these models on your side of the pond?

[/img]

Hi Cousin

XJS's are my thing! I'm just too tall to fit in one.

I really don't think Hess and Eisenhardt would have had the capacity to produce as many conversions as you say. I would rather suggest that a figure nearer to a hundred or so would be more accurate.

For comparison, the actual US sales figures of the production XJS Cabriolet (with the fixed side panels) was 1986 575 and 1987 1015.

As far as I know, unless there has been a personal import to the UK of the XJS convertible like yours, there are probably none in the UK.

However, as you are aware, Arden (Germany) and Lynx (UK) made their own XJS convertible conversions in the 1980's and so there are several of these in the UK.

If there is anything else you want to know about these cars, I can find out as my uncle worked for Mr Hess until he died about 20 years ago. Ask me about his part in the Ford Motor Company of America in the 50's and 60's and the producing of the Lincoln Limo in which JFK was assassinated.

Brad (in England and will forever be)

Everything that I can find on the net suggests around 2000-2100 H&E convertibles. Such a pity that the name sound like a collaboration between a couple of Nazi war criminal or the title of a Naturist magazine.

I have to say, I prefer the Hitler and Himmler Shooting Brake conversion myself.

I think a firm specialising in handbuilding bespoke cars like the convertible XJS with an employee base of under 40 staff could never build over 2000 cars in one production year when the actual number of factory cabriolets sold in the same year was a much lower 1015 (1987). The ratio of 2000 H&E conversions to 1015 actual factory Cabriolets is far too imbalanced.

I was at Morgan on Wednesday. They employ 160 and make 16 cars a week. That's about 750 as year. Thinking about it again, I'd guess only 100 or so H&E conversions could have been undertaken. I do know that we'll possibly never know as there was a fire at the Hess & Eisenhardt factory that destroyed the records relating to the Jaguar XJS conversions.

Nice car, though.

As an owner of a 1988 Hess and Eisenhardt I would like there to be a lesser number of production of these coupe conversions. I like the total run to be around 893, 1986 -1988 and I believe that may be a real possibility. The 100 that one poster stated seems way to low to make sense economically. Plus there seems to be way too many Hess and Eisenhardt XJS conversions available what appears every where ( THREE OR FOUR CONSISTENTLY ANYWAY) at almost any time...

Can anyone who has access to the statistics tell me when my car is manafacrured
VIN
SARRSCCKZAM163669
Thanks
Gunnar