TWR Lynx Eventer: a unique Jaguar XJ-S estate

By Ryan Standen

| 8 Jul 2026

Classic & Sports Car – TWR Lynx Eventer: a unique Jaguar XJ-S estate

This is what happens when you give a Big Cat a big booty.

Estate cars shouldn’t be sexy, but there is something about a sleek load-lugger – especially a three-door shooting brake – that just looks right.

Maybe it’s because they are relatively rare compared with their coupé or saloon counterparts.

If that’s the reason, then this elegant XJ-S (not actually a Jaguar, but we’ll come to that in a bit) must be one of the most alluring.

Some 67 Lynx Eventers were built between 1982 and 2002, and this is thought to be the only one also fettled by go-faster specialist Tom Walkinshaw Racing.

Coachbuilder Lynx turned Jaguar’s XJ-S coupé into an elegant and practical shooting brake, but only one got the full TWR treatment

The term ‘shooting brake’ originated in the 1890s, for an open, horse-drawn carriage created by coachbuilders for aristocrats to transport game and equipment back to their countryside gaffs at the end of a day spent hunting.

They almost became a thing of the past until the mid-1960s, when Aston Martin boss David Brown decided he needed a more practical DB5 for his four-legged friend.

The reinvented body style went mainstream soon after: Tom Karen’s Ogle Triplex GTS show car inspired the Reliant Scimitar GTE, then Volvo and Lancia jumped on the bandwagon with the 1800ES and Beta HPE respectively.

The TWR-fettled Lynx Eventer is refined and docile enough for daily use

Following the successful launch of the XJ-S in 1975, some Jaguar employees were keen to turn the V12 coupé into an estate, but the high-ups at Browns Lane supposedly insisted that the marque should focus on sports cars and saloons.

Enter Lynx Engineering, a small firm from East Sussex.

In the 1970s, Lynx made its name by producing superb replicas of Jaguar’s C-type and D-type; in 1981, it lopped the top off the XJ-S to create the 2+2 Lynx Spyder.

The TWR steering wheel adds a sporty feel to the Lynx Eventer’s cabin

“It became apparent that Jaguar was planning to do the same thing,” says Chris Keith-Lucas, Lynx’s second-ever employee.

“We were in the Midlands with one of our cars, when a Jaguar engineer approached us at a petrol station. He remarked: ‘You must be from the experimental department.’ We told him we weren’t and explained who we actually were. Then he said: ‘Whoops, I probably shouldn’t have said that.’

“Then, Jaguar called us to explain how its car [the XJ-SC] wasn’t quite ready, but it had a customer who simply could not wait. It asked us to supply a couple of convertibles.

“When the transporter turned up to collect them, the driver said: ‘They’re going to have a field day with these in the experimental department.’”

The early Jaguar XJ-S ‘drum’ gauges remain in the Lynx Eventer

Lynx would have been unable to compete with Jaguar’s in-house convertible, which arrived in 1983.

Rather than lick its wounds, Lynx pounced on the idea of creating a shooting brake.

“There was a local chap named Chris Eastwood, who was gifted with a pencil,” recalls Chris. “He designed some rooflines.”

Most of the silhouettes were inspired by contemporaries: there was a boxy, Volvo-like shape, profiles mimicking German estates and even one in the style of an Austin Allegro.

But an off-the-cuff sketch that more closely followed the XJ-S coupé’s roofline appealed most to Chris and Lynx founder Guy Black.

The Lynx Eventer’s 6ft-long load bay

“Then came the task of actually doing it,” recalls Chris, who was a director of the firm for 25 years.

A big challenge was sourcing a rear ’screen that was the right dimensions for the Eventer’s tailgate.

“We produced a template and set off round the industrial estate to try to find a car window that matched,” he explains.

Some were too long, some were too curvy.

“Then, somebody tried it on a Citroën Ami Deluxe. It was perfect and it was freely available. It was heaven-sent.”

Lynx’s efforts were so well resolved that even Browns Lane was impressed

The job of turning an XJ-S into a Lynx Eventer wasn’t straightforward, as Chris explains: “We had to remove the fuel tank, rear bulkhead, rear wings and most of the roof.

“We originally planned to keep the front section of the roof, fit a sunroof, then just make the rear – but in practice, you couldn’t get a nice sweep.

“It was all done on a wing and a prayer, but we did a surprisingly professional job of it.

“Guy and I were in our early 20s. We were very keen and didn’t know our own limitations, so we just got on and did stuff. I’m proud of what we did.”

The Lynx Eventer’s TWR-modified, 6.1-litre V12 makes 380bhp

Iain Batty’s dark-red Lynx was originally owned by businessman and philanthropist Raymond Burton, whose father, Sir Montague Burton, founded the eponymous suit-maker and menswear brand.

Raymond set up the first Top Shop in a Sheffield department store’s basement in 1964, six years after a brush with death while competing on an Alpine rally; amazingly, he and brother Arnold escaped with relatively minor injuries after the pair’s AC Ace fell 150ft down a mountainside.

In October 1986, Raymond took delivery of his brand-new XJ-S, but soon found himself wanting more from its 285bhp V12.

By the end of the month, it was in the Tom Walkinshaw Racing workshop.

The Lynx Eventer’s TWR upgrades lift performance above the standard Jaguar XJ-S

The Oxfordshire firm had been around for less than a decade, but success with a Group A Jaguar in the European Touring Car Championship made it the go-to for XJ-S modifications.

The Jaguar’s 5.3-litre engine was bored out to 6.1 litres, then equipped with high-lift cams, uprated conrods, forged pistons and TWR’s Engine Efficiency Kit, which added larger air intakes and new spark plugs.

Altogether, it made for a near-100bhp boost.

The power-steering set-up was revised and the fuel-injection system was remapped, while stiffer springs and more powerful brakes made sure all that extra poke was manageable.

The Lynx Eventer is a Jaguar XJ-S with room for a four-legged friend

A month or so later, the XJ-S was returned to Raymond Burton, who then found himself in a similar predicament to David Brown and his Aston Martin DB5.

The car was great, but where was the dog supposed to sit?

The 380bhp Jaguar was duly dispatched to the Lynx works in early 1987. Three months and £11,434.50 (roughly the same price as an ’86 Reliant Scimitar GTE) later, Burton’s ultimate XJ-S estate was finally ready.

In the five years he owned it, the Lynx was reportedly used by his wife, Pamela, for trips from the couple’s London digs to their Yorkshire estate, typically with dogs in tow.

The front of the Lynx Eventer is all Jaguar XJ-S

Fast-forward to 2020, and Iain spied the car in a Bonhams sale. “I drove it for a while, but I’m a bit of a perfectionist and there were various little scabs on the body,” he explains.

“I decided to get the rust dealt with and the car repainted.” That turned into a nut-and-bolt restoration, completed a couple of years ago.

It’s hard to believe that the Lynx was designed and built by an independent firm located more than 170 miles away from Coventry, because the Eventer looks as if it should have been part of Jaguar’s product plan from the start.

In profile, the tapered rear and arched roofline even mimic the marque’s famous leaping-cat mascot.

The TWR Lynx Eventer is potent in a straight line

The bottom of the tailgate is all XJ-S, but it blends seamlessly with the steeply raked upper half that was fabricated at the East Sussex works.

Overall, it looks like a big-budget production, not something built by a young team that was somewhat winging it.

Inside, the rear seats fold flat using a clever up-and-over mechanism inspired by that of the Reliant Scimitar.

When they’re laid down, the load bay is nearly 6ft long – only a touch less than a modern Volvo V90’s.

Fold-down seats make the Lynx Eventer eminently practical

Peer into the rear-view mirror and the Citroën Ami ’screen looks comically far away, as if at the end of a sci-fi-style wormhole.

The sensation is exaggerated by the Eventer’s sleek and narrow tail, but it has got Iain pondering whether the Lynx would make for a stylish hearse.

“My family might need to chop off my feet,” he reckons. I can’t tell if he’s joking.

For now, the Lynx is Iain’s practical wheels for tip runs and trips to Tesco, but adventures to France are on the agenda.

The TWR Lynx Eventer sits on 16in Speedline wheels

The TWR upgrades trick you into thinking the Lynx will be a big, lairy hot rod for B-road shenanigans rather than sophisticated cross-continental schleps.

But pretences of fireworks are dispelled after just a few yards: the steering is light, the suspension isn’t rock-solid and the 16in Speedline wheels are able to take the edge off potholes.

The previous owner introduced some Aston Martin DB7 components into the suspension set-up, which might have made it more docile.

The Lynx Eventer still carries Jaguar badges

It’s a shame the purr from the tailpipes on start-up doesn’t deliver on its promise of a musical 12-cylinder soundtrack when you’re up to speed, though.

The 6.1-litre unit isn’t as tuneful as some Italian equivalents, but that’s not to say it sounds agricultural.

Although the noise from the engine doesn’t really rise or fall in pitch, it’s a mechanical orchestra of spinning camshafts, thrashing valves and reciprocating pistons that becomes more intense as you approach the redline.

Oodles of power and the practical rear hatch might be helpful if you’re running late for your Sunday-morning slot at the recycling centre, but you would hesitate before flinging bin bags and garden waste in the leather-lined load bay.

The Lynx Eventer’s detailing and finish are superb

Up front, the beautifully finished dashboard is decorated with expensive California walnut – another upgrade by the previous owner.

Apart from some wind noise around the A-pillars, the Lynx is generally very refined, but it’s satisfying to know that there’s a wild side lurking just below the surface.

Use the small, TWR-branded four-spoke wheel to point the Eventer at the horizon and it’s easy to lose yourself in the sports-car view down the long bonnet.

The TWR Lynx Eventer’s California walnut veneer was added by a previous owner

The 380bhp V12 doesn’t manifest as a brutal shove in the back every time you prod the throttle – it’s actually surprisingly tame.

But the three-speed ’box does hold on to ratios until you’re travelling at a fair lick, usually without realising it.

Find a long enough straight and the Lynx will glide to three figures totally effortlessly – and carry on to a top speed that is probably a little higher than that of an equivalent XJ-S coupé, owing to the shooting brake’s more aerodynamic roofline.

The TWR Lynx Eventer is more of a cruiser, with light steering and a supple ride

Few other classic cars can provide this level of luxury, power and practicality in a complete package.

Was it a missed opportunity for Jaguar? Almost certainly.

But had it been built at Browns Lane, it would have been in much higher numbers – and that would have made it less special today.

Instead, we have a small team of plucky engineers and, in this case, Tom Walkinshaw to thank for creating the brawniest and most bootylicious XJ-S there is.

Images: John Bradshaw

Thanks to: Broadway Tower

The first Lynx Eventer

The original Lynx Eventer became an impromptu taxi for rock and pop legends of the 1980s

The very first Lynx Eventer was handbuilt in 1982 by Chris Keith-Lucas, Guy Black and the team at Lynx Engineering.

Once it had finished its development-car duties, the 20,000-mile prototype was sold to record producer Rupert Hine, who had been bowled over by the modified Jaguar at the Earls Court Motor Show.

Apparently, the Eventer’s boot could swallow more keyboards and synthesizers than his Range Rover.

Fay Morgan Hine, the late musician’s wife, organised for the car – nicknamed Briar Rose – to be restored for his 70th birthday, in 2017.

“She’s the only one with a sunroof,” explains Fay. “Chris thought it would facilitate the join, but he said it was the worst decision they made; he reckoned it looked like a thrupenny bit.”

Fay Morgan Hine with the first-ever Lynx Eventer

The Lynx lived a glamorous life in the 1980s.

“Rupert used to pick up Tina Turner from London and drive her to the studio in Buckinghamshire,” says Fay. “He’d put on a tape and she would sing whatever song she had to sing that day.

“By the time they arrived at the studio, she owned the song. She’d jump out of the car, do one take and then they’d go back to London.”

Stevie Nicks, Bob Geldof, Howard Jones, Peter Gabriel and Chris de Burgh were among other stars who rode shotgun in the Lynx. The ultimate Carpool Karaoke?

When Rupert moved to America in 2000, the Lynx was rolled into a lock-up in France. It stayed there for more than a decade, until Rupert was reunited with it.

Sadly, he died in 2020, aged 72, and now Fay is enjoying driving and maintaining Briar Rose (a Sleeping Beauty reference).

“When I receive some royalties from Rupert’s music, I put it aside to do a few things with her,” she explains, “so it’s still Rupert who’s keeping her going. If he was still alive, he’d likely do the same!”

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