Hi Alan Tew @cabriolet

I think your view is quite credible – after all the early pre-Jaguar XJ-S Soft Top bodyshop conversions were to create full Convertibles rather than a Targa Topped Cabriolet.

I’ve both Convertibles and Cabriolets and they are very different experiences, and there might have been merit in having both models if they’d been designed from the ground up at the same time. Then the Sales folk could have directed purchasers towards the most suitable Soft Top for their needs and location – with our UK weather the Cabriolet does work well 🙂 and the full Convertible works well in the southern US.

I do like driving my V12 Automatic Convertible, but do wonder what a V12 Manual would be like – especially in the Cabriolet. That for me (until proven otherwise by actually driving one) would be the best combination.

Anyway, just thoughts and opinions shared.

Laurence