Over the years, Jaguar has maintained its position as a leader in suspension sophistication and the launch of the E-type in 1961 was where it all began.

At the time, most production cars were still using live axles. This, of course, impacted ride quality and made cornering a fickle affair. Designed by Bob Knight, Jaguar’s first generation of independent rear suspension (IRS) took five years to develop and was a game changer in ride comfort.

While its first production application was in the E-Type, the Jaguar IRS assembly was refined and used continuously until production of the XJS ended in 1996. Even then it carried on in modified form into the XK8, XJ300 and XJ308. The smooth ride and excellent roadholding offered by Jaguar’s IRS assembly played a significant role in making the XJs the highly-desirable classics that they are today.

But even the best designs need a little helping hand. Unless professionally restored within