Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust - On this Day (February)

This car was found in a very sorry state in 1994 by Gavin Head who, understanding its importance as a Swallow bodied Wolseley, bought it and started its restoration. In 2003 the Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust managed to convince Gavin to part with the car and finished the restoration to fill a gap in the history of the evolution of the Swallow cars.

The Wolseley Hornet and later the Hornet Special with Swallow bodies were a milestone in Swallow history. These were the first true sports cars that William Lyons of Swallow had offered, and were also his first six-cylinder cars.

Two Swallow bodies were offered, a boat-tailed two-seater, and this four-seater costing £225. Both were very stylish and came in a wide variety of bright colour schemes. Around 324 Hornets and 206 Hornet Specials were bodied by Swallow .

On the evening of 12 February 1957, a ferocious fire broke out at Browns Lane Jaguar Plant destroying hundreds of cars. The majority of cars destroyed included XK140’s, Mark VIII’s, Mark 1’s and nine of the twenty-five XKSS that had already been completed or were semi-completed. (Most of the surviving 16 XKSS’s were exported and sold in the US). Almost 3.5 million pounds worth of damage occurred and nearly half the main factory destroyed. Fortunately, no heavy plant had been lost as the fire had mainly effected the service, trim and final test areas. Had the fire reached machinery, it may have taken months or even years to replace.

Jaguar were inundated with offers of help from suppliers, building contractors, and fellow manufacturers including loans of plant and equipment. Employees rallied to the cause with shovels and anything they could lay their hands on to clean up the mess.

The task of rebuilding started within 48 hours of the fire and tarpaulins were erected to provide temporary protection for employees. Within 9 days production on a limited scale had recommenced, and within six-weeks the lines were humming again as the firm struggled to meet demand. The fire did however delay the release of the XK150.

All vehicles and components damaged in the fire were totally destroyed to prevent any items being sold to the public. .