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This issue is notably ‘XK8 heavy’. I could claim to have planned it, but in reality, that’s how the chips fell. Richard Gunn tells the story of the ‘Die Another Day’ James Bond XKR whilst Peter Simpson continues the spy theme by going on tour in the Austin Powers XK8 ‘Goldmember’ Shaguar, taking in a few laps of Goodwood enroute. Obviously influenced by the lure of circuit tarmac, he lends his Daughter, Emma, his rather less outlandishly liveried XK8 to experience track driving for the first time. My problem is, as the model approaches three decades old, I still think of it as modern and relatively new (it’s an age thing!). In reality with the escalation in XJS values, it has truly become the sporting entry level Jaguar. Do you feel this model is now a bonafide classic or should we freeze the definition at XJS or even before? Your thoughts and opinions would be welcomed.
Merging two of the three above experiences together, Classic Jaguar is pleased to offer you the chance to participate in a Goodwood trackday with like-minded souls – turn to our ‘Products’ pages to find out more. If you are very unfortunate, you may well meet your ‘umble Editor on the day – don’t let that put you off.
Sunday March 5th will mark a landmark event: after more years than anyone (or at least me) can recall – the ever popular biannual Jaguar Spares Day moves from its Stoneleigh venue to the new pastures of the Three Counties Showground in Malvern. The JDC Clubhouse pages will furnish you with more information. We are now well past the shortest day (December 21st if you didn’t notice), so get out into your workshop and make a list of parts you need to get your Jaguar back in fine fettle. HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Please now turn the page and peruse the myriad array of options provided for your reading pleasure. However, before you do, it is my contractual duty to bring to your attention that the most costeffective way of guaranteeing your copy of this magazine is to take out a subscription. It can be arranged anytime, quickly and easily – and we have some great offers available. Simply go online to shop.kelsey.co.uk/ subscription/CJG and see what’s available. Or if you fancy stocking up on various back issues or pre-ordering the truly outlandish April/ May 2023 issue, you can shop here: shop.kelsey.co.uk/issue/CJG As first disclosed in the last issue, you can keep your treasured back issues in pristine condition for the edification of future generations. They cost an astonishing £10.95 and will house any random twelve issues. Use the link shop.kelsey.co.uk/product/classic-jaguarmagazine-binder to secure this strictly unlimited edition product.
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Have been named ‘2022 Specialist of the Year’ against stiff multimarque opposition at the Octane magazine Historic Motoring Awards. The accolade was accepted by the eponymous founder, Chris KeithLucas, accompanied by Managing Directors Tim Mason and Mark Hews. The glittering event was held at The Londoner Hotel, and we trust that they will be fully recovered from the celebrations in time for the next season…
Friend of the magazine and incidentally CEO of SNG Barratt, was the joint winner of the Classic Car Ambassador of the Year award. Also presented at the Octane Historic Motoring Awards 2022 (in association with Classic Insurance Services). There were five contenders in the category including Julian, the other joint winner being James Wood. The nominees were recognised as “individuals in the classic car industry who embody the values, the passion and the professionalism that is so important to the industry.”
Julian is also a board member of the Historic & Classic Vehicles Alliance (HCVA). He was personally recognised at the Historic Motoring Awards for “combining the running of one of the world’s largest classic car parts suppliers with his role as an industry ambassador and protector of historic vehicles, for attending a myriad of events in the annual calendar and for lobbying at the highest level.” You can’t argue with facts like that!
We at Classic Jaguar are very pleased to be associated with three parties whose contributions have been recognised in the wider classic community:Chris and Claire Keith Lucas in action on track at SilverstoneThe only acceptable husband and wife feud The leadership team at CKLTim, Mark & Chris The master and his apprentice - John with new apprentice Teo in the Panel Shop
We are particularly happy for contributor to Classic Jaguar, Peter to receive this accolade. The book impressed when we reviewed it in the Feb/Mar 2022 issue, having previously published an extract in Dec/Jan 2022. It seems we weren’t wrong – It won its category in the 2022 Royal Automobile Club's Motor Book of the Year Awards. Peter Wilson and his wife Anne received the award at a ceremony held at the RAC Club in Pall Mall, London on November 3rd.
The success was achieved despite high-quality international competition from an "unprecedented" 48 titles. "It's our annual super-boost to the world of automotive publishing," said Ben Cussons, Chairman of the Royal Automobile Club. The award committee was led by non-voting chairman Simon Taylor and consisted of six expert judges who are totally independent of the Royal Automobile Club. They were Gordon Cruickshank of Motor Sport, Mark Dixon of Octane, Mick Walsh from Classic & Sports Car, BRDC Bulletin editor Ian Titchmarsh, Ben Horton from specialist bookseller Horton’s Books, and Christian Whitehead from famous Oxford bookstore Blackwells. The citation stated: "From literary labours-of-love to compelling biographies of drivers and even individual cars,
Strictly No Admittance: The Inside Story Of The ‘Lightweight’ E-type – The Last Works-Built Jaguar To Race At Le Mans is published by Paul Skilleter's PJ Publishing Ltd and full details can be found on www.paulskilleterbooks.co.uk. To mark the book's RAC Motoring Book of the Year success, it is currently on offer at £75.00, compared with the usual selling price of £95.00.
In other news: Since Classic Jaguar’s 2016 inception, we have enjoyed working with JDHTs Vehicle Collection Manager, Tony Merrygold. After six years, the time has come for him to move on (hopefully not something we said?) and is handing over the keys of the Collection to Neil Campbell who started work on the 5th December 2022. Coventry born Neil has lived and breathed classic cars since childhood and they are very much in his blood: His Grandfather was an engine builder at Daimler’s Radford plant and his Nan worked for ‘The Jaguar’ at Browns Lane. He has joined the JDHT after
no comparable event in the English language does so much to promote motoring and motoring racing books. We continue to promote and support the work of excellent authors. The calibre for 2022 has been more impressive than ever."
Regular readers will know, Peter Wilson worked in Jaguar's famed Competitions Department throughout both the development of the Lightweight E-type and the subsequent works racing programme. Just 12 Lightweights were made, and although they were raced by Jaguar (via private entrants) for only the 1963 and 1964 seasons, they attracted drivers of the calibre of Graham Hill and Jackie Stewart and proved capable of beating even the awesome Ferrari GTO.
For those that would like to hear Peter’s dulcet tones, the JEC Podcast has interviewed him on the subject of his time at Jaguar – well worth a listen.
a seven and a half year stint looking after the Jaguar Land Rover Classic factory collection. Before that, he was a classic car journalist for several years on a national publication and also was a co-founder of Coventry Motofest, Europe’s largest free motoring festival - at which JDHT takes the opportunity to exercise some of their racing cars on the closed streets. Neil can be contacted at ncampbell@ jaguarheritage.com. Tony isn’t leaving the JDHT entirely, but is moving to a new role in charge of Special Projects, working two days a week – a well deserved lightening of the load!
If you have been inspired by Peter Simpson’s features on pages 28 and 36, you are in luck! Michael Ballard, organiser of the Farnham Grand Prix and many other prestige events has arranged the ’Mike Hawthorn Memorial Track Day’, taking place on Wednesday 5th July 2023, at the prestigious Goodwood Circuit. This is to commemorate Mike's 1st GP win, exactly 70 years to the day after the
event. He later went on to win the 1955 Le Mans 24hr race for Jaguar and became Britain’s first F1 World Champion in 1958. The event is open to any roadworthy or race eligible motorcar, be that modern, classic or replica, subject to a 98 decibel noise limit. Owners of all marques are welcome to participate. In order to ensure the maximum track time experience and to bide by safety
constraints, there will be a maximum of 60 cars. Entry is by advanced booking only. The cost is £350.00 per car, lunch and refreshments included. Additional drivers and passengers can be accommodated, spectators are free of charge. A £100 deposit is required. Contact Michael on 07973 731144, 01252 668888, or email msbassociates@ntlworld.com for entry forms and further information.
Classic vehicle headlights were never the best. As a result, Classic Car LEDs offer an LED upgrade that will hugely improve safety and night time driving but, at the same time, retain that period Classic look. You no longer have to choose the bright cold white option that is seen on modern vehicles. They offer Warm White H4 LEDs that are an easy fit to H4 halogen reflectors. The LEDs produce a stronger, brighter beam, with MOT standard beam patterns that are allowable for all cars registered before 1st April 1986. They also greatly reduce the electrical load so there is no need to employ relays. Part number H4ZES1WWX2, £77.17/pr. www.classiccarleds.co.uk; 0800 2465678
We catch up with the latest must-have products and accessories aimed at today’s classic Jaguar owner
Many years ago, Jaguar stopped producing the crossmember that supports the radiator at the front of the XJ6/12 engine bay. It was notorious for being a water trap and rotting away silently. When it became unavailable, the David Manners Group felt that an aftermarket version was needed to help keep the XJ range on the road. So now you are still able to buy a replacement crossmember in its original form including the top plate, which was formerly a separate part. Suitable for all Series
As mentioned in her column on page 50, Letitia Mace has arranged a treat for Classic Jaguar readers - Abbey Stationery recently brought to the market these stylish, robust and very practical bespoke motoring files. Aimed at the car enthusiast, be it classic or supercar, they will allow owners of cherished cars to keep all the paperwork relating to that vehicle, safe, secure and in one place! The documents which accompany any car are a very important part of its history – they form its provenance, and their condition can say a lot about the condition and value of the car itself. Keeping them safe and in good condition is therefore of paramount importance. Although we don’t want to think about selling our cherished cars, when that time comes, the very fact that the car has its own bespoke file can also add to its value or be a selling point. It becomes part of the cars regalia which can be passed on to the new owner. The finishing touch is an engraved plaque, bearing the make, model, registration number and VIN/ Chassis Number of your car (covered by a logo in the picture for security).
1,2 & 3 applications, part number 12101*, £104.80 www.jagspares.co.uk; 0121 544 4040
They feature: Lock and key, for secure storage; Two interior sections, one containing 4 durable and wipeable dividing files, and the other a removable document wallet with a further 7 dividers and a carry handle – all fully wipeable; A third wallet (12cm x 12cm x 2cm deep) is perfect for spare keys or other small items that could otherwise be easily lost; Inner fittings are finished in standard white. Approx dimensions: Width - 39cm (15 ½“)
Depth – 15cm (6”) Height – 25cm (10”).
Standard Exterior Colours: Old English White, British Racing Green, Regency Red, Signal Red, Ultimate Black, Gunmetal, Westminster Blue, Lazuli Blue – all finished with selfcoloured stitching. Standard Interior Lining Colours: Cream or Grey. Other colours and designs are available, and a quotation can be provided upon request. For instance, exterior and interior lining colours can be chosen to mirror those of YOUR car! Contrast stitching can also be requested. Price each (including engraved plaque and VAT): £55.20 plus shipping. Approx lead time:15 working days. For a £5.00 DISCOUNT quote “CLASSIC JAGUAR FEB/MAR 2023”. For more information or to order, contact Letitia@exclusively-jaguar.co.uk
We are told there are still a couple of spaces available on Jaguar Classic’s unmissable tour. See page 13 of the last issue for full details, but in summary, you get to drive an E-type or classic XK on a picturesque Cotswolds route, taking in Shelsley Walsh hillclimb and enjoy many other experiences.
Smiths rev counters often fail due to faulty electronics, with many of the original circuit boards being 50 plus years old. Another issue is that the early RV type rev counters, as fitted to the Mk2 and S1 E-type, rely on a ‘tacho generator’ to produce the drive signal for the rev counter. These generators
Follow this link to book: https:// parts.jaguarlandroverclassic.com/ jaguar-driving-experience.html
Get in touch with the Experiences Team should you have any questions, by contacting Classic Experiences Lead, Emily Lees on elees2@ jaguarlandrover.com; 07384 456094
can fail orbecome inaccurate over time and are difficult and expensive to replace. It is also increasingly common for classic cars to be upgraded to electronic ignition, but this often means the rev counter no longer works. Following on from their well-known clock repair kits Clocks4Classics
have developed a new product that provides an easy way of repairing the Smiths rev counters.
The repair kit overcomes all these problems for RV and RVI type Smiths rev counters. Their kit replaces the rev counter electronics with modern surface mount technology and the new electronics takes its signal directly from the ignition coil, so no tacho generator is required. It is suitable for 4, 6 or 8 cylinder cars with positive or negative earth and is compatible with contact breakers or electronic ignition. The kits are easy to fit and calibrate by the DIY enthusiast. The new circuit board screws directly into the back of the rev counter movement - replacing the existing circuit board with no need to remove the dial at the front. Quick fit connectors are provided so no soldering is required. Another key innovation is the pressbutton calibration process so there is no need to link to a smartphone, tablet or computer to calibrate the rev counter. Visit their website to learn more and view YouTube videos demonstrating the process. www.clocks4classics.com
It’s personally upsetting to me to view Mike Freeman’s superbly detailed 6.0 XJS coupe – I’m overcome with a sense of failure that my own 6.0 convertible resides at home in a rather less than complete state. All the more galling, because Mike has owned his car for less years and claims little mechanical knowledge prior to his restoration adventure - and I’m supposed to know about these things!
Mike qualified as a sound engineer, but
after a while he realised that working in a windowless box was not his thing (which seems to be the fate of the average sound technologist) and craved a more outdoor based pursuit. A career handbrake turn occurred as the role of ‘Length Inspector’ for the Canal and River Trust piqued Mike’s attention. In plain English, this means walking a 130 mile length of canal and reporting on any maintenance work required – it certainly keeps his steps up! Think of him on your next narrowboat holiday. This left Mike with the bandwidth to pursue a hobby, but first let’s explore
Since his driving test pass at the age of 19, Mike estimates he has been through 50 to 60 cars, all in the ‘£100 including 1 year’s MOT’ bargain bin - used, abused then discarded! A massive increase in budget to £300 saw his first Jaguar (a 3.2 XJ40 in BRG) enter his life at the age of 24. This lasted a year (read: the MOT test duration) until corrosion and multiple issues signed its death warrant
- Maintenance wasn’t a word or deed in Mike’s lexicon at this time – cars were for driving, not spending money on!
But the XJ40 had truly sewn the Jaguar seed and a facelift XJS beckoned – he found the distinctive buttress styling attractive, but being a 90’s child, the earlier models looked a little fussy and dated. Issues all addressed by the body colour skirts, longitudinal rear lamps and apparent increase in glass area of the updated model.
In no great hurry, the ideal candidate was eventually found in 2005 via an ‘Autotrader’ advertisement: a 4.0
automatic in Kingfisher Blue. In an unprecedented move, Mike left his Barnard Castle home with £4000 cash in his pocket (a huge financial multiple of any previous motoring purchase). Whilst travelling somewhat apprehensively to a random car park in Peterborough, a thought occurred – although a generally peace loving person, he reasoned that if mugged, on this occasion he would actually put up a fight!
It was tantamount to love at first sight – made all the more amazing by the small detail that Mike had never before actually seen a facelift XJS in the
metal! An impulse purchase was made - he was so struck by the car that he didn’t even make a lower offer. The drive home was rewarding and incident free. To steal a Ford Capri tagline – it was the car he had always promised himself.
Continuing his ‘zero maintenance’ policy, the 4.0 lasted until 2008 as his daily driver until the combination of a move to Manchester and a growing list of faults (the worst of which being a snapped radius arm, causing horrific throttle steer) forced him to sell. Scrolling forward some years, Mike imagined his car would have »
Classic car ownership frequently becomes an obsession, Mike Freeman adds a dash of compulsion and freely admits it may well have become a disorder…
been long since broken for spares or some such fate, but increasing values have ensured its continued existence, a recent internet search revealing it now resides in Bulgaria.
In the game of automotive Top Trumps, when his car was admired (fine vehicle that it was) he was always slightly apologetic that it wasn’t ‘the real thing’: a V12, an attribute he felt synonymous with the model. This was not for outright performance reasons, a motor bike was now his daily driver and after a 180mph Yamaha R1, the quickest of four wheelers leaves little impression.
After another move, this time to Cheshire, Mike found himself with the space and time to own a hobby car, a 6.0 it had to be… November 2015 was the fateful date. A dealer had taken
the car in part exchange, but it wasn’t the kind of model he traded in, so tried to move it on by the medium of another Autotrader advert. 1994, 50k miles and £6k asking price were the key figures. A bike ride to Birmingham in the rain and dark, followed by the ‘not to be recommended’ road test in the rain and dark resulted in another quick purchase – but this time a sense of the vendor wanting to ‘get rid’ resulted in the ready acceptance of a £5k bid.
A cold light of day appraisal revealed a generally sound and tidy car with some evidence of skimped maintenance and a few bits missing. Scuffed alloy wheels, marks around the edges and bubbles around the windscreen surround, all indicative a car on the downward slope -but one ripe for rescue. On the upside, despite hating the phrase, Mike found the V12 to “pull like a train”, progress only spoilt by heavy
clunking and grinding noises which transpired to be the relatively simple to rectify gearbox centre mount bush.
After around four years of road driving (undertaking just ongoing maintenance, major cleaning and polishing plus having the wheels powder coated) something clicked. The evidence of corrosion around the windscreen started to niggle, ignoring the bubbles was no longer an option. An astronomic professional quotation of £8k to repair and repaint the area reinforced a new DIY philosophy, and an ethos corner was turned: This was to be a forever car, maintained, improved and cherished – yes, really! In no way was it going to be considered an investment, but in common with Graham Morison and his S-type (CJ Oct/Nov 2022), Mike was to use his XJS as an automotive educational experience. Prior to this he confesses »
that his hands-on talents were a little stretched with a wheel change…
Total originality isn’t part of the obsession, an obvious example being the eBay sourced bonnet mounted leaping cat. Mike’s view is that the pleasure of following the mascot along the road shouldn’t be confined to earlier models – a sentiment I wholly agree with.
Possibly a little more contentious: if you study the suspension and underbonnet images, you may realise that the powder-coated components are a lighter shade of black. In fact, Mike quietly confesses that his finish of choice would have been chrome
In January 2019 work commenced on the scuttle. With no sense of fear, Mike cut out the bonded in windscreen and started to remove the affected areas with the aid of an angle grinder. In ‘if I knew now…’ confession, had he realised the relative ease of front wing removal, he would have done just that and improved access immeasurably. Evidence of previous repairs were found: the area being ‘reinforced’ with builders expanding foam! By April, he realised things were getting considerably beyond his skillset, a saviour was required. Enter Andy, the proprietor of A&B Autos, a general repair garage and MOT station in nearby Rudheath. The damaged areas inevitably extended way further than the original bubbles
suggested. Andy’s skills were employed to fashion the repair panels and weld them in. A relationship developed, and wizard Andy took Mike under his cape, a sort of labour barter arrangement developed whereby Mike would work on customers cars (under close supervision) adding to his mechanical talents whilst building a bank of time which Andy returned on the XJS. Mike becoming a veritable ‘Sorcerer’s Apprentice’.
As is the way of restoration projects and with the scuttle work ongoing, between October and January 2020, Mike decided to address some more issues that had became apparent. The engine bay was partially stripped to allow localised touching in of minor rust and ‘rattle can’ refurbishment of
components such as the radiator top crossmember and air intakes. Engine cleaning and belt changing were also undertaken. By March 2020 car was finally ready for a professional front end repaint and the windscreen bonded in. Mike meanwhile decided to refurbish the front bumper, as he felt it was letting the side down, why not! Unplanned, the rolling restoration had stopped rolling for two years.
A seepage from the power steering HP pipe took three attempts and one week to achieve a leak free solution. With the benefit of hindsight, Mike would have removed the front subframe in its entirety… be careful what you wish for: He started trying to refurbish the front brakes, but still in
effect – but he was ‘talked down’ to “Ruthenium” by the wise proprietor of Alloy Circles powder coating in Winsford. In retrospect, he realises this was the correct choice and highly recommends their services – and powers of persuasion!
The cut out switch on the battery box was fitted to stop minor battery drains flattening the battery during periods of storage – for those who are wondering, an uncoded aftermarket radio is fitted, so no problem except it loses its station memory! The subtle switch adjacent to the A-post is simply to extinguish the interior light during long periods of internal fettling, which brings us to: The most obvious deviation from the Coventry product concerns the flight of fancy glovebox, this has undergone »
his inexperienced phase, he snapped the two notoriously stubborn caliper bolts, then damaged the vertical link, great start! Replacing the link required front spring removal, a homemade tool was fashioned and proved successful. He then got totally carried away as the entire suspension was removed, piece by piece whilst on the car, followed by the subframe - a bit ‘cart before the horse’!
With all the front suspension parts back from powder coaters, the subframe was rebuilt and refitted. Apparently, this was the most terrifying part of the restoration – worrying about the huge energy locked up in the front springs!
In January 2021, after the two years of inadvertent restoration, the car was at last back on the road, enjoyment
initially tempered by the trepidation of driving the car on a suspension and brake system rebuilt by a novice – he needn’t have worried, all was well!
It didn’t end there! During the MOT test at A&B Motors, up on a ramp for the first time, Mike was able to take in the vista of underbody condition, the exhaust system was nearing the end of its life and surface corrosion decorated, well, everything!
Work restarted, adding new stainless steel over axle pipes and rear silencers from Simply Performance, then AJ6 Engineering supplied one of their ingenious ‘TT’ stainless exhaust systems, the twin elongated secondary downpipes (mated to standard refurbished manifolds) giving an
improved extractor effect, optimised by fitting new chip in ECU. Rerouting of the wiring for the controlling lambda sensors was required.
Mike started tinkering with rear brakes at this point, imagine what happened next… You’ve guessed – the rear suspension was removed from the car and stripped. The final drive was refurbished with new output shaft bearings and seals. Mike purchased the biggest spanner he’ll ever own to achieve this! The parts were again all powder coated, reassembled and by September 2021 the assembly was back in the car. Meanwhile, surface rust on sills and underbody was addressed and all underbody fuel and brake lines refurbished.
several iterations. Initially the lock didn’t work, many of us would have repaired it – but the problem inspired Mike to install an actuator mechanism triggered by a remote control. Upon opening, a backlit, polished chequer plate lined minibar is revealed, featuring cut glass tumblers and a bottle of Southern Comfort, maybe a little unwise should one be pulled over by a member of the constabulary, so the latter is now replaced with a mini cinema – obviously!
As an aside, the car came equipped with its non-standard ‘L80XJS’ registration number, which puts me in mind of a homage to the JDHT’s final V12 coupe: P60XJS.
The initial restoration problem he
encountered was the lack of ‘facelift’ specific information available, the factory workshop manual covering the early model in precise detail but later model supplements seeming to brush over major facelift design changes. YouTube was the alternative knowledge source of choice, but the same problem was faced – Mike himself has since attempted to address this issue by creating a Youtube channel of his own.
To facilitate the renovation, he
has developed a parts sourcing protocol. His first port of call is SNG Barratt’s impressive website where he obtains the part number of the required components. It is then easy to determine availability and price on the site. If the answer is negative, the search fans out to other specialists including Black Country Jaguars, David Manners and eBay – then the net widens further to more general internet searches. After many months of hunting, a recent win was the ‘hen’s teeth’ central plastic engine cover, obtained for around £400 including shipping and taxes from North America. Whilst in transit, the same item popped up locally for £300 – such are the tribulations!
Asking Mike his thoughts on his XJS adventure, he reveals that the
enjoyment of ownership is derived in 50/50 proportion between working on the car and actually driving it, with so many people, it is either one or the other. He accepts that as he learns, it often results in achieving three steps forward and two back, but this doesn’t worry him – all part of the learning process and he doesn’t consider revisiting elements he is not totally happy with to be a setback in his OCD driven quest for ultimate perfection.
For the most part the work is carried out in a double garage around 1” longer than the car – so much juggling and ingenuity for sideways access is required – particularly in the winter months where opening the garage doors is inadvisable. His home ‘exhaust extraction system’ is a joy to behold –
pipes through the wall attached to the rear silencers by flexy silicone hoses…
The future? The hard learnt lesson of being without the car during the scuttle and ‘associated’ repairs, Mike now carefully plans a program of winter works which, during this off season, will include a radiator swap, air-con condenser and cam cover leakage issues. Further projects involve some totally rust-free scuttle repair sections that have been sourced from California, used to perfect this forever car. Plus experimentation to the exhaust system in order to obtain a purer V12 sound. ■
Thanks to: The photographs taken on the ramp were courtesy of the previously mentioned Andy, of A & B Autos, Rudheath (01606 354555) - A man ‘without whom’ little of the foregoing would have been possible!
As previously mentioned, when embarking on his XJS adventure, and let down by the Factory Workshop Manual, fondly referred to by Mike as “The big green book of nonsense”, first port of call for information was YouTube. He was a little disappointed to find that most of the material contained on the portal was relevant to the pre-facelift model. For the benefit of humanity, he has rectified that omission by setting up his own YouTube channel which can be accessed by typing ‘Jaguar XJS OCD’ into the search function – there you will witness many of the operations referred to in this feature, and much more!
“...the enjoyment of ownership is derived in 50/50 proportion between working on the car and actually driving it...”
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Twenty years ago, the 20th official James Bond movie, Die Another Day, was at cinemas across the world. Pierce Brosnan’s fourth (and, as it turned out, final) adventure as 007 saw him in a brand new Aston Martin for the first time; his previous outings had only included the classic DB5 thanks to a deal with BMW that dictated its saloons and sports cars would be the main star cars. But for Die Another Day, the German firm had departed, possibly smarting that all most people talked about anyway was the revival of the DB5 for the first time since Sean Connery’s day. BMW’s replacement was Ford, and the new kid on the block was keen to showcase its diverse range on the big screen. As the Blue Oval owned Aston Martin in 2002, when Die Another Day was released, that led to Aston Martin returning in a big way, with its flagship V12 Vanquish. But it also meant
that Commander Bond’s gadget-laden Aston could have a worthy automotive adversary, courtesy of fellow Ford Premier Automotive Group member Jaguar, and an equally lethal XKR.
Few people would rank Die Another Day as among the best of the Bond series. There is a pattern with 007 films that they generally try and outdo what has gone before until they become so overblown that a reset is needed to restore some sort of believability. With Connery, it was You Only Live Twice, which saw Ernst Stavro Blofeld’s SPECTRE organisation headquartered in a hollowed-out Japanese volcano and 007 almost launching into space. For Roger Moore, it was Moonraker – in which Bond actually did go into space. Die Another Day was Brosnan’s over-extravagant opus. Despite a cast featuring Oscar-winners Halle Berry and Dame Judi Dench as M, plus helping launch the career of
future Oscar-nominee Rosamund Pike, Die Another Day’s over-reliance on outlandish gadgets, dodgy special effects that might have been rejected for a PlayStation game, and Madonna (who both sung the substandard theme tune and made a cameo appearance) hasn’t aged well. As Roger Moore said, ‘I thought it went too far – and that’s from me, the first Bond in space! Invisible cars and dodgy CGI footage? Please!’
The ‘invisible car’ in question was the Aston Martin Vanish – sorry, Vanquish – which featured, among its tricks, adaptive camouflage; tiny body-mounted cameras which projected the image from one side onto a light-emitting polymer screen on the vehicle’s opposite side. While, theoretically, actual technology being developed by the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency at the time, the concept of a ghostly Aston Martin was just a step too far for many; something
Two decades ago, a Jaguar XKR nearly stole the limelight from anAston
Martin in Die Another Day. We go behind the scenes to see what was involved in making this gadget-packed mobile weapon go dancing on iceThe Jaguar XK8 ready for action on the frozen lagoon of Vatnajokull.
that belonged more in the world of Harry Potter than James Bond.
Arguably though, the Vanquish’s sheer preposterousness made the Jaguar XKR that went into battle against it even more memorable, because it was far more in the mould of a traditional Bond car. It had some deadly modifications, but they were sufficiently ‘real world’ enough that they were credible… just about. If you could believe an Aston Martin DB5 could hide an ejector seat in 1964, then a Jaguar fitted with a hidden Gatling gun, battering ram, missiles and mortars nearly 40 years later wasn’t too much beyond the grounds of impossibility. Unlike invisibility.
In the film, the XKR was driven by the character Tang Ling Zao (Rick Yune), the North Korean chief henchman of the main villain Sir Gustav Graves (Toby Stephens). It is pitted against Bond’s Vanquish during the scenes in Iceland, with the two taking part in an explosive chase on a frozen lake. The Jaguar proves more than a match for the Aston; its thermal imaging is able to detect the Vanquish despite its cloaking abilities, with its Gatling gun capable of damaging the adaptive camouflage system sufficiently enough that Bond’s car is unable to successfully do its vanishing act. Both cars worked
through their entire armouries before their tussle ended with the XKR crashing through some melted ice and Zao being, very literally, vanquished.
Finding a suitable location for the chase proved difficult. The production team checked out frozen lakes across the globe (or at least the very cold parts of it) but dismissed them because they were either covered with too much snow or the ice wasn’t thick enough; for safety’s sake, it had to be a minimum of 10 inches. Eventually, the beautiful Vatnajokull lagoon in Iceland was discovered and chosen. It was a stunning place, with deep blue, snow-free ice and the added visual bonus of icebergs being trapped in the frozen inlet creating a natural obstacle course. In addition, the somewhat less chilly location of RAF Little Rissington in Gloucestershire was also used for some of the sequence, dressed to look like Iceland with some areas of the runways painted white and a replica ice palace and ‘bergs built.
The production team had three weeks to film at Vatnajokull from the end of February 2002. The fact that it was
the coldest winter in the region, with temperatures as low as -35 degrees Celsius, was just one of the many problems that had to be faced. Even the most competent drivers in the world would have struggle to keep control of two high performance rear-wheel drive sports cars on pure ice, especially given the precision needed for some of the
‘As Roger Moore said, “I thought it went too far – and that’s from me, the first Bond in space! Invisible cars and dodgy CGI footage? Please!”’
stunts, so special effects supervisor Chris Corbould and second unit director Vic Armstrong approached Aston Martin and Jaguar to see if they had any fourwheel drive variants. Of course, being the days before 4x4 was so prevalent, neither company had anything, even in prototype form. There was some effort to see if the all-wheel drive format from the X-Type could be adapted, but it soon became obvious that it just wouldn’t fit. However, that didn’t mean that something couldn’t be specially built…
Four XKRs, finished in the same metallic green as Jaguar’s ill-fated Formula One machines of the era and sporting Dorchester Grey body kits, 20in Detroit alloy wheels and ‘OR 203’ Icelandic registration plates, were modified. Some sources claim that a standard paint finish was blended with pure gold, at a cost of nearly £2000 per litre, to create their livery. They were all
former engineering development fleet examples, as the movie’s special effects crew teamed up with Jaguar’s Special Vehicles Operations department to work mechanical magic on their action heroes. The original supercharged 4.0litre AJ-V8 engines were replaced by 5.0-litre V8s from the Ford Explorer of the era, set as far back as possible in the engine bay for better balance and to create space for the front weaponry. The robust SUV also provided the running 4WD running gear, coupled to three-speed automatic transmissions that were geared to allow 120mph,
some 35mph less than an unmodified XKR could achieve. But it was more than adequate for filming purposes and also allowed the cars to achieve feats such as ascend steps. Other crucial fitments were hydraulic handbrakes and Quaife torque-sensing differentials, which allowed a measure of controllable but visually exciting oversteer. It’s believed that one of the cars was fitted with a Mustang V8 instead of an Explorer engine, but information on this is sketchy. The alterations to the cars took around three months, with a Jaguar the first vehicle to be completed.
As well as also sporting the mechanical mods and special effects weapons systems, these action vehicles were also fitted with additional safety measures, in the form of hidden airbags installed in the boot and bonnet areas. If the worst happened, and a car went through the ice, the bags would automatically inflate and prevent it from sinking too quickly, hopefully allowing time for the driver to escape.
Inside, there was little attempt to disguise all the modifications done; the usually luxurious cabins were left quite rough and ready. For interior shots used on-screen as well as the less dramatic driving sequences, there were four cosmetically modified but otherwise generally standard models, also plucked from Jaguar’s engineering development fleet. Some had supercharged engines, some non-blown XK8 motors. One feature not available on ordinary XK8s
‘Some sources claim that a standard paint finish was blended with pure gold, at a cost of nearly £2000 per litre, to create their livery’The Jaguar in action during Die Another Day, causing 007’s Aston Martin a little grief. Four-wheel drive made the XKR (just about) manageable on ice at high speed. The two automotive stars of Die Another Day pose at Vatnajokull.
was a central TV screen in place of the usual oil pressure gauge, clock and battery voltage gauges, bordered by buttons marked for thermal imaging, radar, mortars, mini gun, missiles and rams. This list of offensive options was a collaboration between the filmmakers and Jaguar, as both wanted the XKR to do slightly different things. The resultant on-screen machines were something of a compromise. But a very deadly and impressive one.
The very cold and changeable weather in Iceland made what was already a challenging job even tougher to achieve. It was a gruelling location. Temporary workshops were set up at Vatnajokull, using tents and containers. One of the tents was blown away before the cars even arrived from England. Despite the facilities being heated, the temperatures often struggled to get above zero. This led to frozen batteries, brakes that iced up, sluggish gearboxes and tyres that stuck to the floor. Just getting the cars out of the workshops was sometimes tricky enough, let alone getting them to perform any stunts. Trucks bringing equipment to the shoot from Reykjavik had to contend with appalling conditions on what was usually a four- or five-hour trip from the Icelandic capital, with three blown off the road en route. But eventually, the weather cleared enough to allow filming to properly get underway. The stunt driver of the Aston Martin was »
Ray de Haan, while behind the wheel of the Jaguar was George Cottle. He undoubtedly had the more demanding time of things; at least the Vanquish had a nice warm enclosed cabin while the XKR was an open convertible and about as inappropriate as possible for such a frigid environment. Unless being driven by evil henchman disfigured with diamonds embedded in his face, hellbent on killing James Bond, that is.
“The key element we need here is the fact that it’s ice”, said second unit director Vic Armstrong when discussing the filming. “I’m paranoid about making the audience realise that it is an ice
lake, so we’ve made all the moves in the chase ice orientated. In other words, they’ve got big spins and slides in them”. Remarkably, given the risks involved, there were two weeks of almost trouble-free shooting before the first major accident occurred. It happened to one of the Aston Martins rather than a Jaguar. Trying to go sideways through a tight gap between two icebergs, the Vanquish hit one and then spun into the other, effectively destroying the vehicle more effectively than any Jaguar weaponry. The XKR, following closely behind, emerged unscathed.
By necessity, the more dangerous
rams.
Inside a cosmetically modified XKR. From this angle, only the centre TV screen, with some intriguingly-marked buttons, suggested the car was something out of the ordinary.
An M134 minigun was the XKR’s most prominent weapon, which rose from under a cover behind the seats when called upon.
stunts had to be filmed back in England, at RAF Little Rissington as well as Pinewood Studios and other locations. On-screen, one third of the chase took place inside the melting ice palace, which resulted in thousands of gallons of water being dumped on the cars. Again, the driver of the XKR got the short end of the straw, with no roof for protection. The Jaguar’s electronics did well to survive the torrent.
In the finished film, the Iceland car chase occupied just eight minutes of the film’s two hours and 13 minutes runtime. But it was a stand-out sequence and one that resulted in as much good marketing for Jaguar as for Aston Martin. The XKR and the Vanquish were
equally matched in the film, and while it was inevitable that 007 would get the upper hand, the Jaguar gave just as good as it got. It’s memorable for all the right reasons, whereas the Vanquish is chiefly remembered for going a little too far with its invisibility gimmick. Besides, it had lots of Aston Martin competition from past and future Bond movies to overshadow it, while the only other major appearance of a Jaguar in a 007 adventure, (aside from as an incidental vehicle, see CJ Aug/Sept 2021 for the full story), wasn’t until Spectre in 2015. And the hybrid-electric C-X75 that pursued Bond through Rome in that was, like the Aston Martin DB10 it was after, not a car that could be bought, having been
cancelled before limited production was supposed to begin in 2012.
Post- Die Another Day, the XKR has continued to provide valuable publicity for Jaguar. It has been turned into models, most notably by Corgi, who continued its trend of miniature gadgets on its Bond cars by incorporating the concealed Gatling gun. Carrera also made a slot racing version and there have been remote control variants as well. As for the actual movie cars, the Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust has one of the cosmetically dressed examples, now road-registered S441 DNH. Its last outing notable outing was during the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Pageant in June 2022, where it was seen by over 13 million people on British TV, and many, many more across the planet. A second car is on permanent display at the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu, as part of its On-Screen Cars exhibition. The Dezer Museum in Orlando, Florida, USA, also has an example as part of what it claims is the world’s largest collection of 007 cars, aircraft and memorabilia while a fourth forms part of the globe-touring Bond in Motion exhibition, which recently opened at the Brussels Expo in Belgium.
While Die Another Day may not be retrospectively regarded as one of the better 007 celluloid adventures, it was successful enough when released two decades ago, with its $431.9 million worldwide box office making it the highest grossing Bond film ever at the time. And a Ferrari F355 GTS and Lamborghini Diablo get pushed out of a plane at the end, so it’s not all bad. If nothing else, Die Another Day proved that a Jaguar could be every bit as awe-inspiring and lethal as an Aston Martin. But readers of Classic Jaguar probably knew that anyway… ■
Driving in a dynamic fashion on public roads is a foolhardy pursuit. There are other vehicles, pedestrians and animals to consider let alone speed limits. Few have access to a private airfield, so is there be a safe environment for those who yearn to let loose, craving the invigorating freedom of speed in which to develop skills and understanding for the handling capabilities of their Jaguar?
You may have been aware of trackdays, assuming them to be the
preserve of the seasoned track god, thus evoking feelings of inferiority sufficient to dissuade a potential participant through the risk of personal embarrassment. However, novicefriendly events do exist and this feature recounts the experience of not just a trackday novice but that of Emma, a 27-year-old female unaccustomed to most forms of intense driving beyond the daily commuting battle in her tiny Korean hatchback. Having said that Emma has always been captivated by racing so the concepts
involved were not entirely alien and she had long-harboured a desire to learn the craftmanship of the track.
Luckily Emma has a father who owns Jaguars and was sufficiently malleable in the hands of his daughter to agree to loaning his precious XK8 convertible for this trackday session. In his defence, dad pointed out that her one-litre city car would provide its own learning opportunities but was quickly silenced by that indefinably persuasive ‘daughter look’. Thankfully though, this was no unrestricted track brawl,
but a carefully controlled occasion that, most importantly, included free professional instruction available before any dilletante needed to access the track for unaccompanied circuit driving.
The JEC TrackSport events comprise precisely the nurtured structure required to ensure the novitiate gains the optimum knowledge and enjoyment from the endeavour. The Jaguar Enthusiasts’ Club has long been involved in organising motorsport events and for 2022 devised a new initiative to broaden the field and make it accessible to a wider audience. JEC TrackSport was born, comprising trackdays, hill-climbs, sprints and navigational events to cater for every level of motorsport enthusiast, or indeed to make an enthusiast of those who may never previously have considered going out for a spirited drive in a controlled environment. You do not need to be a member of the Jaguar
Enthusiasts’ Club to take part, although discounts are applicable to those who are. All that is required to participate on a trackday is a driving licence, helmet (these can generally be hired on-site) and to have all limbs covered. Gloves are not necessary although favoured by many and light footwear is a bonus, so leave your work boots at home as they offer little in the way of feel on the pedals. Standard motor insurance policies will generally not cover trackday scrapes and, whilst not compulsory, there is peace of mind in taking out specialised cover for the event.
As for the vehicle, this may be a JEC Trackday but your car does not have to be a Jaguar and almost anything roadworthy from classic to modern will suffice. On this day there were E-types, Mk2s, XJ40s and many more. All modern examples were represented too, some race prepared and others
totally standard daily drivers. There are sensible preparations to undertake before subjecting your car to the extra pressures of high-speed manoeuvres and these will be divulged in the next issue’s ‘Tech Topics’ - telling you all you need to know to minimise the risks.
This particular fixture in the calendar was at Wiltshire’s Castle Combe Motor Circuit, adapted in 1950 from the perimeter road of a former wartime pilot training airfield. The circuit was notoriously fast with lap records reaching 130 mph before two chicanes were added in 1998, amidst safety concerns, to reduce overall speeds. Today the circuit measures 1.85 miles and its sustained variety makes it the ideal venue to learn or practice your track craft.
The day commenced with signing on and vehicle noise testing. Most circuits impose strict sound limits to
avoid complaining neighbours and for Castle Combe it is 100 decibels. Our XK8 has a mildly modified exhaust system (the popular deletion of the rear silencers) but it still only tested at 85db so was well within limits. There followed the opportunity to obtain a hearty breakfast in the on-site café before a mandatory safety briefing by resident ARDS Instructor Tim Nash. Tim’s upbeat presentation outlined the day’s timetable, offered sage advice and an explanation of track etiquette. To ensure the safety of all participants, driving standards are rigorously policed and this is vital to avoid shattering the confidence of the newcomer. Trackdays are most definitely not competitive racing events. You compete solely with yourself and not others. The most important safety regulation concerns overtaking, which is only permitted on a given side and only on the straights, with such manoeuvres being completed before the marked braking cones. This rule is to protect the novice who has enough
to occupy them when negotiating corners than to be unsettled by the passing whoosh of a circuit king. Nevertheless, slower vehicles should defer to those approaching from behind when still within acceleration zones. It’s all common sense and encourages consideration for everyone involved.
Following the briefing it was time to head on to the track for familiarisation laps which took the form of attendees driving in small, linear groups behind the course car following the recommended racing line at a gentle pace. It afforded participants the opportunity to note the positions of the various coloured cones explained at the briefing that indicate when to brake, turn and the location of apexes on corners. Novices were then given exclusive track time to settle in and digest a few laps taken at speeds they were comfortable with before the big boys were permitted on the track to conceivably cause any
form of distraction. Hopefully, this recounting of the initial procedure to the day is reassuring to those of you who are considering a first trackday involvement. Bear in mind however, that if you were to book with another trackday provider, such a level of consideration for greenhorns may not be encountered. It is undoubtedly a feather in the cap of the JEC who are sensible to the needs of all abilities.
Familiarisation over and it was time to line up for the real thing with anticipation flowing liberally through the breeze. Those who were eager to launch from the pit lane lined up to enter their own personal fray. Those seeking guidance, like Emma, joined an adjacent line where the ARDS Instructors took each vehicle individually onto the track for tailored tuition. ARDS stands for Association of Racing Drivers Schools and the instructors are highly skilled in coaching drivers of all abilities. For this trackday there were two instructors on hand and Emma was partnered with a name familiar to readers of Classic Jaguar, none other than our editor Ray Ingman who is also the JEC’s tame ARDS Instructor. For the purposes of this account, we shall refer to him as “Racing Line Ray”. To call him “Racy Ray” would be to misinterpret his priorities… Emma instantly warmed to Ray’s amiable disposition and gentle persuasion and, with the rear-view mirror tilted to the instructor’s line of vision, Emma received the comfort of being able to concentrate on her driving without undue distraction. She deftly displayed an instinctive feel for the racing line, although initial laps saw Ray lightly guiding the wheel to suggest the optimum position, as he nurtured Emma’s latent
abilities to instil increasing confidence with every turn of the circuit. Something the JEC advise at these events is not to be out on track too long. This is counter-productive to both drivers and cars. Drivers can lose concentration and vehicle brakes can fade or become dangerously hot. It is recommended that 15-minute sessions are sufficient, allowing time to recompose, cool down and analyse the preceding laps. Obviously, it would be undesirable for all vehicles to be on track at the same time and Castle Combe Circuit limit track occupancy to a maximum of 12 cars at any one time. However, with the frequent rest periods no one need wait long before re-joining the action. This again is a plus point to consider when booking a track day. To be accompanied by an uninhibited number of vehicles would cramp everyone’s style and this JEC approved policy is an excellent precedent. There are cheaper trackdays available, but the circuit is likely to be busier and hence the experience frustrating.
A relaxed briefingEmma and Ray could be discussing what’s on the lunch menu
After initial tuition and unaccompanied driving exposure, Ray had suggested that Emma took advantage of further instruction (after all it is available free of charge at JEC events) and she accomplished several more laps under his tutelage during the afternoon. Nonetheless, to be accompanied by an instructor is to be
suspended in a bubble of serene control and it can be a very different matter on your own. Track time alone is very important as a means to learn from your errors of judgment and to absorb the positive qualities from observing others track users. Following a driver who is experienced and respectful is a valuable pursuit, even though
Front
they will soon leave you lagging far behind! Or you may catch another raw recruit who brakes too late or turns in too early and with your ringside seat can watch the ensuing struggle as they attempt to get back on line. The science behind the art of track driving is fascinating and addictive.
In between driving circuits many took to the spectators’ banking, which at Castle Combe provides close and unrestricted views of the action and an alternative perspective to scrutinise the accuracy of those following the racing line on track. In addition to the resting drivers, there were other spectators because the JEC open these events to their members as a social gathering, free to go along and enjoy the spectacle. It’s a lovely gesture on the Club’s part. Not only that but passenger rides were available in a selection of racetuned Jaguars courtesy of the JEC’s partnership with Swallows Racing, an Independent Jaguar Specialist with a division devoted to preparing customer
cars for the track. In addition, these Trackdays are supported by the Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust (JDHT) who added considerably to the proceedings with vehicles from their collection that included the prototype Project 8, the former Nürburgring XJR ‘Ring Taxi’ and their TWR XJ-S European Touring Car Championship Winner, the latter undertaking several snarling hot laps to entertain the crowd during the lunchtime interlude. The JDHT attend these trackdays to exercise cars that are not road registered, others for testing and as an opportunity for their valued volunteers to gain track experience. It also promotes public awareness of the Trust and engenders
much goodwill. All these ‘extras’ come as part of the JEC TrackSport events and at no charge to the attendee.
The chequered flag fell at 5pm, the track suddenly silent, which was more than could be said of Emma who was bursting with adrenaline-fuelled volubility on the drive home, reliving her endeavours of the day. The occasion had exceeded every expectation with the balance of instruction, personal track time and interaction with participants of varying abilities declared as ideal. And that’s the whole ethos of these trackdays, they are for everyone regardless of the prowess of the driver, including you, because there’s one out there with your name on it! ■
Some cars defy the laws of physics and some don’t!
“...to be accompanied by an instructor is to be suspended in a bubble of serene control...”
Send an email to cj.ed@kelsey.co.uk or write to: The Editor, Classic Jaguar, Kelsey Publishing Ltd, The Granary, Downs Court, Yalding Hill, Yalding, Maidstone, Kent, ME18 6AL
I was interested to read Nichola Osborne’s letter about attracting younger members to our marque clubs. It is perhaps significant that although the plea is to do more to attract a youthful membership, there seems a dearth of detail about exactly what it is that would attract them. Assuming the wish is to get more twenties, thirties and forties to join, one needs first to examine what attracts members to groups. Indeed, why do people join or find themselves in groups? Surely, the key is common interest or interests. It’s not a wild assumption to assume that members join tennis clubs because they want to be involved with playing tennis or, in some cases, more indirectly, to make use of the facilities and/ or to enjoy the social aspects. There is a natural tendency for us to want to associate with others that have something in common. Car clubs are no different. In our case the common ground is owning a Jaguar car or cars. Both the JDC and JEC refine the commonality by offering subgroups - including model registers to make belonging even more exclusive. They also offer additional attractions like social and driving events. But everything on offer is predicated upon owning a Jaguar. As Nichola points out however, most younger people, given the opportunity cost, don’t want or can’t afford, to own a Jaguar. It’s hard to believe then, that we can compensate by having the additional facilities or running the right social events that muster the interest of non-Jaguar owning youngsters. Perhaps a heated club swimming pool or velodrome, or a series of music concerts might do the trick but, I guess not! One, not unreasonably,
might assume that if the clubs could organise something, they would have done so by now. So, that it seems, is that.
Is all lost, therefore? - Maybe not. A few years ago, my youngest daughter (then at university) spent time with a young Veteran Sports Car Club (VSCC) group. They seemed to have a jolly time wandering together around France in old motors. The key was of course that it was the youngsters that drove the cars, almost always unsupervised by the people who owned them. I’m not suggesting that that you immediately let your twenty-five year old loose to rove around the continent in your E-type but, well, almost that. If we want to have younger players, then mums and dads will have to let their offspring and, in some cases, their offspring’s offspring, use their old cars. I can recall a club event (not Jaguar) where under twenty-fives competed in a non-hazardous gymkhana, mainly in a parent’s car. It’s certainly been my experience that my daughters’ interest has been significantly awakened since they were able to use my old Jaguar sports cars. It’s even generated some technical knowhow; my youngest now knows the difference between a torque wrench and a flux capacitor.
Roger LearmouthHaving just read the latest issue of Classic Jaguar I can say that I totally agree with the comments made by Nichola Osborne regarding JEC and JDC. I have tried membership of both clubs and they are both heavily focused on the social aspects of membership along with regional events. I found JEC to be better on technical support mainly due to Ken Jenkins who on the one occasion I requested assistance was excellent and 100% correct which saved me time and money. JEC are far more active in North Devon (which is where I live) plus they have a very helpful regional chairman, but I am not a great fan of joining meetings or social gatherings, my main interest is the cars and information.
I own two Jaguars: a 1994 XJ40 V12 6.0 and a 1991 XJS Le Mans V12 5.3 converted to a 5spd manual. I have two sons in their 40s and the clubs have no appeal to them, but both are big fans of the XJS and regard the XJ40 as more of an old man’s car. If the clubs want to attract younger members, then I agree change is needed. I also own two series 3 Land Rovers and the clubs involved with these vehicles do attract a much wider age range of membership.
I should finish by saying I very much enjoy Paul Keating’s reports on the XJ40 restoration as I am a big fan of this very underrated car and I worked at JRT (as it was then) when this car was being developed. Thank you for an excellent read.
Hugh RobertsIn the last issue, we asked for your thoughts on Nichola Osbourne’s letter and the response from the major clubs – we weren’t disappointed!
The Jaguar drew up on the starting grid resembling a giant gift-wrapped birthday present. With effortless cool the driver broke into a toothy smile of sly invitation, dribbling slightly onto his lacy cravat and pimped out polyester suit as he breathed the words “Yeah Baby”. I was daydreaming again, visualising myself as stunt double to Tom Cruise on the set of “The Leaping Spy”, an imaginary Austin Powers movie with
a Jaguar theme. Back to reality and it isn’t half bad, because the real world does actually see me on the track at Goodwood, in the Austin Powers XK8, thankfully minus the polyester and with Tom Cruise nowhere in sight. However, extraordinary good fortune has come my way as I have blagged a few minutes for a photoshoot in the company of the Goodwood ARDS Instructors. This is the power of big-screen stardom. Not mine naturally, but the Jaguar’s.
As a classic Jaguar enthusiast visiting the British Motor Museum, you will have been drawn by the Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust’s (JDHT) vehicle collection on view, amongst which this Union Flag bedecked XK8 normally resides. To be honest, sporting this livery it’s difficult to miss. In truth this is not the actual “Shaguar” involved in the film, which was left-hand drive and now resides at a museum in Texas. Nevertheless, that car was supplied by Jaguar and,
Who thought that Peter Simpson harbours delusions of being a reincarnated 60s British spy? He takes the Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust’s ‘Shaguar’ on a South Downs tour to bolster the fallacy…Flying the flag at Devil’s Dyke
following press releases identifying that the XK8 would replace the 1970 E-type utilised in the previous films, sales of the model were boosted. Jaguar realised the value of publicity on this side of the Atlantic and duly grabbed a car from their fleet to serve as a promotional celebrity. The film in question was “Goldmember” the third in a series of spoof spy capers that were hugely successful in their day, this final release taking five times its budget at the box office. That’s a lot of dough baby. Whoops, I slipped into character again.
I was blessed to secure use of the car as part of my current project to compile a touring guidebook to Britain and Ireland. Some of the tours are being undertaken in my personal E-type (see page 54) and I am also employing a number of JDHT cars, all of which have considerable distinction, with the character of certain vehicles being particularly suitable for specific regions of the country. For example, in the last issue of Classic Jaguar I stepped back in time, driving the Trust’s 1935 SS1 Airline through the timeless backwaters of the English Cotswolds. The next venue on my list was the South Downs and I began to consider the personality required to convey the spirit of the district.
The South Downs are not characterised as a mythical domain of pointy mountains piercing the sky, in fact the highest point of the Downs is below that of some buildings in London, nonetheless, this designated national park is an enchanting picture of a precious, unspoilt landscape, a fundamental ingredient in the diverse scenic backcloth of Britain. There is a peculiarly English feel to the South Downs; perhaps it’s the proximity to
the sea, the rolling green hills or rippling chalk cliffs. This precise combination inspired William Blake, whilst residing here, to compose the immortal words that subsequently became the rousing
anthem “Jerusalem”. For a tour that embodies the essence of England it struck me that there could be no finer conveyance than a British built Jaguar emblazoned with the Union Flag. Thus, the Austin Powers XK8 was chosen!
In the main the Union Flag XK8 is a standard 2001 car fitted with the 4-litre V8 engine. To add visual drama, other than the striking livery, the car was fitted with colossal 20-inch R-Performance Detroit wheels, originally designed by BBS for the concept XK180 at its North American Motor Show launch (ironically, in Detroit!).
To complement the impressive alloys, braking was uprated with Jaguar badged Brembo callipers and crossdrilled discs. In reality the car actually only featured in the opening scenes of the movie when it was driven by Tom Cruise, not the film’s lead actor, Mike Myers. The XK8 was subsequently gifted to the Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust
and is now in much demand for public appearances at car shows and events.
I fully intended to watch the film before embarking on the tour, although after enduring the promotional trailer I concluded that the humour was perhaps not quite my cup of tea. Therefore, do not consider this feature to be a homage to a movie, but to the representation of the national spirit for England's green and pleasant lands.
The South Downs comprise an upland chain stretching from the venerable city of Winchester to the seaside retirement heaven of Eastbourne. Our route meandered through the hills, commencing by the statue of King Alfred the Great in the heart of the ancient Wessex capital and terminating on the crest of Beachy Head’s awesome sea cliffs; a one hundred and twenty-mile trail of enchantment.
In Winchester, the compact old town clusters around the magnificent cathedral, yet within minutes we were amidst open countryside making our ascent onto the downlands with the promise of a varied drive ahead. Few roads follow a course along the crest of the downs and those that do are cloaked in deep woodland, stifling clear views. For this reason, the early part of the tour made use of an 'A' road, which is in reality the best option, affording open skies and fluid driving.
The A272 features in several lists of great driving roads, so we expected to encounter the odd enthusiastic driver, especially motorcyclists heading to the popular Loomies Moto Café near Petersfield. The XK8 didn’t look out of place there either, surrounded by leather, chrome and beards. Bikers see the appeal of a V8 too.
Our tour took a loop around the Goodwood estates, which are extensive and immaculate, from the beautifully situated Goodwood Park Racecourse (the Glorious Goodwood meeting could not be more aptly named), to the imposing mansion of Goodwood House and the historic Motor Circuit, the latter with a relaxed entry policy on all but paid-event days. Our visit in the Union Flag XK8 was particularly propitious and I gratefully acknowledge Goodwood's hospitality for the exclusive photoshoot opportunities. Even some of the staff came out from the tower to pose for photographs with the car.
As an aside, you can read about how an XK8 how copes when driven purposefully on the track on page 28 but suffice to say the Brembo brake upgrade fitted to this Austin Powers edition would certainly have been appreciated on my own XK8’s trackday at Castle Combe!
My previous visits to the Motor Circuit
“...to actually be here, driving a motorised emblem of Britain around this hallowed track was deeply emotive.”Goodwood’s Chief ARDS Instructor Jack Layton strikes a familiar pose
If you’ve got it, flaunt it
had been for the Revival weekends held each September, where I was merely one flat-capped attendee amongst many thousands of period-dressed public. However, the racing of classic cars at the Revival is intoxicating and to actually be here, driving a motorised emblem of Britain around this hallowed track was deeply emotive. One would expect after this high
point that the tour ahead would be an anti-climax, but a mixture of wooded rural lanes, B-roads and short blasts on faster highways provided continuous interest as we progressed further east watching the hills transition in character, becoming less-wooded, steeper-sided and more occasionally revealing the chalk under their skin. A high point of an alternative nature was provided
by the Devil's Dyke, a commanding viewpoint only five miles from Brighton. This proximity assured popularity and in Victorian days the site became a theme park boasting a funicular railway, cable car and fairground rides. In modern times most traces of commercialism have gone, with people now drawn to the fresh air activities of walking, picnicking and paragliding.
The ostentation of our XK8 certainly drew much attention, although the disappointment at viewing its less flamboyant driver was incontestable. Perhaps I should have visited a fancy dress shop before embarking on this outing. The car’s colour scheme makes a loud statement, whereas the muted appearance of a standard XK8 generally only raises acknowledgement from the initiated. The XK8 was the spiritual successor to the E-type and its design respects the concept of sporting heritage whilst incorporating the interim decades of grand touring expertise learned from the XJ-S. Early E-types were raw, potent machines whereas the XJ-S was a silent cruiser and the XK8 artfully blends the essence of the two models. It is a lithesome, elegant car and whilst some critics have accused the styling as being dated since day one, that’s a sure sign of distinguished recognition when it becomes really old. There’s a logic in that somewhere.
Returning to the foot of the hills we
changed pace with an amble through the centre of Lewes, a town displaying a mixture of traditional architecture amidst a jumble of narrow streets, where the car presented a striking contrast to the pastel shades of the painted buildings. As the downs again made their call, we became enveloped by peaceful countryside teeming with hidden treasures, such as the manor house of Glyndebourne, behind which looms a vast world-class opera house.
Civilisation briefly intruded at Seaford, soon to be replaced by the Seven Sisters Country Park and the dramatic Birling Gap. Here you can access the beach and chalk cliffs in spectacular close quarters. The final stretch of road climbed past the Belle Tout Lighthouse, long decommissioned due to cliff erosion and now serving as a unique B&B. The road is set back from the sea, although numerous laybys provide easy access to the cliff edge path. After the final twists of a section known as ‘The Zig-Zags’, the precipitous cliffs of Beachy Head marked the thrilling terminus of an excellent tour.
The XK8 and its later XKR supercharged version are steadily becoming the modern classic of choice for the Jaguar owner and with good reason. The deployment of the brandnew V8 engine in this model was inspired, guaranteed to woo the allimportant American market. The design language was unashamedly retro but brimming with up-to-date technology, delivering oodles of character, comfort and refined power. For a Jaguar whose oldest survivors are just twenty-seven years old it has the presence of an
enduring classic, belying its tender age. In a field of E-types it does not look out of place and that’s praise indeed.
As for this Union Flag XK8, it is maintained in road ready condition and normally driven to the many events it attends each year, consequently the few
hundred miles I added to the odometer were digested with no ill-effects. The car is quiet, compliant, yet poised and responsive when called upon. Driving an XK8 is to be always in a happy place and driving this extravagant example induces a constant chuckle. ■
Making a statement: The impressive Detroit alloy wheels
“...our XK8 certainly drew much attention, although the disappointment at viewing its less flamboyant driver was incontestable.”
Trevor Bowkett has some previous E-type ‘form’ with Classic Jaguar, back in the April/May 2019 edition we experienced a very low mileage Series 3 V12 coupe that he had owned between 2006 and 2017, adding just 3900 miles to its tally during his tenure. This seems positively astronomic when compared to the 2 miles he has covered since the rebuild of the E we see here. So, what is the story behind this hybrid model?
Trevor’s first E was a 1966 4.2 purchased in 1975 and used on a daily
basis for commuting to work. Then in 1978 he bought a carmen red 3.8 flat floor fixed head for his wife. They were used as a ‘his and hers’ daily drivers, but in honesty, the aging recalcitrant Moss gearbox and Kelsey Hayes brakes made the car “a bit of a handful” due to the dexterity required to ensure safe progress in modern traffic. Corrosion decimating its integrity forced its sale in 1979 for £2000. It was immediately replaced another more user friendly maroon 1966 4.2 Series 1 coupe with 50k miles ‘on the clock’. This was also used day in, day out reliably undertaking both pleasure use, including road trips to Cornwall, and the daily 20 mile
round trip commute to work. In 1980 when business started to demand regular trips from Wolverhampton to Chichester, the time came to retire the E from front line service. The car was laid up, put to one side awaiting the day he had time to restore it. In the meantime, the aforementioned V12E came and went, temporarily scratching the E-type ownership itch. Later in 1980 whilst working away in Chichester, Trevor contracted Guillain-Barre syndrome, a nerve related disorder which can result in paralysis. This was an extreme case, and he was diagnosed with only weeks to live! Something of an impediment to future E-type restoration, but luckily
Trevor has a very positive attitude to life. I’m sure lesser people (and that includes me) would have accepted the inevitable at this point and given up. Amazingly, feeling returned and normal life resumed in gradual stages, proving that the medical profession isn’t totally infallible – happily.
Trevor’s work life has always centred around engineering, working
predominantly for consultancy company, Telford Management Services (TMS). The company was located by the River Severn in Bridgnorth, now most famous for being the location of SNG Barratt… In 2001 he ‘brought the company’ (TMS, not Barratts!) that at the time was retained by such famed organisations as JCB, Honda and not least of which, Jaguar! All of which ultimately left
little time to progress the E-type.
In 1981 as part of his employment, he was charged to visit Weathershields Ltd. located in Birmingham, that had, in the past, been an OE supplier of hoods and frames to the local motor
industry. His mission was to rationalise their procedures and premises. The serious work of the day done - helpful chap that he was - Trevor offered to supervise the clearance of a storage area. As work proceeded, what was revealed under the boxes but a new S3 roadster bodyshell! It was in factory salmon pink primer, complete with doors, chrome window frames and windscreen (cracked) with top rail and catch receivers. Somewhat ironically, the car didn’t come with a hood frame! A quick appraisal revealed a totally ‘as new’ shell (it had never been outside), suffering from a few minor dents, probably caused whilst in storage. The assembly had been used as a fixture to check the fit and finish of hood and frame assemblies, prior to their dispatch to the Browns Lane production line.
Trevor enquired of the Works Manager “what was the intention for the shell”? The answer was “the scrapman is coming along later to collect it – if you want it, you can have it for scrap value,
but it must be removed today” … Scrap steel was making around £40/ton at the time and the Manager estimated the E was 1/2ton. Never so quickly was £20 extracted from Trevor’s wallet! A large hire van was procured, and the bodyshell recovered to a place of safety. Incidentally, the clearance operation also revealed an MG Midget shell in a similar condition, which found a grateful home with another TMS employee.
Safely stored alongside the ‘donor’ car, the following years were filled with the acquisition of parts in readiness for the restoration. An early find was a ‘New Old Stock’ bonnet, located in Hull, but at £200, well worth the journey! Much use was made of the SNG Barratt company in its early years, they supplied the OE hard top was one of two remaining, and a hood frame was also acquired at the same time.
A house move to Shrewsbury intervened in 1983, and many years were spent on house restoration – on the upside, a large garage was part of the deal and at last the project was housed all in one place.
The tempo stepped up in 1990 stripping was completed and a personal rebuild of the engine and suspension undertaken.
The high degree of progressive development Jaguar employed when advancing from Series 1 through the comparatively mildly modified S2 to the more heavily re-engineered V12 S3 played into Trevor’s hands. The fact that Jaguar had planned, catalogued and produced prototype examples of a six cylinder S3 variant, meant that no problem was insurmountable. For instance, the bulkhead retained a great many captive nuts that are usually unused on the factory model. This allowed such components as the mechanical throttle linkage of the S1 to be employed, instead of having to »
adapt the V12 cable setup. The front and rear suspension and braking system is totally S1, save for the substitution of the small Dunlop front caliper for a large four-pot Zeus upgrade (below). The front frames bolted straight on, with the exception of adaptor brackets fabricated to narrow the gap between the wider based top inner frame mounts (below right). The car was finally finished to ‘roadworthy’ condition in 2008 and MOTd. The shell was not stamped with any chassis number (usually located near the pedal box on S3s), after all it was a ‘spare part’! When the time came to register the vehicle, following a DVLA inspection, it was considered that such a high percentage of the original car was used, the 1966 identity could be retained.
Trevor has adopted a ‘clean styling’ approach: the bonnet is unadorned with the standard stick-on numberplate or chrome grille surround. At the back, the bootlid is unadulterated by any badging. It makes the car distinctively ‘different’ in a way that you can’t immediately put your finger on. Staying in that area, he has used the splayed S2 rear silencers, finding their way around the rectangular numberplate.
The engine bay is predominantly standard S1, but latter ribbed camcovers replace the standard polished items and a highly efficient 18” Kenlowe fan is fitted in the standard fibreglass cowl in lieu of the feeble single blade unit. The opportunity was taken to fit an uprated alternator.
The Motor Wheel Services supplied S2 ‘straight hub’ 5”x15” chrome wire
wheels are fitted with the S3 sized tyres – 205/70x15, not the OE Dunlops, instead Pirelli P4000s. The use of standard S1 suspension and 5” wheels give the S3 flared wheel arches a somewhat underfed appearance.
Opening the boot reveals a factory S1 fuel tank and externally mounted ‘single’ SU fuel pump. A S3 bonnet support gas ram replaces the S1 counterbalance spring arrangement. As can be seen in the images, a hood has never been fitted, but in case the need ever arises, the required parts are secreted in his garage.
The car is always stored in a notably dry, carpeted garage – frequently moved to avoid tyre flat spots. It is kept ‘on the button’ but in view of its low post rebuild mileage, I did not consider a road test was appropriate.
In case you are wondering, the forgoing is not the usual elaborate advertisement to sell this unique E, despite Trevor deriving pleasure from the build process, “the thrill of a fulfilled chase and dream” and not having any ambition to add to the minuscule mileage. The intention is that this heirloom will stay in the family. The difficult decision of which of his two children and three grandchildren
will benefit has not yet been decided! n
“...the scrapman is coming along later to collect it – if you want it, you can have it for scrap value.”
Ending one year and beginning another at the NEC
The Jaguar Drivers’ Club ended 2022 on a high with one of the best-ever stands at the NEC in November for the Lancaster Classic Motor Show. The Club moved up in the world, too, with a much bigger stand in Hall 1, with room for three extra cars in addition to our six finalists in the Champion of Champions concours. And although the winning XK120, belonging to father-and-son duo Mike and Matt Birtwistle, attracted a lot of attention – even from Richard Hammond (ex of Top Gear) – the real showstopper was Nigel Webb’s spectacular V12-powered XJ220. Other visitors included one of our newest members, Sir David Suchet, and our Club President Sir John Egan.
It will be a hard act to follow at the NEC Restoration Show on 24-26 March but we’ll give it our best shot. In the meantime, the Club will be attending Jaguar Spares Day on Sunday 5 March at the events exciting new venue in Malvern. The Three Counties Showground has amazing facilities, set in the heart of the beautiful Worcestershire countryside, and the perfect venue for the biggest Jaguar parts and spares market in the UK. Traders and private sellers are welcome and it’s not only the
ideal opportunity to locate that vital missing restoration part but to offload some of the unwanted bits lurking in the garage. You can book a table at info@jaguarsparesdays.co.uk and if
you’re simply browsing, just turn up on the day – doors open at 10:00am.
For the latest updates on events for 2023, go to www.jaguardriver.co.uk or see our Facebook page. ■
At the end of November 2022, we were recovering from celebrating Tony O’Keeffe’s 60th birthday.
Unfortunately, I don’t have any pictures to illustrate this great event – I couldn’t seem to hold the camera steady (I have no idea why…) but must thank Tony (formerly of the Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust) for allowing us to share his birthday celebrations - and great selection of wine and spirits!
This was in sharp contrast to the previous November when we were not celebrating, as we and the Jaguar fraternity in general had lost a devoted enthusiast, Colin Manconi.
We had some fabulous times with Colin and miss him very much, he was one of a small band of close friends who attended every Jaguar event I can think of, I can still see him smiling and laughing now – always immaculately turned out and grumbling when the trouser press or iron in his hotel room
didn’t work! A gentleman and team player, doing more than his fair share to ensure that everyone was looked after at events, for example, at the NEC he would raid the bakery stall at closing time and come back with a massive tray of cakes for everyone! He always had some great stories to rival my partner Rob Jenner’s, and also loved to relate some of Rob’s own stories whenever the opportunity arose! In fact, over the years, some of the stories became intertwined through shared experiences.
Colin maintained his cars in superb condition – an E-type, XJS and X100 XKR, all of which he had owned from new, however, there are plenty of these cars about, so it was his XJ220 that I always knew I could rely on if I needed one for an event or a parade.
In 2017, I selected Colin’s XJ220 for the Royal Windsor Jaguar Festival - it was to be one of the first cars in the parade, but his usual dedication to duty saw Colin still marshalling in the car park
at Frogmore and missing his place. Finally, he was able to get away, bringing up the rear of the parade!
The event over, it was Colin and I who marshalled everyone out of Frogmore via The Queen’s private driveway, in a tight convoy, led and followed up by Royal Household Police. Finally, with only Colin’s XJ220 and Brucie (my X300) left at Frogmore, we were free to go before the gates were locked at a strictly imposed deadline. As I sat in the Range Rover, with the Head of the Royal Household Police, I watched as the heavily armed members of the RHP Force stepped out in front of the XJ220. Even the Head of the RHP was perplexed for a brief, tense moment, before realising that they were posing for a photograph!
2017 being the 25th anniversary of XJ220 Colin’s car was one of 40 in a parade on the circuit at the Silverstone Classic and, later that year at the NEC, Jim Randle and Keith Helfet were invited to replicate the 1988 unveiling of the XJ220. We used Colin’s XJ220, and having performed the task several times over for the delight of the assembled audiences, Jim and Keith signed the inside of Colin’s XJ220 bootlid before leaving - something Colin was understandably very proud of!
Last December, at Colin’s funeral, Rob Jenner was greatly honoured to have been asked by Michael, Colin’s only son, to read a eulogy celebrating Colin’s life as a Jaguar devotee.
RIP Colin, you are greatly missed. ■
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The historic vehicle community has a bright future ahead of it. Despite the recent headline grabbing hysterics of climate extremists, the celebration of transport heritage has never been more popular. Emerging technologies around fuels, the development of heritage skills apprenticeships and the drive towards a ‘make do and mend’ lifestyle over consumption all give us much to be positive about.
Indeed, many of those in power, who create the legislation that shapes our roads, also feel there is a place for transport heritage on the roads of tomorrow. This is clear to be seen from the exemptions on ULEZ zones for historic vehicles and the securing of supplies of E5 on forecourts. These are all indicative of the power and influence we still have as a sector, via the clubs and our lobbying bodies like the FBHVC. Not to mention the fact that we contribute over £7.3 billion to the UK economy, despite covering a mere 1,200 miles a year on average. That figure, by the way, is less than a quarter of one percent of the total miles travelled on the UK’s roads, meaning our impact on carbon output is immeasurably tiny. It’s insignificant even before all the current initiatives to offset carbon emissions by planting trees with the FBHVC and Tree-V and develop net zero fuels for example.
On the NEC Classic Motor Show’s Live Stage, during the panel session on the future of classic car clubs, the
big question put to me was: What did I feel was the biggest threat to clubs in the future? The honest answer was our ability to evolve, to adapt to the changing needs of new generations of classic car owners, to offer them value and most importantly – encourage young people to engage with the hobby and its community. That’s the real challenge that faces the movement for the immediate future.
Luckily the Jaguar Enthusiasts’ Club is forward thinking in this respect and have already formed a Young Enthusiasts’ division of the club, for young people, run by young people. Then recently, came the next step, as the JEC launched a new insurance offering that offers true membership benefits for everyone in the club, but especially young Jag fans. That new scheme is called ‘Jaguar Enthusiasts’ Club Insurance’ and it has been developed by Jaguar enthusiasts for Jaguar enthusiasts in partnership with Peter James and gives members access to a range of benefits that you they are unable to find elsewhere.
Peter James Insurance are well known for their provision of specialist classic and vintage vehicle insurance and have been at the heart of the historic vehicle community for many years. Peter James also understands how crucial it is for organisations, like ours, to ensure we are well funded through commercial partnerships to ensure we can invest in club activities on the one hand, and on the other, are continuing to offer
exclusive membership benefits to add value to the annual subscription.
The insurance benefits now include member to member cover, laid up cover, self-repair options, multi-vehicle with the daily driver and favourable premiums. But it offers all this, whilst also providing insurance solutions for younger club members – either as Jaguar owners, or as additional drivers on their parents’ vehicle, plus cover for club organised track days as part of the JEC TrackSport programme.
As the largest Jaguar club in the world, the JEC is committed to enhancing Jaguar ownership for its members. A key benefit, especially in the current climate, is also enabling members to keep costs of ownership as low as possible both on and off the road without comprising on the quality of service – including insurance.
Jaguar Enthusiasts' Club Insurance was officially launched at the NEC Classic Motor Show, with a talk by Richard West on the success of TWR Jaguar, presented next to the 1988 Le Mans winning XJR-9, in the 40th anniversary year of Group C. Then followed the opportunity to gather over a glass of fizz and hear from the scheme manager Dave Youngs about the bright new future we are building for members of all ages here at the Jaguar Enthusiasts' Club.
Come and join in the fun via www.jec.org.uk where you can also read more about Jaguar Enthusiasts’ Club Insurance. ■
Peter’s E-type gains a title, and he becomes uncharacteristically precious over its appearance – that doesn’t last long, though…
WORDS & PHOTOGRAPHY: PETER SIMPSONKermit, my emphatically green E-type was elevated to nobility during our recent tour of the Highlands and Islands, when a character named Lord Kermit appeared in a novel my daughter
happened to be reading at the time. Evidently this was predestined or maybe the author had been inspired by my modest contributions to Classic Jaguar magazine and borrowed the name for his dashing hero. As if vitalised
by this dignified status (Lord) Kermit has continued to perform flawlessly, although my definition of the word is qualified by a lifetime of mechanical misfortune where one hundred percent perfection is a myth. Nevertheless, the only minor issues to develop were a mild pulling to the left and a niggling vibration at speeds above 60mph. This was curious because the identical steering defect had been banished when my trusted garage (Smallman Hall of Bridgnorth) had comprehensively re-aligned the steering geometry. Subsequent investigations confirmed that the geometry remained sound and the wheel balancing spot on, but a simple cross-rotation of front wheels cunningly resolved both faults. Voila!
For full disclosure I am perhaps culpable for this occurrence through parsimony. Lord K’s tyres are getting on a bit, although boast generous tread depth and exhibit no traces of cracking. If it wasn’t for the age stamp you would guess they were fairly new and this helped persuade me to keep them and concentrate expenditure elsewhere. Nonetheless, despite apparent visual perfection, rubber hardens with age and compromises the running characteristics so it looks like the end of the road has come for these aged Pirellis.
As the organiser of the monthly Jaguar Breakfast Club (my self-appointed roles include Global Events Director and Dogsbody), I am privileged to literally fly the flag at gatherings with the club banners adorning my Jaguars. Obviously having an E-type makes our outfit look almost professional and Kermit regularly takes the stage, such as the recent meeting held at the prestigious Jaguar Classic Works, home to the exceptional continuations, recreations and reborn projects for classic Jaguars. As a working vehicle, normally the car receives no more
than cursory oily rag preparation but the next showcase for the Breakfast Club was to be a stand at the NEC Classic Motor Show, where the harsh lights of the halls cruelly highlight any flaws in paintwork. I thought some serious advance cleaning would be prudent. With time pressing and lack of adequate equipment for a professional machine polish I entrusted Kerm to Elite Vehicle Valeting, a mobile service that works closely with Smallman Hall. The results were impressive and undoubtedly added a swagger to my presence on the stand when visitors asked if the E-type belonged to me. Club stands are an integral attraction at the Classic Motor Show because owners invariably display impressive examples from their membership pool and complement the trade presence to provide a fully rounded experience for visitors. If you have ever wondered about exhibiting your Jaguar at the NEC as part of a club stand the good news is that it costs nothing to do so. Whilst you do receive free garaging for the weekend, the price comes from your personal efforts to get it there on the Thursday and take it home on the Sunday evening. This entails either leaving the car with your colleagues on the stand or staying with it to keep an eye on your pride and joy. Thankfully most visitors to the show are respectful but there are always the clumsily inquisitive and unless you place the vehicle behind ropes you have to expect that people will touch it everywhere and try to open doors. Normally with ‘Kermit the workhorse’ that would not bother me too much, although after the detailing transformation into ‘Lord Kermit the Fair’ I was a little more protective!
Remaining in showroom condition did not last long because with winter looming, I was keen to resume countrywide explorations in pursuit of material for my next touring guidebook. One chapter I particularly I hoped to accomplish was an outing through the Chiltern Hills, which I consider to be at their finest under the glow of Autumn colour. A promising forecast saw my departure, although unfortunately the roads were filthy from recent storms, and cool temperatures at this time of year suggested little opportunity for drying out. As a result, the E-type was a muddy embarrassment by the time
Mission accomplished – Autumn in the Chilterns provides stunning material for Peter’s next touring guide
we got there and I wasted a couple of hours and several gallons of E5 forlornly searching Oxfordshire for a jet wash. There were plenty of brush car washes and ‘hand wash’ establishments but the fear of creating swirls on Lord K’s recently restored paintwork meant I would rather give those a miss. Driving across the Chiltern Ridgeway on the cusp of December saw me as the only classic Jaguar on the road, attracting astonished glances from on-lookers who are only accustomed to such visions on a balmy summer’s day. I well remember the horror of one owner I encountered when he discovered I actually use my E-type during the winter months, which he proclaimed as displaying a lack of respect for a vehicle that should be unreservedly pampered. Back in 1972 when my E-type was being built there was little
consideration given to rustproofing new vehicles and with inevitable consequences. Doubtless my own car had already succumbed to corrosion by the time of its restoration, however, that also included extensive underseal treatment and, in my opinion, the odd excursion on potentially salty roads can be carefully managed, particularly if the grime is washed off promptly. At home I use a sprinkler system for under chassis cleaning during the treacherous gritting months. It could be, therefore, that in the coming months my reports may include the sight of a noble E-type on snowy mountain roads, to which some will recoil in disapprobation while others might just be a touch envious. Please do write in and let us know your thoughts on winter driving for classics, addressing all vitriol to the Editor and any understanding support to me… ■
In its classic years Jaguar was run by gentlemen. Frank Raymond Wilton England (1911-1995) signed my treasured print of Terence Cuneo’s Pit Stop Le Mans 1953 neatly to “Eric – a memento of our good relations. Lofty”. Understated, genial, approachable and correct, we met quite often. You could scarcely say we were close. You had to be a good listener. Jimmy Stewart’s admiration was boundless although it nearly got off on the wrong foot.
“I first met Lofty England was in 1953 through David Murray and thought him pompous. He did talk down to people. He was so tall. He was a big guy in every way, a commanding man, and I thought, ‘I wouldn’t like to work for you’. When I did start driving for Jaguar and got to know him better, I realised there was a thoroughly gentle side to Lofty England. If he took a dislike to you, he could make life difficult. If he took a liking to you, and maybe I was one of the fortunate ones, he could be a tremendous character, a lovely man, a strong guiding light
in my life. We became great personal friends, and I spent many weekends with him and his family at his home. Away from the factory, away from the pressures, a different person.”
Service manager was something of a cover story. Educated at Christ's College, Finchley, England’s family moved to Edgware when he was 14, close to Bentley at Cricklewood. He was fascinated by Bentley chassis being tested along the straight A5 Watling Street but was turned down for an apprenticeship.
He had more luck with Daimler's London depot at Hendon and in 1927 began five years training that somehow stretched to driving a customer's V12 Double Six into second place in the first RAC Rally. He went to racing teams as a mechanic, working with Sir Tim Birkin at his Welwyn Garden City workshop under Charles Newcombe developing supercharged Bentleys. Birkin set a Brooklands record at 137mph but following his death in 1933 the Blower Bentley project collapsed.
Newcombe joined Whitney Straight’s team in 1934, wellfunded by the aeronautic Straight Corporation, it could afford England taking its Maserati 8C for servicing in Italy. Straight set a Brooklands record for 5 litre cars at 138mph and won the inaugural South African Grand Prix. In 1935 after Straight (later Air Commodore CBE, MC, DFC) married Lady Daphne Margarita Finch-Hatton it broke up and England was out of a job, so tried ERA at Bourne, Lincolnshire.
Frustrated at Raymond Mays’ customer relations he was dismissed and went to Richard Seaman, Britain’s most promising driver to work on his 1.5 litre double-overhead cam supercharged straight-8 Delage. One of the most successful racing cars ever, Giulio Ramponi converted it to hydraulic brakes for Seaman’s wins at Pescara, Berne, and Donington on successive weekends, which brought Alfred Neubauer’s offer to drive for Mercedes-Benz.
When Seaman sold the Delage to Siamese princes Chula and Bira, England went with it. Prince Chula ran the cousins' White Mouse Stable and during nearly two years ERAs R2B Romulus and R5B Remus were always immaculately prepared and successful along with a newer Maserati. The intention had been to rebuild Seaman's Delage, but England was fully occupied and impressed
with Chula’s style and efficiency.
He still maintained an active motorsport career of his own. A Douglas motorcycle from his father started him racing and he was second in the 1936 Manx Grand Prix, only turning his back on motor sport in March 1938 with a job at Alvis in Coventry. Promoted from service engineer to superintendent of the service department, by the outbreak of War England gained his first experience of management. Alvis was a military contractor so for the first two years of the conflict found himself in a reserved occupation, prohibited from joining the forces. In 1941 however he volunteered for pilot training and excluded from fighters due to being 6ft 5in, qualified as a bomber pilot. He became a training instructor to the USAAF in Texas until 1943, before returning to fly Lancasters bombing Germany.
Alvis suffered badly from Luftwaffe destruction of its factories and uncertain of its future after the war, Lofty got in touch with Walter Hassan, a friend from Brooklands and ERA days. Hassan worked at
Jaguar, now the name of the cars as well as the company. SS Cars had been the registered company 333482 until Jaguar Cars took over number 280990 on 9 April 1945. Lofty joined the Swallow Road service department in 1946 aged 35, just as William Heynes, and Thomas Wells Daffern of the Coventry Permanent Building Society joined Lyons on the board.
The quiet firm service manager was deeply trusted by Lyons. Lofty was cautious, convinced there were better ways to identify Jaguar with motor sport than spending time and treasure on a team of its own. He believed cars with works backing were always expected to do well and instead the service department set up sub rosa affiliations with private teams and drivers.
Responsibility for a motor racing programme was deliberately obscure. Goldie Gardner’s 1948 record car with its experimental 4-cylinder engine, Tommy Wisdom’s XK120 and William Lyons’s son-in-law Ian Appleyard’s XK 120 (above) were prepared either by the factory or a trusted surrogate. The practice was not wholly secret.
“Le Mans with the XK120s was very much a test to establish if the cars could stand up to 24 hours at racing speeds.”
It was just not made too obvious.
Recipients of advice gained quiet words with technicians or development engineers, access to experimental designs, and could acknowledge Jaguar’s polite interest but they had better not brag about it. This was a subtle arrangement that could be quickly and quietly withdrawn. England provided covert support to ostensibly private XK120s at Le Mans in 1950 (above right); aluminiumbodied cars sold in the ordinary way and expected to give a good account of themselves. William Lyons ostentatiously maintained his custom of attending the TT motorcycle races in the Isle of Man, lest the firm’s real interest in Le Mans was betrayed.
Six of the first batch of aluminium cars were sold to Ian Appleyard (NUB120), Leslie Johnson (JWK651), LH “Nick” Haines (MGJ79), Peter Walker (JWK977) and Tommy Wisdom (JWK988). The sixth (JWK650) was loaned to Clemente Biondetti. In 1949 three XKs were entered for a Production Car Race at Silverstone, Leslie Johnson winning at the wheel of HKV 500 (above left) –RMV Sutton’s Jabbeke record car converted to right hand steering -. Lofty England ran a tight ship.
He said: “Le Mans with the XK120s was very much a test to establish if the cars could stand up to 24 hours at racing speeds. The factory didn’t want to be directly involved in case they failed.” It was an approach that included the Targa Florio. Three of the four raced in the Mille Miglia and only went on to Le Mans after Leslie Johnson finished a creditable 5th.
Modifications were minor, befitting ‘private’ entries. Bill Heynes thought
them probably the most standard cars ever to run there. Only catalogued options were employed, such as aero screens, a cowl for the rearview mirror, lightweight seats and an additional fuel tank in the boot. Tools and spares were in a box on the passenger’s side, which had a metal cowl, contributing to an increase in weight of some 200kg (441lb). Paul Skilleter drove the Haines car in 1990: “The original engine incorporates the early ‘soft’ 7.9mm (5/16in) lift camshafts, small inlet valves and ‘tall dashpot’ carburettors – silky smooth almost from zero revs then gathering momentum from 3,000rpm, it provided a performance belying its modest spec.”
There was obviously concern about brakes. Changes included Ferodo and Mintex linings that did not wear out quickly, tougher Lockheed clutches, bigger dampers,and stronger halfshafts, ‘catalogued equipment’ such as special wheel nuts, extra lights included Lucas ‘flamethrowers’, and wiring connections were carefully soldered. “Faulty electrical connections lost us two or three places in the Mille Miglia,” but Le Mans was convincing.
By early Sunday Leslie Johnson/Bert Hadley lay 2nd when the Rosiers’ winning Talbot lost 40min replacing a rocker shaft, only dropping out when the clutch failed, a legacy apparently of Johnson’s standingstart practice during a warm-up. The Nick Haines/Peter Clark car was 12th and Peter Whitehead/John Marshall 15th, a clever rehearsal for participation with a works team.
In 1952 England and factory mechanics supported a high-speed endurance run at Montlhéry. Stirling Moss, Leslie Johnson, Bertie Hadley and Jack Fairman drove an XK120 coupé, William Heynes’ personal car, at just over 100 mph for seven days and nights to break nine speed and endurance records. The XK120 was still too heavy and aerodynamically compromised to have a chance of winning Le Mans, so a drivetrain in a lightweight chassis with a new frame and new bodywork developed by aerodynamist Malcolm Sayer created the XK120C (for competition), of 1951.
Lofty England's experience and strategic thinking required Moss and Jack Fairman act to as hare and draw others out. Moss posted a lap record of 105.232 mph before the car failed at 92 laps. The Ferrari and Talbot-Lago
competition failed too, giving Peter Whitehead and Peter Walker the lead, which they extended to nine laps.
In 1952 modifications caused overheating and all three works cars famously failed within an hour. In 1953 with improved engines and innovative disc brakes, the team won again. Improved reliability provided second and fourth places as well, confirming FRWE’s skill and organisation.
The Le Mans of Cuneo’s masterpiece entered motor racing folklore but the
tall team manager on the pit counter then had to spend time denying Jaguar had won with inebriated drivers. Lyons preferred higher moral ground than that. Duncan Hamilton’s autobiography Touch Wood came out in 1960, his late son Adrian cheerfully acknowledging, “… it just didn’t matter if in places it might be less than nitpickingly accurate — it captured the flavour of a bygone age in which sporting achievement alone was never enough without fun along the way”.
The other driver in the picture »
Anthony Peter Roylance Rolt, MC and Bar (1918-2008), won a Military Cross in defence of Calais as a Rifle Corps Lieutenant. Taken prisoner, and following escape attempts sent to Colditz, Rolt planned to fly out by glider. Heroic status was attained by his Le Mans co-driver, former Fleet Air Arm Lysander pilot James Duncan Hamilton (1920-1994). Hamilton felt driving in the 24 Hours Grand Prix d’Endurance far safer than what he had been engaged in between 1939 and 1945. Hamilton was, as it turned out however, not so much economical with the truth as reckless. Duncan Hamilton’s idea of fun was not everybody’s. Boisterous to the point of delinquency in wartime, his high-spirited perilous career continued in motor racing. He drove Talbots, ERAs and HWMs
and the Le Mans victory became the stuff of legend after their car was disqualified following a technical breach during practice. There had been, apparently, two Number 18 Jaguars on the track at the same time. A brief slip-up, no advantage gained, but the car was disqualified. Following final Friday practice team manager England lodged a protest and the Jaguar was duly reinstated.
It was, alas, too late to get in touch with the dejected drivers. They had “gone on a bender”, as Hamilton put it, and were nowhere to be found.
Incapable of sobering up in the cold light of next morning, their only cure for a substantial hangover was a “hair of the dog”. They not only survived one of the world’s most arduous motor races, but won at record speed, nearly 10mph faster than MercedesBenz the year before, and for the first time averaging more than 100mph. Hamilton claimed the only way they got through all 2540.3 miles was by refuelling with double brandies.
It was a story recounted so many times with gusto by Hamilton that Lofty England and Tony Rolt tried to refute it. Jaguar’s public relations department did its best and while it lost nothing in the telling at the Steering Wheel Club in Brick Street and crept easily into motor racing mythology in the press it was only hinted at. ■
NEXT TIME: The conclusion of ‘Lofty’ England’s story
Fast and challenging, Boreham could have been the UK’s premier race circuit, virtually equalling the speeds attained at Silverstone. And yet as the 1953 season was about to start, racing at Boreham in Essex was cancelled
WORDS & PHOTOGRAPHY: JIM PATTENJaguar were impressed enough with Boreham that they committed to the first onemake race for their XK 120 at the inaugural meeting. The list of XK 120 drivers was an impressive one from Roy Salvadori to Duncan Hamilton, Leslie Johnson and Ian Stewart.
The flat Essex countryside with its proximity to the English Channel was absolutely perfect for the erection of military airfields during World War 2. A 620-acre site of woods, fields and orchards had been identified in rural Boreham and was given over to the 861st Engineer Aviation Battalion of the United States Army. Working around the clock the gentle English countryside was transformed into an airfield with three runways, the longest at 6,000 feet. It took a year and became operational in 1944, in time for the D-Day offensive.
Like many airfields, it was simply abandoned after the hostilities to finally close in April
1946, when it reverted back to the use of growing crops by Co-Partnership Farms Ltd. Empty airfields were attracting the attention of racing and Chelmsford racer, Alan Rippon began to look at the potential of the Boreham site. Typically, the airfield was littered with broken concrete and debris. With a bunch of enthusiasts (he called the early settlers), they began to clear the site. The Essex police also showed interest with a view of teaching advanced driving techniques. Soon the
West Essex Car Club (WECC) became involved. A newly formed club, they had nowhere locally to exercise their interests. Competition secretary, George Matthews had been investigating various sites and in 1949, came to an agreement with Co-Partnership Farms to run speed events.
The first ever meeting was a sprint in the Spring of 1950, with an entry of some 100 cars, including officers from the Chelmsford Police Driving School. The main 6,000 ft. runway was used,
allowing a straight 1-kilometre standing start. Jaguar interest at this stage was limited but George Matthews took fastest time of day in his modified SS Jaguar 100, old number 8 (18008), at 76.74mph. Matthews would become Clerk of the Course for subsequent meetings. By 1951 and the second sprint, XK 120s were beginning to be seen in
numbers but the awards went to the many modified pre-war cars. Gordon Parker did rather well with his Jaguette, an SS 2 ½-litre engine, neatly fitted into a pre-war MG Magnette chassis.
Two-wheel action brought circuit racing to Boreham in September 1950 when the airfield’s perimeter track was used for the first time. Entrants included
John Surtees. The managing director of Co-Partnership Farms was quoted as saying: “I am delighted with the success of the meeting. Now we must go all out to build this track into something really big”. When the RAC announced that it would not renew its lease of Silverstone at the end of 1951, attention and hope turned to Boreham. Close to London »
with easy links, it could have been a natural choice. The first circuit race for cars on May 6th, 1951, included several XK 120s in the over 2,500cc event. Plagued by wet weather, something that would be ever present at Boreham, a good number of cars spun off, including several XKs. Hugh Howorth won in his XK 120, with the type filling four of the top five places. There followed the first ever race purely for the XK 120. By now though the weather was truly appalling, and the race was reported as a somewhat dull affair. This is reflected in the times. Howorth won again but some 8mph slower than his previous outing. In even worse conditions, Dennis Poore won the Formula Libre race in his Alfa Romeo 8C-35 at 80.36mph, Parnell managed 91.25mph driving his Maserati 4CLT in practice though! The rain proved impossible and in the final
sports car race, just about every car spun, allowing the 4.0-litre Darracq of Guy Gale to emerge as winner, Howorth a distant third in his recovering XK 120.
The reports of that first race meeting proved favourable despite the mayhem. All saw the immense potential. An optimistic reckoning of 50,000 spectators were said to have attended the second race meeting on June 30th, where a 20-year old Bernie Ecclestone entered the F3 race. The indefatigable Howorth was in action again, battling an out of class and supremely well driven Frazer-Nash of Tony Crook. Howorth clobbered a marker twice and in both instances lost ground, the second time would cost him the win. The third meeting on August 11th witnessed a more realistic estimate of a 20,000 crowd. Once again, the conditions were treacherous. The 10-lap William Lyons
XK race was full of drama as Howorth shot off in the distance, only to suffer a delay when he struck a marker drum, it became lodged beneath the car. Duncan Hamilton was through, while Wood and Craig apparently entered a corner simultaneously and did not emerge until some time later, both with damaged bodywork. Hamilton won the race in LXF 731, the green car featured here, with Jim Swift second in OVT 325, also featured. Roy Salvadori took an impressive third place with his standard road going car, in his first event since a huge accident almost cost him his life. Heavy rain drenched the unlimited sports car race, but it wasn’t enough to stop Duncan Hamilton crossing the line ahead of Leslie Allard’s mighty Cadillac engined car bearing his own name, with Salvadori in third place.
Those involved with the first race season at Boreham had every right to be pleased with themselves. The fledgling circuit had been mentioned favourably in high places and their events had attracted top names. But there were some negatives. Co-Partnership Farms suffered a loss, not helped by the huge 50% Entertainment Tax. But they saw the potential in the future and determined to carry on. However, the track surface had come in for some criticism as being unduly slippery, not helped by the unusually wet season.
At the end of the year, backing had been secured from the Daily Mail newspaper. Given that rivals the Daily Express had sponsored Silverstone, their reasoning had a sound commercial basis. The track was resurfaced, while Jaguar Cars sponsored a bridge over the track. Shell Oils meanwhile paid for a fine scoreboard. All the signs were for a successful 1952.
Boreham had never been blessed with fine weather but the first race meeting on May 17th, 1952, was an exception. Four XK 120s were listed to appear at this meeting. Archie Scott Brown was honing his skills on an MG TD, while the XKs were outpaced in the over 1,500cc sports car race as Ken Watkins won with a Cadillac Allard followed by Gale in a Mille Miglia Frazer-Nash both heading the Jaguars. More XKs were battling it out on June 21st, when Jim Swift headed Salvadori to win the unlimited capacity sports car race. The William Lyons XK 120 race proved an absolute humdinger, with the lead constantly changing. First Howorth led, then Salvadori before Howorth slid off – and then regained the circuit and battled back into the lead, only for Salvadori to get it back with Howorth leaving the circuit again. This was repeated throughout the race with Howorth winning by 1.2 seconds. Ian Stewart had come down from Scotland to wave the Ecurie Ecosse flag, and although going well, was hampered by a misfiring engine. The XKs were out again for the unlimited capacity race, this time with Oscar Moore winning in an HWM Jaguar ahead of Salvadori and Howorth in their XK 120s.
August 2nd marked Boreham’s first ever International Festival of Motor
Sport. Mike Hawthorn was to give a master class display as he battled his Frazer-Nash Mille Miglia against the more powerful Le Mans Replica versions, taking 17 places on the first lap alone. The track was wet, then dry as Hawthorn took Ken Wharton for the lead, only to be re-passed. But he was soon back again only to fall out with a failing clutch one lap from the end. It was a Le Mans style start for the large capacity sports cars where Jaguar faced Ferrari and works backed Aston Martin. Stirling Moss exercised another rapid start as he bolted away in the disc braked C-type. Other Jaguar drivers were not so fortunate with Duncan Hamilton being swamped by the field and Ian Stewart sliding off with unscrubbed tyres in the Ecurie Ecosse C-type, plummeting into the crowd through inadequate straw bales, causing injuries to seven spectators. The race carried on with Hamilton scything through the field as he passed every car up to second. But the drum brakes on his C-type were no match for Moss and they came home in that order. XK 120s did extremely well in an International field comprising Aston Martin and Ferrari, with Bill Dobson of Ecurie Ecosse bringing the Flag Metallic Blue XK home in sixth place overall.
The main event had Ferrari versus BRM with Hawthorn in a cheeky Cooper Bristol. In changing weather conditions, Hawthorn gave the might of Ferrari a real scare as he wriggled his way through to eventually take the lead. The smaller car drifted back as the track dried, but even so his supreme skill took him to a podium third place. Villoresi won with Landi second, both in Ferrari 375s. Hawthorn had driven with such skill that it was no surprise when he was given a
works Ferrari drive two-weeks later. Incredibly, after such exciting racing, the International Event was the last race for cars at Boreham. The decision not to continue came as a complete surprise to the West Essex Car Club, especially as no definitive reason was ever forthcoming. The 50% entertainment tax was crippling for any organiser, even with the healthy numbers attending Boreham. Hawthorn is quoted as saying the the inclement weather that afflicted the few race meetings could have also been a contributory factor. Certainly, more needed to be done around the circuit but that was the same for every track in the country. John Frankland, co-author of the excellent book on Boreham, has never been able to get the bottom of the closure and thinks that opposition from local landowners, other vested interests along with those reasons already quoted may well have contributed to the closure. The Ford Motor Company, looking for a testing ground, came on the scene in 1955 and were to buy the site outright. Whatever the reasons motor racing suddenly stopped. For just 30-months this rural track gave huge pleasure to many and became inextricably linked to Jaguar, where the marque had considerable success and was the scene of their first one-make race.
Boreham eventually passed from Ford to the Essex Police Force, where they operate the police helicopters. Our introduction came by former
police officer and friend to CJ, Kevin Collet. We’re extremely grateful to Chief Superintendent Simon Williams, who authorised unique access to the site and although much has now disappeared, sufficient remains to get a feel of the place, including the original control tower. JD Classics (a Woodham Mortimer Company) have handled several Boreham XK 120 racers. The Roy Salvadori XK was in for race preparation so was absent, but they did bring three other cars to the circuit. The John ‘Jim’ Swift car, (chassis number 660493); Duncan Hamilton’s XK registered LXF 731 (chassis number 660332) and the Ex-Ecurie Ecosse car, LXO 126 (chassis number 660578). There isn’t the scope to tell their individual stories but, in the meantime, we can only lament what might have been had Boreham continued. Another year could have made all the difference. ■
A huge measure of gratitude goes to John Frankland for the use of his files and access to his superb book. Without leaning heavily on the information, this feature would not have been possible. Copies of ‘Boreham, a history of the racing circuit’, are available at £12.95 post free from: info@ian-henry.com Thanks also to JD Classics for the huge efforts in bringing these three XKs along. www.woodham-mortimer.com
Paul has a cool option added, passes a crucial test and celebrates FVCs return to the road…
The engine was in, the electrics were functioning, no warning lights, and bit by bit the car was being reassembled. All clips and screws were meticulously put back on, replaced with better ones when needed and it was starting to look like an XJ40 again. Before the wings were put back on, a thorough waxing was applied to preserve the good work which had been done. The next big job whist the car was still mostly in pieces was to complete the installation of the air conditioning. When new, the ‘S’ trim cars didn’t come with air con as standard - you needed to opt for
Sovereign trim and above for thatand it seems the original purchaser of my car was happy to pay the extra £5,000 to have the 4.0 engine over the 3.2, but didn’t want to stretch the additional £1,950 needed for AC. It was a feature I was missing during the summer shows. With the help from XJ40 parts guru Naki Kouyioumtzis, I was able to obtain most of the original parts for the system, the rest was sourced from California of all places. We took the opportunity to upgrade the heater for the cold months, even though the car gets SORN’d for winter, we may as well do all we can to benefit the car whilst we had the
opportunity. All parts going in were genuine Jaguar/Jaguar approved and before we knew it, the gas was ready to go in. With no leaks present and ice cold air coming through the vents for the first time ever - another success in the restoration process! The next stage was the exhaust, which had certainly seen better days. I took the decision to put on a stainless steel exhaust, which will last a lot longer and benefit the car. I didn’t go for anything tuned or noisy, the car would sound just like it always did, but would have something tough, custom made, and be something which wouldn’t cause me any concern for a long time. David Marks had used
these exhausts before on a couple of his cars, so I was confident it was the right thing to do, and after the measurements were sent, a shiny new dual exhaust set up arrived. Another addition to the car was a brand new Jaguar Classic multimedia system, purchased from Jaguar parts collector Christian Lorence who managed to get a limited stock of these. I took the plunge, as I do all my big phone calls on long journeys and I really like to stream music from my phone. It’s a great bit of kit, and although you need the Hubble Telescope to see the screen, the navigation’s voice feature keeps
you on track, the sound is good too – I love it! With the interior reassembled, the final powder coating done for the last pieces of the engine bay, and all panels back on, FVC was ready for another big test…the MOT! David sent me a photo that morning of the car getting some fuel on the way to the test, and later on of the car sitting on the MOT ramp, it was a tense morning. This was going to be where we found out if all that time/effort and money (!) had worked: IT PASSED – and not one advisory! The feeling of pride and relief was huge. The car was driving extremely well, having had full gearbox
service, and the temporary engine was as smooth as a new unit – which it essentially was having had all new fluids and every moving part dissected before it went in. The time had come to bring it home, it was just a couple of short months before the big Shetland trip and I wanted to give it as much use as possible to make sure all was well after so much surgery. I took a train down to Nottingham and on arriving at David’s, I was greeted by a fully valeted car sitting waiting for me, it’s probably the closest you can now get to feeling like you were the new owner at the dealership back in the day. I’m
not ashamed to admit there was a slight watery eye, this was a big thing for me, and a car I had loved for over 10 years was saved, and it was now future proofed with the biggest work complete. There were still things to do, such as some paintwork and some rear suspension attention, but time and finances just didn’t allow it on this visit, but all the big stuff was done which was the most important. We opened the bonnet of the newest XJ40 engine bay in the world, and another big moment arrived, the ‘topping off’
ceremony was marked by applying a new old stock ‘Jaguar 4.0’ sticker on its rightful place in the gleaming engine bay. I let David take that honour, firstly because it was the end to this massive undertaking he had project managed
and worked tirelessly on for me, and secondly because I was a bit all over the place and probably would have stuck it on upside down and squint. With the keys in my hand, I hit the road back to Edinburgh…FVC was going home! ■
touch: David applies the 4.0 decal
“... it’s probably the closest you can now get to feeling like you were the new owner at the dealership back in the day.”
WORKSHOP
There’s a tapping sound from under the bonnet. Not the usual sound of wide valve clearances or general engine movements, but deeper, hollow almost, increasing as the revs rise. Be afraid. Be very afraid…
WORDS & PHOTOGRAPHY: JIM PATTENThe aforementioned and alarming noise is almost definitely a loose valve bucket guide, a common problem on later XK engines, more especially on the exhaust side, but also on earlier engines as they age. Inside the valve assembly on the XK engine, is the valve itself, valve seat, valve insert and springs. Between the valve stem and bucket is a shim, used to determine valve clearance size. The camshaft turns on a bucket, which fits neatly over the valve/spring/collet assembly, where to ensure precise and accurate
movement of the bucket as the cam activates the valve, is a guide insert, fitted to exacting tolerances.
Over the years, heat and abuse, cause a differential in expansion, resulting in a slight shift and loosening of the bucket guide. Potentially causing havoc, not to mention being an extremely costly job. Movement of the guide can arrest the bucket in the lower position, holding the valve in the open position. The rising piston will hit the valve causing mayhem. During manufacture, the insert is made to 0.003” oversize and shrunk
fitted into the cylinder head and precision bored to accept the bucket. However, according to anecdotal evidence, the wise folk on the production line considered the oversize too small and it was increased without recording the data. In later years, when many of these craftsmen had retired, and with nothing written in the records, the original sizing became the norm and bucket guides loosened after extensive use, especially if an engine had overheated. Various efforts to combat the issue have been used over the years. These include inserting
a grub screw through the cylinder head to deter the guide from moving. Or tie down clamps, where external bridge clamps are drilled and tapped into the ‘head to lock down onto the guide and prevent movement. These remedies alone are haphazard with doubtful results. Many engine builders incorporate these systems alongside new bucket guides during the engine reassembly as a precaution. Kits are available from the specialists, including SNG Barratt and Rob Beere Racing. Scare mongering time - If your engine has not been rebuilt in recent years and this issue has occurred, the chances are that it will require a full overhaul and outside the scope of this feature. Even if not, the solution is not simple as it requires the removal and partial overhaul of the cylinder head. We, of course, would recommend a full overhaul of the ‘head. It happened that Rob Beere was carrying out such an operation in their workshop. Their practice is to increase Jaguar’s original tolerance, following the Jaguar old boy’s routine. In simple terms, the cylinder head is stripped bare of camshafts, valves, springs etc. and heated to 110°C. The old guide inserts
are removed by either drawing them out or by machining. After letting the head cool, it is machined to accept the new 0.004 – 0.005-inch oversize inserts. The cylinder head is then re-heated, while the guides are frozen before being driven into place. Then with everything resumed to normal temperatures, the insert is machined to size allowing a 0.001-inch tappet to guide clearance. There is little point in doing a single
cam bucket guide. Once the machine is set up, it is just as easy to replace the entire set. Unless very recently done, then it is recommended that valve guides and seats are done at the same time. In short, do the whole job! There isn’t enough space to detail the cylinder head removal or refitting, but there are a few notes to consider. Tools needed are the top timing chain adjuster, camshaft TDC (top dead »
Slowly release the camshafts (they will be under tension) and remove each camshaft. Note that caps are numbered and should be returned in the correct place
Using this special tool, it will fit over the plunger to depress it while pegs locate in the shaft, to slacken the top chain
Either
The state of this bucket tells its own story and should be replaced
With the carburettors and exhaust manifold removed, the cylinder head nuts can be removed, not forgetting the ½-inch nuts at the front of the engine
centre) plate, valve spring compressor and torque wrench. The factory workshop manual gives sufficient detail about removal and refitting for the experienced enthusiast to manage. Although more expensive, the Cometic gaskets are the best and will keep oil leaks to a minimum. Slightly thicker than standard, they cannot be used on an untouched engine where the cylinder head has not been machined. That small increase in size lifts the cylinder head enough to render fitting the timing chains over the cam sprockets impossible. It is accepted that peripheral parts like carburettors, exhaust manifold, coil and hoses will have been removed, ready to carry out this operation. An engine crane has been used to lift the cylinder head, but it can easily be accomplished by two people.
Note that the images show different engines, but all are indicative of the basic XK unit, fitted to a wide range of models between 1948 and 1992. n
Thanks to: Machine work carried out and parts supplied by Rob Beere Racing. Website: www.rob-beere-racing.co.uk
Fit camshafts one at a time, for ease of setting clearances Always use new valve springs
Bearings fully oiled and camshaft rotated several times, the clearance is taken with the lobe fully upright
In the JP workshop, test shims of 0.070” are used to gain clearances
Thoroughly clean the engine block and fit a new head gasket. The excellent Cometic gasket will not be suitable for an unskimmed ‘head
Keep a chart noting gaps. Exhaust number 1 has a 0.034 clearance. Add to the 0.070” shim = 0.104. Minus 0.006” correct clearance = 0.098” shim, or ‘N’ in Jaguar’s code
Using a micrometer, always check the valve shims for size, even if they are new
Refitting the cam sprockets to the camshafts may take a few takes, turning the centre to align with the splines
This shows the sequence of tightening the cylinder head, once fitted to the block. Start in the centre and work out
Do not forget to fit new copper washers when fitting the ½” nuts to the front of the ‘head
Retighten the top chain to allow a small amount of slack. Too little and it will rattle, too much and it will whine and promote wear
Recheck the valve clearances and do not be surprised if they have changed. Refer to the manual for the right application as later cars had a wider gap
Dave’s interest in cars started by helping his dad keep a series of rusty Hillman Minxes on the road. His interest in engineering was encouraged as his secondary school had an excellent engineering department - where he was able to do O and A levels (pre GCSE!) in Engineering Design. This led to getting a place at Southampton University reading Mechanical Engineering. The student grant wasn’t super generous, so he got sponsorship from Perkins Engines in Peterborough. This was a 1:3:1 sandwich course, which meant a year at Perkins before uni. He got involved in several interesting projects such “Iceberg”. This was a diesel Rover V8, with road testing in Range-Rovers.
The sponsorship enabled him to run a car at uni. Dad had now moved on to Austin 1300’s, so his first car was a 1300GT. They weren’t the most rust-free cars around, so the engine (75bhp from 1275cc) found its way through 3 body-shells!
Returning to Perkins after uni, he worked in Noise, Vibration and Harshness (NVH), so when Jaguar were looking for NVH engineers, he went along for an interview. While waiting for the interview, he was distracted by a video of the TWR XJS’s winning the ETCC – interesting to note he’s now helping to maintain this very car at the JDHT.
He joined Jaguar in 1984, to look after Powertrain NVH. Initial work was on the AJ6 4 litre. A revised positioning of crank balance weights reduced crank bending at high speed, so the 4.0 was significantly smoother than the 3.6. He was promoted to Principal Engineer in 1990, looking after whole vehicle NVH on the sportscars (XJS initially). The main investigations included axle noise and wheel induced vibration (FYI -Dunlops were usually rounder than Pirellis!). While working on the 6 litre V12, investigations also started on the V8 (AJ26). This led onto the XK8 (X100) programme when he
looked after all aspects of NVH. It included night acoustic pack testing at the Ford Lommel test track, and several trips to ZF (near Lake Constance in Southern Germany) for gearbox pump noise. When the cars were tested in public, they had quite a bit of glass-fibre camo – a squared-off front end and an estate-style rear (similar to the Reliant Scimitar GTE). After the initial X100 programme came the XKR S/C. This supercharger whine was initially rather loud, so needed quite a bit of work to get through the legal drive-by noise testing requirements. While finishing off XKR, he also started work on X-type (X400) right at the start of that project, and he was to look after NVH on X400 to the end of production. After base programme launch, the next big development was X400R (3.0 supercharged). One of the major issues was again supercharger whine (it could be heard from 100 metres away when blipping the accelerator!). They found this was being radiated from the air to water intercooler on top of the engine, and a network of ribs on the casting fixed the problem. Unfortunately, the programme was halted as the company realised it needed a diesel rather more than a BMW M3 competitor. The parts were stored away and resurfaced later when built into the X400R estate currently in the JDHT collection - have a look under the bonnet and you’ll see the intercooler ribs they added!
For the diesel, they started with the Ford Puma engine, and were able to make use of Ricardo’s combustion expertise to make the car better for combustion noise than all its competitors. In parallel to this, he was also working on the estate, which turned out to be a great car. He got an early diesel estate as his management car and managed to hang onto it for 13 months.
While working on X400, he also looked after the Range Rover Evoque, right through the development process. In parallel with looking after these projects, he was also looking after all ‘passby’ noise development and testing, so got to drive and test all the JLR products. The hardest to get through the tests were some of the supercharged cars, but they were the most fun to drive!
Since taking early retirement in 2019, Dave has been helping out at JDHT, and has got involved in many great events, including Coventry Motofest and E-type 60 at Shelsley Walsh.
Thanks to friend of the Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust, and Swallow guru, Gil Mond, we were alerted to a Swallow Sidecar appearing on eBay. This wasn’t one of the iconic early Model 4 sidecars resplendent in polished aluminium, but a much later one from 1937 – a Model 8D Kenilworth. Not as handsome a looking product as the early ones but a Swallow nonetheless and one that plugs a gap in our Collection.
Swallow continued to build and sell sidecars even after they started making Swallow bodied cars, moved down to Coventry and morphed into SS Cars Ltd. Following the flotation of SS Cars, Swallow Sidecar Co (1935) Ltd was formed as a wholly owned subsidiary, under the management of Howard Davies with William Lyons designing the sidecars.
The Company continued making an average of over 100 sidecars a month although this was subject to seasonal fluctuations. As late as 1937 the model range increased from the 11 of 193536 to 12, including the newly launched Kenilworth, plus a new ‘universal Swallow chassis’, with car type springing. The Kenilworth was offered from 1937 to 1939 when war intervened.
Having checked that the photos of the Kenilworth on eBay matched the brochure images in our archive, we bought it and sent a couple of volunteers off to Wales, with our trailer, to collect our new acquisition. The seller was pleased that the sidecar was coming to the Trust for preservation. He knew some, but not all, of its history. The Chair (as they are known) had been fitted to a 1937 BSA M21 motorbike which was unearthed during the mid1960s at a property called Wickens Manor in Charing, Kent, having been there since at least 1945. Nothing is known of the Chair from 1938 to 1945 but it is reasonable to surmise that it was used during the war years, as a white circle has been painted on the rear of the fabric covered head – making it visible when used during the blackout.
The Kenilworth is unusual in sidecar design as it was built to take two passengers, one adult with a “child of normal proportions up to the age of eight years” seated behind. Because of the side hinged head (the official
name for the hood/roof), there is a small door to aid entry and although there are clasps visible on the outside of the head, there is also one on the inside so that it could be secured and, more importantly, released by the passenger from the inside.
Kenilworths were available in a choice of colours: Carnation Red, Black, Olive Green, Swallow Green, Maroon, Silver, Dark Blue or Ivory and “deeply upholstered in best quality Rexine” in
Blue, Red, Green, Black or Brown.
Our sidecar is in good condition for its age, probably helped by a lack of use for a long period of time. The Swallow chassis is in excellent order, needing only a basic clean. The Chair itself has the usual wood frame but the metal panels are all steel rather than the aluminium of the early ones and painted in dark green – which we believe to be the Swallow Green. The hinged head is covered in green Rexine with the internal panels all cream coloured and the windows being made of flexible celluloid. While the head frame is in good condition the front side windows were covered in very fine, light coloured, dust and there »
were tiny holes in some of the Rexine revealing evidence of woodworm. We will conserve rather than restore the whole sidecar. On the body this means just cleaning down the paintwork gently and removing the roughest of the surface rust. We won’t eradicate the rust completely as it tells part of the story of its use, with rust streaks
up the right-hand side of the body caused by stones flicked up from the BSA’s front wheel. We will then stabilise it by sealing it with either a good wax polish, or possibly a matt lacquer.
We have to do a bit more work on the head as the aforementioned woodworm is quite serious. On peeling back the outer Rexine covering, the worm-eaten external panel virtually disintegrated but using the internal panel as a pattern we have cut another one from the appropriate thickness plywood. We carefully re-assembled the inner and outer panels and celluloid windows, keeping all the original Rexine coverings, reinforcing them with Japanese Tissue where necessary. The seats and internal Rexine panels only required some minor rectification work to fix signs of moderate use. Unfortunately, the Chair had parted company with the BSA some years ago so at the moment, we don’t have a period bike to which we can attach it, so we will display it as a standalone item with full 360˚ visibility.
The Kenilworth bears some similarities
to the passenger military sidecars that the company produced for the War Department from 1939 to 1945. As one of the companies still manufacturing sidecars, they received a tender from the Ministry for sidecars for the military and secured a contract which resulted in an order for 10,000 sidecars of varying configurations: camera carrying sidecars for the RAF, WD sidecars, Box sidecars and Passenger sidecars.
Building and selling civilian sidecars was not part of Lyons’ post-war strategy for his Company and he started negotiations with Eric Sanders of Stratford upon Avon based company Helliwell Group, in October 1944. Due to some legal and financial wrangling It took about 14 months to conclude the deal which went through in December 1945, severing the last link to both William Lyons and the original Swallow Sidecar.
For the Trust this brings our sidecars almost into line with our ‘First and Last’ policy, as we now have both very early and very late models to tell the Swallow Sidecars story. n
Rust is the enemy of older steel bodied cars, it's a process that converts metallic iron to iron oxide which is the orange flakes so commonly seen on older cars. It can be a difficult process to stop in less-than-ideal conditions, such as high humidify or exposure to road de-icing salts in the winter. Once rust has gained a toehold on metal it is difficult to stop its spread, so it is vital for older cars to protect the body from rust before it starts. In this guide we will be assuming that the car is free from rust, and we will be protecting it
from rust before it starts, rather than treating rust that is already present.
There are multiple fluids available for protecting and treating a car, a very broad division is fluids that are to be sprayed into protected areas of the vehicle, such as into box sections and sill interiors, and fluids that are sprayed onto panels and components are not enclosed, such as floor pans and suspension components. Some types of fluids result in a thin film that dries to the
touch, these would be used in places that are either visible or are handled. Other types of fluids do not set and remain tacky. These cannot be painted over but have the advantage of being self healing if they are disturbed or the substrate cracked. Self healing is particularly useful in places where access is difficult, such as internal sections, or places behind trim panels, such as door shells.
Some fluids for internal sections are typically wax based and are often amber in colour, while others are not waxed based and are more closely related to paint type products. These »
In the last issue we covered the winter ‘laying up’ of your classic – an ideal time to address long term preservation. Follow Craig Talbot’s tips to achieve automotive prolonged existence…
The waxes need to be heated gently to ensure they can flow and be sprayed. Heating in a pan of water is the safest method and ensures that the fluid is heated slowly. The cap should be loosened to allow for expansion. The wax is flammable, so should never be heated over an open flame, such as a BBQ or gas stove. Heating until the wax sounds like water when the can is shaken in sufficient, or a temperature of approximately 40-50°C.
I used the Lemmer RP-460HD rustproofing gun with the various attachments. Nozzles are available to apply the fluids to an exterior panel, to interior panels and inside various shaped cavities. A 360 nozzle useful for the interiors of sills or box sections, a fan nozzle, two quick connect nozzles and larger spray nozzle is provided. The standard hose length is 36" and alternative length hoses are available. The user’s choice of air quick connect needs to be provided to attach an air supply to the gun.
Here is a demonstration (using water) of the spray patterns from the various nozzles that attach to the gun with a quick connect. Air pressure is typically around 30-40 psi, depending on the viscosity of the rustproofing fluid being sprayed. Pressure that is too high will over-atomize the fluid and create mist and overspray, rather than delivering the fluid onto the car. When spraying the rustproofing fluid, proper personal protective equipment needs to be worn, such as gloves and breathing protection. Always read the directions for the particular fluid you are using.
This is a fan nozzle, for covering a larger area, but not laying as thick a film on the car. This can also be used in tighter areas where it's not possible to back up from the car a long distance.
The 360 nozzle is for spraying the interior of box sections and is available is various lengths of tubing. Standard length is 36". Here using the water spray it can be seen how the spray can cover the interior of a internal section.
This is a closeup of the 360 nozzle showing the cuts in the tip that create the pattern.
The fan tool is useful for the inside of door shells, and interior portions such as over a rear wheel arch.
Here the door panel has been removed from the car, and in this case the factory used tape, rather than plastic sheeting as the interior waterproofing. Most Series 1-3 XJ cars and XJS use plastic sheeting. The waterproofing needs to be pulled aside for access to the door cavity. A fan tool is handy for spraying the bottom of the door shell and ensuring that wax penetrates between the door shell and door skin. Be certain the drain holes are clear and do not become filled with wax. Also be aware that wax will likely drip from the bottom drain holes, so put down protective sheeting over your workspace. When removing the door panels on many Series 1-3 XJ cars the interior pulls are often attached to the door shell with a large pozidrive screw. This is usually concealed with a chrome finisher that simply pushes back to expose the screw. The map pockets and /or armrests are typical mounted on fasteners that slide in a slot and then lift free. Be very careful of prying on trim pieces thinking they are mounted on clips, as they are often not. Take your time to carefully look at the trim pieces to determine how they are attached to the door.
internal application fluids come in different viscosities and can be intended to be applied in various ways. Some come in spray cans and can have an attachment nozzle to direct the fluid into various cavities, such as door shells or internal surfaces of sills.
Fluids can come in various viscosities, and for those for those used for internal sections it can be advantageous to have a wicking fluid. This is used on the backside of rear wheel arches for example, where the wheel arch is formed from two pieces of sheet metal
spot welded together. Water and road salt can penetrate between the spot welds, leading to rust. If access can be gained between these panels, then a wicking fluid can be injected, and this will penetrate between the layers of welded metal. Care must be taken with fluid choice, as the fluid will wick through the spot-welded joints and will be visible on the outside of the car. This excess that drips through will need to be cleaned off with the recommended solvent, which is typically mineral spirits. This may need to be repeated
several times, for example if the car is sprayed in a cool day in the winter and is a black car parked in the sun in the summer the panels will get hot, and the fluid will migrate. Similarly, a black fluid should not be used on a white car!
For external panels, such as above the IRS or for coating exposed fuel tanks in small saloons, a heavier bitumen-based fluid is a available. This fluid typically is black and can be used for panels directly exposed to road spray. It will remain in place much more readily than the lighter fluids used for internal panels.
Ensure access to all areas along the door, as there are obstructions within the door, such as internal stiffener panels and brackets for mounting window mechanisms.
When spraying inside the door, ensure that the glass does not get sprayed. Removing the wax from the glass and glass wipes can be a difficult task, so much easier to ensure they do not get coated.
Carpets can be peeled back to allow access to the A pillar and door hinge area. Grommets can be removed gently, and rustproofing fluids sprayed inside to ensure the door pillars are protected. When finished spraying ensure the trim is properly seated and replaced. Ensure that all interior trim is protected from accidental spills and drips.
The A pillar and door hinge areas can also be sprayed with some of the trim in place, it will depend on the particular car.
“...wax-based coatings will need an inspection every year, and recoating every few years, depending on how the car is driven and the environment in which it is driven.”
This fluid is not a wicking fluid, so should not be used for internal panels, and should not be used for door shells.
The wax-based fluids are different than the rubberized undercoating type of sprays that are available to apply to the exterior surfaces, such as floor pans. Those are intended as a more permanent coating, but surface preparation is very important. If the edges are not sealed properly, then the water can get under the coating and is trapped, accelerating the formation of rust. The wax-based coatings will need an inspection every year, and recoating every few years, depending on how the car is driven and the environment in which it is driven. A car that is parked for the winter will need recoating much less frequently than one driven daily in a Canadian winter with hard packed pieces of snow, ice, gravel and salt
»
Upper A pillar and cowl areas can usually be accessed through the hinge aperture.
In the engine bay, unused captive nut holes are used for access to the front chassis rails. Here the 360 nozzle is used to provide a good coating inside the box section.
17
The 360 nozzle tool is pushed inside the forward chassis rails as much as possible.
At the front of the car, the inside of the front bumper can be sprayed to prevent galvanic corrosion between the aluminum crash beam and steel fasteners that retain it to the body. Care should be taken to ensure that the plastic cladding isn’t coated.
Moving to the underside of the car, the interior sections of the chassis rails need to be protected. A combination of the fan and 360 nozzle tools are useful here.
At the front of the car, the upswept sections of the chassis should be coated. The jacking point is visible as well, these should be coated inside and out to ensure these rust prone sections are protected.
At the rear, the box sections over the IRS need to be accessed and injected with wax. Be careful not to get overspray on the exhaust pipes or muffler, as the hot exhaust components are a fire hazard. The earlier style radius arms are used on my Daimler, but the enclosed style arms used on some XJ cars should be treated on the inside, as these are areas prone to rust.
Box sections above the rear jacking points are vulnerable to filling with road debris, ensure these are cleaned out before spraying rustproofing wax inside.
being thrown up by the wheels against the body panels. Applied correctly, the rubberized undercoatings or stone guard type coatings can last the life of the car and are considered more than just rustproofing. A visit to your local body shop supply store will acquaint you with the range of products available, as well as the types of packaging. Some materials come in various size containers intended to be used in a spray gun, and others are available in aerosol cans. Depending on the size of the vehicle and the amount of rustproofing to be done, the aerosol cans may prove to be more convenient than buying an air compressor and spray gun. Here are some of the steps taken to apply rustproofing to a Daimler DS420. n
Special thanks to: Lemmer Spray Systems for the use of the spray gun. 4624 12th Street NE, Calgary, AB T2E 4R4 Canada. www.lemmer.com
Further to the rear, ensure the chassis rails have sufficient wax injected to protect them. There can be different levels of the formed chassis rails, so ensure that all areas are sprayed. The 360 nozzle on a long hose can be useful to ensure complete coverage.
Moving to the outer perimeter, the sills of the Daimler have a series of body plugs along the underside of the sills. These can be gently removed, and access gained to the interior of the sills and are useful injection locations.
The body plugs are a sung fit to ensure that they seal out water and road debris. Remove them carefully and replace any if they break.
The plugs are a hard type of plastic, a sharp, but gentle tap will seat them back in place after spraying.
The removed body plug hole is used to spray rustproofing fluid inside. Ensure an adequate coat, but not flooding the interior. Especially for a black car, when sitting in the sun the fluid will want to creep out as it heats. Spray enough to ensure a protective coat, but not so much that the car is continuously dripping.
Many types and kinds of cavity wax are available, if you don't have an air compressor available and don't wish to spend up to several hundred dollars on a spray gun outfit, the waxes area available in a number of brands and types in spray cans. Application is very similar as with the air powered gun, and extension wands are also available to enable the spray cars to reach inside sills.
The Goodwood Revival meeting, held over the weekend of 16th-18th September, offered an unrivalled opportunity to view Jaguars (and lesser marques) in a period environment. Not only in action ‘on track’, but also in the paddocks and car parks. Just the lucky few have the chance
As usual, there was no lack of Jaguar interest at ‘The Revival’, both on the circuit and in the public car parks…
turn to ‘Products’ starting on page 8 to find out how you can make that dream come true… To view more stunning images,
you can access the Gage’s websites via: https://nickgage22.myportfolio.com/jaguar-at-goodwood https://adobe.ly/3r7qtOZ
The New Year brings in a new set of resolutions and sometimes wishes come true, so here’s wishing each and every one of us a year to remember. Towards the end of last year, I came across this superb gem, a 1976 S2 XJ12, one owner, and as one can see, in an almost new condition. One owner from new, it had been acquired by the world-famous Gas Monkey Garage and was part of the garage collection, but, if you know the show, some cars don’t stay long, and this was auctioned with no reserve by Bring a Trailer. Only 12,000 miles from new, and being from Texas, this car has to be rust free, and the winning buyer not
only got the car but a trip to the famous garage and the complete tour. Would you have paid $10,000 for the package?
I hope the high bidder has a great time. Mathewsons in Yorkshire are well known for their no-nonsense approach to selling cars, as one can discern from their ‘Bangers and Cash’ TV programme. Their collection of cars for sale ranges from “for spares only” to some rather sparkly diamonds, and this one looks to be, if not a diamond, a good example of an honest car. A S1 XJ6, and manual/ overdrive to boot, this car was given a nut and bolt rebuild in 1999, used for two years, and then stored away until 2022 when it was recommissioned and
taxed, and offered complete with a fresh MOT until June 2023. The dashboard looks to have had a coat of lacquer, but overall, the car presents well and given the condition was hammered down for a very reasonable £8,000. Just right for those Sunday runs out with ‘er indoors when the English weather, as is often the case, does not suit a convertible.
I now turn to a car, also sold by Mathewsons, which I find to be a strange conundrum. A 1992 4-litre Sovereign, in sparkling red, first registered in 1992 but – no history, none at all! Its first MOT shows 12 miles in 2021, and in 2022 a mere 201 miles. It clearly is in an as-new condition, the interior being spotless,
Tony Brown takes a look at some of the most tempting cars for sale and report on others that have sold – from affordable classics through to premium-priced gems1992 Jaguar Sovereign, giving the appearance of being to all intents and purposes as being brand new An S1 XJ6 manual completely rebuilt in 1999 and garaged from 2001 Under-bonnet image of the 1992 Jaguar Sovereign As-new 1976 XJ12, with but 12k miles for $10k
the engine compartment too, no scuff marks nor scratches on the sill plates –everything about this car is time-warp, as though it was purchased, vacuum packed, and then locked away for nearly 30 years. My first thought was that it had must have been lovingly rebuilt, but it is too good for that, it really is. Just look at the under-bonnet photo which shows just as well as the exterior. A very curious case, with no mention of any history made by the auction house. But, as a unique car, £4,200 was not really that expensive at all.
Turning to a modern classic, I came across this 1998 Sovereign 4-litre V8 which piqued my interest for one reason. Why did it sell for only £1,310? One owner for seventeen years, traveled around Europe many times, new timing chain tensioners, head lining and water pump, and, alright, 150,000 miles but the way things are going you can’t buy a meal for four at McDonalds for much less than that. It failed its MOT in February 2022 with a few electronic problems, but a month later it passed with no advisories. Surely worth a punt as a runabout?
We all know how it is; a friend buys a project which “will be on the road in eighteen months”. We snigger behind his back, and as the years pass by the project has now become “something to do when I retire”. But if the truth is known either they bit off more than they could chew or bluntly lost interest. H&H recently had just such a project, an S1 E-type coupe, and in the 21-year ownership it is true that a great deal had been done; over a four-year period, work included a full engine overhaul to a ‘fast road’ specification with a 'big valve' head from a Jaguar Series 3 XJ mated to brand new triple Weber carburettors and new inlet manifold. The rear axle
cage has been totally restored with an overhauled LSD axle, overhauled brake calipers and drive shafts etc. The body was bare-metalled and resprayed in gunmetal (originally golden sand), and as is often the case some parts had gone missing, including the starter motor (a chance to fit a modern high-torque one then), alternator and of all things the steering column. All chrome parts are there and a number of other new parts too. Now the S1 4.2 is a great car, having better seats, negative earth, and importantly the Jaguar all-synchro gear box, and a refurbished one was sold recently for just over £100,000 at auction, but many are unsold due to overambitious reserves. There was, during 2022, many a car which found a new owner for under £75,000. A far cry from the prices in 2017 it must be said! Now the hammer fell on this example at £48,375 and probably went to a dealer, and it won’t take that long to finish off. The seats are there but well-worn, and probably a new trim kit will be fitted, but Aldridge’s will want £3,500 for that, so in one stroke of
the pen we are past £50,000. All the photos – and they are numerous – show nearly all parts refurbished, but there are many man hours of toil needed to turn this duckling into a beautiful swan. If it was bought by a privateer, he will finish with a superb car worth far more than he has invested in it. Best of luck sir!
Finally, it has been a while since I wrote about memorabilia, so I was eagerly awaiting the Revival sale which always has a very good selection of bit and pieces. Some “the usual suspects”, such as Wicker picnic hampers fetching from £500 to £5,000, and they all sold, through the plastic Esso Junior Drip advertising figure for over £1,000, a Champion spark plug garage thermometer selling for £1,500 (I bought a KLG one for £20 years back). But to show that some things can be a real ‘negative investment’ I’ll finish with a photo of my Rene Lalique 1930 bonnet mascot, known as “Chrysis”. I bought this nearly thirty years ago at the Silverstone Classic. It’s worth less than I paid for it now. Fashions change… Happy motoring! ■
William Lyons categorised himself as a belowaverage golfer. He always said to himself that given time he would improve. Being out on the greens and fairways was something he truly relished in the company of friends, both old and new. A round with Bertie Henly, either at the Coventry Club or at Hendon when he visited London was always a pleasure. The two men were both about the same standard, and with very much a common interest in the promotion and selling of SS cars.
The SS relationship with Hawker Siddeley began during a round of golf at Hendon Golf Club when Frank Hough of Henlys introduced Lyons to Frank Spriggs, its managing director. The ill-fated construction of AVRO Manchester bombers, the
refurbishment of Armstrong Whitworth AW38 ‘Whitley’ bombers and the later Gloster Meteor jet-fighter contracts all emanated from Hawker Siddeley, the parent company of A.V. Roe, Armstrong-Whitworth and the Gloster Aircraft Company.
Freemasonry was also something that William Lyons considered himself not very good at. He was sold on the three founding masonic principles; brotherly love - tolerance, respect, compassion and understanding; relief - to help those less fortunate; and truth – striving for high moral standards in themselves and encouraging it in others. He left it to the rest of them to organise and spread the word. It was during one of his infrequent visits to the local lodge in 1941 where another fortuitous meeting took place.
‘I am amazed that as a car-maker, you
don’t have a machine shop,’ Christopher Oliver said, following introductions, and establishing that as General Manager of Armstrong Siddeley, his Group MD had suggested he seek out the SS boss.
‘Well,’ Lyons chuckled in response. ‘We have a long history of coachbuilding. It’s only since 1937 we’ve been fabricating steel bodies. Mr Heynes is growing our engineering team by the day and I know that we could make a bigger contribution to the war effort if we did have a machine shop.’
‘That is exactly what I wanted to talk to you about,’ Oliver said. ‘Firstly, I should say that Mr Spriggs and myself are great admirers of your cars. You probably know that Armstrong Siddeley make the Cheetah aeroengine. Well, we are being encouraged by the War Department to spread our
Foleshill is fully occupied maintaining Whitley bombers and making parts for Britain’s armed forces including the RAF’s first jet-powered fighter. Will Heynes is expanding the SS engineering capability and Jack Beardsley is recruiting staff for his very own factory…
manufacturing base as part of the shadow-factory strategy. You know, evading the German bombers, I don’t need to tell you about that. Anyway, we wondered whether SS would consider coming in with us – it would be to our mutual benefit, obviously.’
‘Hmm,’ Lyons stroked his chin. ‘Thank you. I’m always delighted when someone admits to liking what we do. I’ll have to put it to the board, but I do have someone who could run a machining centre, we’ve discussed it before.’ He threw his shoulders back. ‘The answer is yes, in principle. Once I’ve spoken with our people at Foleshill I shall be in touch with you in the next few days. Thank you again, Mr Oliver.’ They shook hands. Conventionally this time.
Would I be interested, William Lyons thought as he drove home that night. Would the admiral of the Swiss navy be interested if someone asked him if he’d like a ship for Christmas? He laughed out loud and banged the steering wheel.
Clouds of mist clung to the dewcovered fields across the English countryside on that bright 1941 autumn morning. A lorry drivers rest-stop on the A46 just north of Evesham was the venue for discussions between Will Heynes and Walter Hassan. Hassan was bored with aero-engineering and had written to his old friend enquiring about “opportunities.” Over black tea and butter-less strawberry jam rolls made by the fair hand of Mrs Hassan, they caught up with events over the last 18 months.
‘Sorry for your loss, Bill,’ Hassan said. ‘I can’t imagine how tough losing your eldest boy would be.’
‘Thanks, Walt,’ Heynes said, stirring his tea thoughtfully. ‘You’re right. Everything we do around the house and even around the local area is a reminder of our Simon. His empty bedroom, the school and the pitch where he used to play football. It is hard. He was just one though, that is what we keep reminding ourselves. Just one of the countless thousands who have died, and who will die thanks to that German idiot and his cohorts. The bastards nearly got Mrs H too. The ambulance taking her and Simon to the hospital got strafed. She was petrified, the poor thing.’
‘I bet she was, mate.’ Walter Hassan
said, face screwed up in anguish. ‘We’ve had some heavy bombing over Bristol too. We lost Adrian Squire in one of the raids, do you remember him? He was building those beautiful Anzaniengined Squire sportscars at Henley on Thames.’ Hassan shook his head. ‘He’s a sad loss to the industry. We had one raid at Patchway where I had to move my car so the fire services could get to the building. There was another raid about five minutes later and the spot where Phil Weaver’s car and mine were parked was just a mountain of concrete and iron structure with craters all round and unexploded bombs sticking up out of the concrete. I am one of the lucky ones, you and me both, I reckon.’
Will Haynes shrugged his shoulders, ‘Vehicles and munitions in Coventry, aeroplanes in Bristol, we’re obvious targets for the bloody Luftwaffe.’ He put both hands flat on the table. ‘Now then. The main reason we’re here, these vehicles the ministry want. They’ve got to be small, compact, and capable of towing a half-hundredweight trailer. This is the good bit though; they need to be capable of being dropped from a plane into enemy territory. What do you think?’
‘You know me,’ Hassan smiled. ‘Whenever have I been able to resist building a specialised vehicle? It sounds like a small jeep with a 30 - 40HP engine and independent suspension all round.’
Will Heynes nodded. ‘I was thinking along those lines. You’d really move back to Coventry?’
‘Yes. No hesitation. The aviation industry is interesting, but everything takes so long. You do the work, it gets checked, then certified, then approved for release to the customer, who comes back with a load of comments, then you have to go around the loop all over again. It’s a wonder anything gets into the air!’’
Heynes smiled ruefully. ‘Funny, that is exactly what the boss says. We repair Whitley bombers at Foleshill, amongst a lot of other things. When they first came in, we looked at the airframe repairs, removing and reinstalling two refurbished engines, and we reckoned about a month’s work for a team of 50 people. They take a year by the time the ministry accepts them back into service. Mr Lyons is tearing his hair out at times, even though he’s not paying for it. Imagine if he was!’ »
“... these vehicles the ministry want. They’ve got to be small, compact, and capable of towing a half-hundredweight trailer.”
Hassan laughed. ‘Yes, I can imagine. I can’t believe you’re fixing bombers –what else are you up to?’
‘Oh, we are completely overloaded with work, Walt. Anything and everything from building the RAF’s first jet-powered Meteor fighter, fuel tanks, bomb doors, relay boxes, amphibious and all manner of trailers. Even mule carts for the Burma campaign against the Japs – the Chindits are loading up mules with harnesses at the moment. We don’t know what’s going to be thrown at us next.’ Heynes sat back. ‘Still interested?’
‘Of course I am.’ Hassan said. ‘It’ll be like coming back home.’
‘Oh, there is another factory now, in Leicester. It’s an old shoe factory. Jack Beardsley is up there to set-up a machining facility so we can make engine bits and pieces, mainly Cheetah engine parts for Armstrongs.’
‘Oh, that’s interesting,’ Hassan’s eyes lit up. ‘That means SS will be making its own engines, I bet that’s what Mr Lyons is thinking, the sly old fox.’
‘Yes. I think it’s a safe bet after the war’s over. Jack is buying-up machine tools left right and centre.’
‘Great!’ It was Walter Hassan’s turn to put his hands on the table. ‘When do you want me to start?’
whitesmith. It’s like a delicate version of a blacksmith, sheet metal an’ copper fittin’s an all. I bet your dad did ‘orses ‘ooves, an’ gates, an’ fencin’. Did you ‘elp him much?’
‘Yeah, all the time. Gas weldin’ an’ all. We used to fix trailers, an’ some motors.’
‘What’s 12 12’s then?’
‘134, sir.’
If George Bailey had had less of a wayward upbringing in the backstreets of South Wigston he would have been terrified at the sight of the big boss man leaning forward over his desk and peering into his eyes. ‘Ow’s your maths, son?’ It wasn’t even a desk, more of a trestle, some planks strung between two tea chests. He was the only person in this massive old factory. It was strange he thought, even considering there was a war going on. A bit creepy.
‘S’awright,’ George replied. ‘I can hold me own. Me’ dad wor’ a blacksmith for a while, works at Morris Motors now.’
The big man’s eyes lit up. ‘A blacksmith, eh? Well I trained as a
‘What do all the angles in a triangle add up to?’
‘180, sir.’
‘What units will they be then?’ George noticed that the ‘u’ in unit sounded like it was never going to end. He was funny, probably from Yorkshire. Like his Dad.
‘Degrees, sir.’
‘Very good. And what would you do if a bomb went off and fire broke out in our brand-new factory. Over in the other corner.’
‘I’d make sure everybody who was inside went outside, so we could count ‘em. Then I’d ring the fire brigade. Meanwhile I’d see what we could do
oursen,’ wi’ an ‘osepipe, or a bucket or two, well a lot of ‘em, I suppose.’ He decided he enjoyed making things up as he went along.
‘Very good.’ The big man said, rummaging in a battered briefcase. ‘Now I want you to write a letter for me, here’s some paper, and a pencil.’
Oh no, George thought. This is where I get shown the door, apprenticeship plans blown away. Dad will be furious.
‘You sit ‘ere, tek your time. I’ve got some fellows arrivin’. We’re going to unload a lorry of hardcore and mek a start on levelling up the floor in the factory. We’ve got some machine tools arriving next week. Now,’ he stood up. ‘You come ‘round ‘ere and sit on me seat, as it’s the only one we’ve got.’ He pointed at the pad. ‘Write your address at the top on the right-hand side. Then todays date, then start off over here: Dear Mother and Father, or Mum and Dad whichever you prefer to use. Today I came for an interview at the new SS Cars factory in South Wigston. Mr Beardsley is the boss, and he works for Mr Lyons, who is the main boss back in Coventry. SS normally make cars but they are going to make all kinds of parts for the war effort; trailers, fuel tanks, aircraft parts, even some vehicles. If you can read this, Mr Beardsley is going to give me a job as an engineering apprentice. Love from your son, George. Got that?’
George looked up at the big man and gave him a sheepish nod. ‘OK Mr
Beardsley,’ he said. ‘I’ll try. I’m not very good at writing and spelling an’ all, but I’ll do me best.’
‘That’s the spirit, lad. See you in 10 minutes.’ And off he went. George looked around the empty office, then at the blank pad. He had an overwhelming sense of regret at the time he’d spent bunking off school. He hunkered down and started to write.
Jack Beardsley came in 15 minutes later, all smiles. ‘How’s the letter progressing, young man?’
‘I hope you can read it,’ he said, apprehensively handing the pad back. ‘It’s not me’ best.’
‘Thought you said you were rubbish,’ Beardsley said as he was reading it. ‘You’ve probably done a better job than I could. Can you start today, now?’
‘Yes sir, but sir?’
‘Yes?’
‘What’re the wages?’
‘Ah yes. £4 a week. Is that OK?’
George saw a mixture of fierceness and joshing in the older man’s eyes. ‘Smashin’, sir. Thank you.’ He smiled for
the first time that day. They both went out onto the empty factory floor.
Beardsley stopped suddenly. ‘George.’
‘Yes sir?’
‘Sort out that 12 times table by tomorrow, can you?’
‘Yes sir, sorry sir.’ He felt like laughing with joy and excitement, but thought better of it.
Once the lorry was unloaded, Beardsley set young George to work chiselling up the old linoleum floor covering. The team of men came behind him ripping up floorboards and infilling with the hardcore.
After a while he heard someone singing, he could hear the words distinctly. Loud, clear, and a bit, haunting. Even though it was coming from the other end of the factory it was like the person was right next to him. He stood stock still and listened. Blimey, he was good, like he should be in a music hall, or maybe in a choir or something. But hang on, it was Mr Beardsley, wasn’t it?
A whitesmith courted me, Nine months and better, He fairly won my heart, Wrote me a letter, With his hammer in his hand, He looked so clever, And if I was with my love, I would live forever.
Five verses later, George was silently devastated to hear the lovestruck girl killed herself when she found out her whitesmith lover was actually married. He must have been a proper so and so that whitesmith, he was thinking.
‘Keep up, lad!’ one of the men cried out. ‘You’ll get used to the songs. You wait till Christmas-time when he sings the Bantam Cock, he’ll have you in fits!’
George resumed scraping and chiselling at a faster pace. He had no idea what the man was talking about, but it sounded like fun.
NEXT TIME: The end of the war and the formal adoption of the name Jaguar Cars Ltd. Oh, and the Bantam Cock.
“This is where I get shown the door, apprenticeship plans blown away. Dad will be furious...”
1954, 24878 miles, £69,500. Jaguar XK120 Drop Head Coupe. Genuine RHD, one 295 built. Cream with red leather interior. Older restoration with just 24,000 miles covered in the last 40 years. 5 speed Tremec gearbox upgrade in 2009 and retrimmed in 2015. Detailed History file back to 1962. Steel wheels with spats and little use set of Michelin radials..Drives beautifully. Please call 0756 4443111, Greater London. 117631
2001, 104200 miles, £10,995. jaguar xkr 4.0 supercharged convertible, pacific blue with oatmeal leather, full service history, hatfields jaguar untill 98k 2010, huge history file, 2 sets of keys, full hand book pack, original tonneau cover, great condition throughout, only 3 forma keepers, previous keeper 10 years, cherrished number plate included in sale, valued at £1000-, mot 12/04/2023. Please call 07810212617, West Midlands. 117218
1996, £3,750. Immaculate Aquamarine pearlescent Bodywork. 130,000 miles but has had new Jaguar engine and gearbox and recent ECU. Now Faultless driving car with MOT to November 2023 and good service history. Please call 01303873993, South East. 117704
£14,995. 1985 JAGUAR XJ SC 3.6 MANUAL Finished in Claret with doeskin leather, last owner since 2008. Extensive history file from New, 16 service stamps in the Service book and many more in the history file. MOTs dating back to 2008. This car has now done only 96,000 miles in 36 years and looks like a 40,000 mile car. Please call 01485 541526, East of England. (T) 116607
£5,950. Jaguar XK8 Convertible, First Registered in June 1997, only 5 owners in total and well cared for. Finished in British Racing Green Metallic, Cream Leather interior, Black Soft Top, All the usual Jaguar Refinements. Please call 01274 561098, Yorkshire and the Humber. (T) 117308
£24,500. An Absolute Eyeful 1990 Jaguar XJS V12 Convertible Automatic with only 53,000 miles from new with extensive service history. New tyres and MOT. Not only a fantastic looking car and a real head turner but drives superbly having recently had £7,000 spent to bring this car up to the standard that you would expect from such a high-quality Jaguar. Every conceivable extra including Chrome wire wheels, arches, twin headlight conversion, wood rim steering wheel and rear mounted spoiler and lots more. Finished in Silver Ice Blue, Grey leather interior piped in Blue, Blue Mohair electric hood. All handbooks, manuals, original unused tool kit etc. Please call 01794390895, South East. (T) 117356
2000, 164000 miles, £5,000. Grey Sovereign XJ8, Excellent Condition, Brand New Battery, All Black Leather Interior.The professional image shown with the building behind it was at a Jaguar Rally it is the same car for sale. Please call 07563739899, East of England.
117241
1999, £14,995. 1999 jaguar s type 3.0 se auto. only 14,000 miles. This stunning time warp S Type is finished in immaculate and totally original Jaguar Seafrost with unmarked Sand Hide. Kept in a carcoon when not in use and over winter months. Please call 01485 541526, East of England. (T) 116609
1958, 200 miles, £99. Beautiful, fully restaured DHC with overdrive. Body off/nut and bolt restauration finished this year,LHD, matching numbers and Heritage certificate. BRG with tan interior. More foto’s available. Please call +31153695977, Rest of the world. 117674
1989, £24,995. 1966 JAGUAR MK10 4.2 AUTO. Finished in Opalescent Blue with Dark Blue Hide and excellent Walnut Veneers. Ony 3 owners from new and 58,000 miles. MOT’s dating back to 1991 and complete tool kit. Please call 01485 541526, South East. (T) 116615
1962, 30000 miles, £139,995. The bulk of the extensive service record has been retained and collated by Mr Lees who acquired the car in 2012. In his tenureship it was kept garaged as part of a collection of interesting cars and used by him for enthusiast meets and sunny days runs.. Please call 01798 874477, South East. (T) 116676
2005, £16,000. Aluminum XK with heated seats and steering wheel. Service History. Please call 01492 870150, Wales. (T) 113665
1974, £129,995. A stunning UK supplied vehicle which has been the subject of much recent work. Recent invoices totaling nearly £30,000 demonstrate that no stone has been left unturned with this car. Please call 01798 874477, South East. (T) 116680
1973, £119,995. According to the Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust Certificate that accompanies this extraordinary E-Type Series 3 V12 Roadster this car was supplied in September 1973 by Henlys of Manchester. Please call 01798 874477, South East. (T) 116681
1962, 10009 miles, £169,995. Series 1 Roadster 3.8. Petrol, Manual, Old English White. Retaining its original colour combination of Old English White (Cream) with a contrasting biscuit interior and black hood and hood bag. Please call 01798 874477, South East. (T) 116675
Letitia’s diary (p50) is a little less upbeat than normal, recalling lost friends. Musings on bringing the young into our hobby rumble on via our letters page (50). Unfortunately, these thoughts are brought into stark reality by learning that we have lost three more Jaguar enthusiasts since the last issue was published -
correspondent. Our paths crossed most frequently when she became a leading light in the short lived Jaguar Car Club. I recall her attending events in her black XK150, purchased brand new and only sold in 2006 when it became a little heavy for a 97 year old to pilot. Her Jaguar driving went on for a further three years courtesy of a somewhat more benign X-Type. An amazing, long life well led.
I first encountered Graham via the JDC Mk2 Register and associated racing activities. He went on to found the JEC in 1984 in the company of nine others. In 1993 left his career in banking to become full time general manager of the JEC – effectively handing over his house (and life!) to the growth of the club. I was lucky enough to have many dealings with Graham over the years and invariably found him friendly, straightforward and generous with his time. I have come to realise everyone he encountered had this same impression of him and am yet to find anyone with a ‘bad word’ to say. Graham and the JEC are synonymous and even after his 2021 retirement, despite illness was still to be seen at many events. It is so sad that he didn’t have more time to enjoy his newfound freedom…
When I entered the Jaguar firmament as a teenage newbie in the early 70s. I recall Rose being very active on the JDC scene and thinking (as a young person does) she was quite old. In fact, she was only around halfway through her busy life - passing away at the age of 113 as the second oldest person in Britain (by two days). She assisted in the formation of the JDC XK Register, attending its inaugural 1967 Esher pub meetings and later becoming its Bulletin
Far less widely known, but an Essex based Jaguar man who thrilled many crowds with his MkVII based antics on his way to becoming ‘Pre ’57 Saloon car’ champion. Latterly sharing my 3.8 S-type in competition adventures around the country and Europe. He financed his hobby by trading in Jaguar cars and parts, and many will remember as a regular ‘Spares Day’ vendor.
We must focus on remembering the happy times spent with our departed chums and acquaintances, treasuring every opportunity the new year offers in tribute to them. ■
