Jaguar Journal January/February 2023

Okay, full disclosure: occasionally I struggle slightly to find interesting and newsworthy material to put under the ‘News & Views,’ especially since Mahwah and even Coventry are not exactly brimming with new models or PR events these days. Thierry Bolloré took over as CEO over two years ago and one assumes he’s a good poker player, because he has certainly kept his cards close to his chest since then and will be gone by the time you read this. This issue’s struggle is quite the opposite – how to fit all the news into one magazine? Whilst it could be predicted that any club for Jaguar enthusiasts would probably include a greater than average percentage of Anglophiles, the outpouring of commiseration and fellow-feeling following the death of Queen Elizabeth II…

[Editor note; First of all, an apology. This is the opposite of a news story. It is actually one of the oldest events in the history of the automobile. It was the occasion that brought the petrol-engined car from the Daimler and Benz drawing boards and machine shops literally out onto the open road for the first time. Ever. I came across it when researching the Instone item last issue. I’d read parts of the story at some point, and I even worked in the region for a few years, but had never realized what a large and varied role the central character had played. So although it’s an old story and connects only indirectly with our favorite car marque, I include it here in case it may indeed be…

In February of this year the Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust (JDHT) were approached by the Leamington History Group, who asked if they would support having a ‘Blue Plaque’ fixed to the birthplace in Leamington Spa of Jaguar’s Chief Engineer, William Munger Heynes. Having already agreed to fund and help with the text for a blue plaque for Ernest Instone from the early years of the Daimler Company, they were only too pleased to offer help and support to honor Jaguar’s engineering supremo. Over the succeeding months there were some fairly lengthy exchanges with both the history group and Leamington council, confirming that Heynes was indeed a worthy candidate, briefing them on his background and agreeing to fund the plaque. Plaque layout and wording had to be sorted, with Leamington believing…

I hope that you are all ready for a great start to 2023. The highlight of 2022 for many of us was attending the International Jaguar Festival (IJF) sponsored by the Jaguar Owners Association of North Texas (JOANT) last October. I showed my 1938 SS DHC in Driven class at the concours, and ran it for a few laps during the slalom. I also had the pleasure of competing in the rally as navigator to Bob Matejek in his Corvette. Yes, non-Jaguar cars can and do participate in JCNA driving events. Both slaloms and rallies have classes for such entrants, which can help make the event viable. The host club held a well-supported silent auction in aid of the American Red Cross work for Florida hurricane Ian victims. Every evening…

By the time you read this report, most North Central region members will probably have their Jaguars in storage for the winter. My F-Pace S usually goes into hibernation around early November. Overall membership in the North Central region (NC) clubs increased in 2022 compared with 2021, this despite the loss of one club. The majority of the ten NC clubs hosted a JCNA-sanctioned concours in 2022. I was fortunate to be able to participate in four of the eight concours held in my region. Typically, my home club, the Jaguar Club of Ohio, holds a slalom or two, but the site we had been using was not available last year. No rallies were held in the NC region in 2022. The number of concours entrants/attendees in the NC region…

The 54th running of the Ontario Jaguar Owners Association (OJOA) Concours d’Elegance in August mirrored the success of the prior 2021 extravaganza. The 41 judged Jaguar entries were one shy of last year’s high but the show attracted a larger overall entry. Further relaxation of the border restrictions permitted a welcome return of American participants, with well over 100 people registered for the noon lunch, which is a highlight of the event. Three of the judged Jaguars were scrutinized using the club’s own OJOA rules. A 1963 E-Type, 1961 Mark 2 and 1956 XK140MC were judged to requirements set beyond JCNA standards. Participants in this Senior Classic Division had to demonstrate engine, instrument, and wiper operation, as well as be prepared for chassis judging, over and above the usual JCNA…