Pretoria – The world debut of the new Jaguar XE at Earls Court, London, will be supported by a specially commissioned film and display of what a trio of notable motoring enthusiasts and experts consider to be the ‘Perfect Ten’ of Jaguar’s rich and diverse brand heritage.
Accompanying the important new XE model will be a film and display of the ‘Perfect Ten’ Jaguars, spanning the decades, from the celebrated SS100 of the 1930s, through to the legendary C, D and E-types of the 1950s and 60s, and on to the Le Mans-winning XJR-9 of 1988.
This ‘Perfect Ten’ of Jaguar’s past glories has been carefully chosen to help celebrate the launch of the new XE model by a trio of well-known and acknowledged motoring enthusiasts, consisting of AC/DC lead singer and car enthusiast Brian Johnson; the founder of Goodwood Festival of Speed and Revival, Lord March, and Jaguar’s Director of Design, Ian Callum.
This proud parade of Jaguar’s history is represented in film by significant examples of well-known and popular Jaguar models; as follows:
- SS100: Jaguar’s first 160km/h production car.
- XK120 – registration NUB 120: Perhaps the most famous XK120 in the world. Driven by Ian Appleyard and Pat Lyons (daughter of Sir William Lyons) to numerous rally wins in the 1950s, including the Alpine Rallye des Alpes in 1950 and 1951.
- C-type, registration NDU 289: Original entry in the 1953 Mille Miglia, and one of just 54 cars built.
- D-type, registration 393 RW: This penultimate D-type won the 12 hours race at Reims driven, by Hamilton and Bueb, and was sixth at Le Mans with the same driver pairing.
- MK II: A great example of the legendary sporting saloon for which Jaguar has become globally renowned, and the genesis of the brand-new XE.
- E-type, registration77 RW: The Jaguar ‘Works’ press car, famously driven overnight by Norman Dewis to Geneva for its Motor Show debut to great fanfare. This was the first production Jaguar to reach 241 km/h, and is the earliest surviving E-type Roadster
- XJ13: Only one example of this car was built, being the first Jaguar to use the V12 engine. The XJ13 was built for – but never raced at – Le Mans, and was designed by Malcolm Sayer.
- XJ6 S1: Car of the Year when launched in 1968, this particular XJ6 was Sir William Lyons’ personal car.
- TWR XJS: Tom Walkinshaw was very successful in motorsport for Jaguar in the 1980s and returned Jaguar to the podium with the racing version of the legendary XJS winning the European Touring Car Championship.
- XJR-9. Tom Walkinshaw won Le Mans in 1988 with this very car, in one of Jaguar’s seven victories in the famous endurance race.
Commenting on his perfect Jaguar, Lord March said: “For me it has to be the D-type. Way ahead of its time, the D-type looks as good today as it did when it was first revealed 60 years ago, and I really can’t wait to see a grid full of D-types racing at this year’s Goodwood Revival in mid-September to mark this landmark anniversary in style.”
Brian Johnson, the AC/DC singer commented: “The Jaguar C-type takes some beating for me. Its purity and speed are exceptional today, and must have been simply mind-boggling in the early 1950s!”
Jaguar’s Director of Design Ian Callum agrees: “The shape of the C-type has a simplicity and purity that have rarely been bettered, and have helped form the beauty and elegance of some many subsequent Jaguar models. It’s a gem.”
