The 'E' Type Forum

Just launched! Fancy getting to grips with some of Jaguar's finest?

http://jaguarheritagedriving.com/

I know I do, and I've already stuck myself down for a passenger ride in a D-type :D

Looks like this could solve many a Christmas present problem for a lot of us....

I see they do an E Type Passenger Experience for ?95.
Does that mean I can charge my wife every time we venture out in the E?
That'll pay for a few bits and pieces needed to keep the old girl (car that is, not my wife) running for a bit longer! 8)

I was thinking of charging myself - that way I'd soon have enough to pay for it!

:D

Simon, did you read the small print?
They are not REAL D Types, but modern recreations, albeit with FIA homologation papers.

Is that like being promised a night with Keira Knightley only to find it's really her Essex Lookalike?

Will you take the S2 along, at least that's real

Dammit, you're right! On the other hand:

"they are based on [the originals] and made with care by the Jaguar Heritage engineering team"...and are..."recreations to the original specification and come complete with FIA homologation papers. They are owned and fully prepared by Jaguar"

Built, owned, and prepared by Jaguar? That makes it a Jaguar in my book! :D

Besides, given that it's a toss-up between doing that and spending the day in the office...

Unfortunately the BBC rainfall forecast doesn't extend as far as next April so it's too early for me to say whether I'll take the S2

So, with the sun shining and temperatures in the twenties I finally got round to doing this on Friday last week.

The event takes place at Jaguar's Fen End test facility just south of Coventry. The facility is set up on what was RAF Honiley's runways, and was used by Jaguar in the past for D-type development amongst other things before being sold off, and then ultimately being bought back by JLR from Prodrive towards the end of last year. The whole place still has the air of 'top secret hush-hush test facility - with multiple security gates to negotiate - but once inside it's very relaxed and the Heritage facility is set up in a stylish air-conditioned pavilion next to the track.

First up, housed inside the pavillion is Jaguar's 'Perfect 10' collection including of course 77RW:











I've included the XJ6 because not only was it Sir William Lyons' personal car, it has my dad's initials ('PHP') and is painted Sable like his E-type was originally (have to say it actually looks quite handsome on a saloon!). Also in the collection was this, which I last saw in a sunburnt and semi-drunken stupor as it crossed the line to victory at the Le Mans in 1988 :D :





After a safety briefing and plenty of coffee and cakes it was time to turn attention outside to see the cars being used for the driving experiences. Clearly Jaguar don't wish to risk damaging a real E-type so they make available just an S1 and an S3 instead:











The V12 was a manual and the S1 was apparently the one-time property of Mike Hailwood. Interesting to note the non-standard boot badge on the Hailwood car and (you can just about make them out in the photo above) the non-standard round OBL covers:





Lots of other Jaguars there, from C-type onwards, busy heading in and out as they went about their track duties, including a pair of F-types (coupe and 'OTS') which really did look and sound very quick.

In due course my mount for the day became available - the D-type 'recreation'! :D :





A couple of words about the car: like the C-type, yes it's a recreation, but it was built by Jaguar, has been fully homologated as such by the FIA, and (I've read subsequently) is valued at ?1m(!) Also, driving the car (I'd opted for a passenger ride as I figured I'd enjoy it far more than trying to get to grips with the car and the circuit in a short period of time) was one Mike Wilds: historic racer of note, one-time F1 driver, and competitor in the same 1988 Le Mans where I watched the XJR9 win. OK the roll bar detracts from its looks somewhat, but then you look at the two OTS's behind and begin to ponder what makes mores sense....

And so, out on track! I realise that if you're lucky enough to be Mr Crespin this view is old hat, but Wow, what a car!











Although you can't see it, in that last shot about another 200 yards up the track it had started to rain (yes, on an otherwise hot sunny day in Britain - go figure!). This was Bad because at speed with only one of those little aero screens to protect you rain stings, and Good because Mike didn't let up at all, instead revelling in the excuse to drift through the corners :D So much so in fact that on lap four or five as we tackled the tight bend onto the main straight we managed to spin through a full 360 degrees! I'VE SPUN IN A D-TYPE!! I'VE SPUN IN MILLION POUND CAR!!! I shall go to my grave happy..... :D :D :D

After that, and more coffee and cakes it was time to clamber back in my own E-type and venture on my way (as I was due to head north I made a point of driving up Browns Lane* as I did so). And look what was parked next to me in the car park, and guess which one had been attracting more attention and having its photo taken the most during the day?














All in all a great day out. Thoroughly recommended. And if I can get a chance to return and sample some of the other driving experiences I will.

Simon

[* NB This is not the euphemism that it might sound ]

Simon

Absolutely marvellous, glad you had a good time and great to see how admired your 'Real' E Type was. The F looks fairly good next to it, but not as good.

A happy day for you, well done.

Geoff

Excellent write-up, thanks. I'd love a shot under the bonnet of the D or a clear shot of the driver or passenger dash if you have one, to help ID the car.

I know for a fact the C- D- and XKSS in the James Hull collection were not built by Jaguar as I know the person who did build them and have part-completed photos as I frequented his place buying bits for mine. They are exact copies though, using a tub from New Zealand and engine from Crossthwaite and Gardiner. I believe they are using ex James Hull cars, amongst others.

However, that D does not look like the Hull D unless they had to butcher it to fit that abomination of a roll bar and fitted a second screen for punters. The one indoors is either the Hull car or OKV 1 the Heritage prototype I think. Judging by the glimpses of dash it is a toolroom copy with some non- standard electrics, so well done!

The only Ds I've seen with that roll bar are 'Revival' Ds built by Adrian Cocking at RAM, which is the type of car shown in my avatar. those are every bit as quick as a D if well-specced, but far from a real D. Was there very little leg room?

May have to book something for July. Wonder if I could get the Journal to subsidize me? Nah, no chance :-(

Pete

The 'D' in the collection was OVC 501 (I'm sure you'll know its history better than me!) and its dash is shown here:







Sadly I didn't get any pictures of the track car's dash, although yes most of the cars came from the James Hull collection (including the Hailwood S1 which is not the near-identical Hailwood S1 sold at auction a year or two ago for around ?200k).

Have to say if you've got regular access to a D-type - be it original or faithful reproduction - you're a very fortunate chap. So composed, so compliant, and even today still remarkably potent!

Simon

Here's the history of OVC 501:

http://www.jaguarheritage.com/t/collection_010

No specific details are given about the 'D' used for the driving experiences, but the accompanying notes on the booking forms do say "The C-type, the D-type and the XKSS cars used in these experiences are recreations built to the original car specifications and come complete with FIA homologation papers. They are owned and fully prepared by Jaguar".

If anyone is interested in giving is a go at any stage the details of all of the experiences on offer are here: https://jaguarheritagedriving.com/ Like I say, highly recommended - although you might need to be quick: on the day I was there half the places were taken up by visitors from China!