The 5th Jaguar E-Type
When the E – type was launched at the Geneva Motor Show on 15th March 1961 everyone wanted one, not least the Motor Racing fraternity. Jaguar only released three cars in April and this one, chassis #850005, the fifth one made, went straight to Tommy Sopwith, owner of the racing team Equipe Endeavour.
It made its racing debut at Oulton Park on 15th April 1961, at only a month or so old! Graham Hill was the driver and he gained the first ever race win for a Jaguar E-type. An incredible achievement for such a new car with few modifications.
The car was driven extensively by Hill, Mike Parkes and Jack Sears during 1961 and 1962. It then disappeared, only to be found on a council estate in 1968! In 1974 it was purchased by Steve O’Rourke, the Pink Floyd Manager, who commissioned its rebuild and kept it for 28 years before selling it to its present owner.
Chassis #850005 will be a part of our parade at the Royal Windsor Festival on the 6th of May.
The 'Endeavour' Morse Jaguar Mk1
The glorious black Mk1 has been the primary vehicle of a young Endeavour Morse in the ITV show Endeavour, which most recently aired its fourth series in early 2017.
Jaguar’s first small saloon car of the post-war period, the Mk1 will be a key part of a timeline of Jaguars that will feature at the Royal Windsor Jaguar Festival.
A Mk2 Jaguar – the Mk1’s closely related predecessor – was used in the original Inspector Morse series, presumably making the Mk1 a straightforward casting choice for a younger Morse.
Read more about the Endeavour Mk1 and its appearance at the Royal Windsor Jaguar Festival here.
The XK8 'Shaguar'
This 2001 XK8 was one of two ‘Shaguars’ driven by Austin Powers in the popular spoof trilogy. A 1961 E-Type starred in Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997), while this XK8 served as ‘SWINGER2’ in Austin Powers in Goldmember (2003).
Now owned by the Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust, the Shaguar spends most of its time on display at the British Motor Museum. For the Royal Windsor Jaguar Festival, however, the car will join in our parade of over 250 cars through the streets of Windsor.
William Lyon's personal Jaguar MkX
William Lyon’s motto for what Jaguars are all about, ‘grace, space and pace’ is perfectly encapsulated by the line of range-topping saloons that ended with the MkX. It’s no surprise then, that Lyon’s used one as a personal vehicle for many years
The car we’ll be seeing at the Royal Windsor Jaguar Festival is an early MkX, one of the first made in fact, that was Lyon’s personal car for three and a half years from 1962.
The MkX was most certainly used chauffeur-driven, as Lyon’s specified electric rear windows, which were then an expensive and rare option. For our parade, however, the MkX will be traditionally driven through the route.
The second ever D-Type
This 1954 Jaguar D-type short-nose ‘OKV 1’ was the second D-Type to be built by the Jaguar Competitions Department and first of the famous trio of D-types that debuted at Le Mans in 1954.
Driven by Duncan Hamilton and Tony Rolt it finished second, only 135 seconds behind the winning car after 24 hours of racing! It also came second in the Reims 12 hours.
It was sold to Duncan Hamilton who raced it extensively and successfully, he then modified it for road use and it was later sold to “Jumbo” Goddard in Australia. Eventually, it was returned to the UK, where it was superbly restored back to its Le Mans specification.
‘OKV 1’ will also be taking part in our parade at the Royal Windsor Jaguar Festival .
The one and only Jaguar XJ13
Built as a potential Le Mans contender, the XJ13 never actually competed in any race. Its development inevitably had to take second place to the all-new very important saloon the XJ6, introduced in 1968. By the time XJ13 was complete its design had become obsolete against new cars from Ferrari, Ford and the Porsche 917. Le Mans regulations were changing and prototype cars were limited to 3 litres unless a minimum production run of 50 were built.
Nevertheless, it still remains one of the most beautiful racing cars of all time, designed by the talented Malcolm Sayer who was also responsible for the C-type and D-type. Would it have been a winner? Well, its 5-litre V12 engine produced 502bhp and during testing in 1967, it lapped the MIRA test track at over 161 mph in the hands of David Hobbs. That record stood until 1999 – so we think it might have stood a chance!
Read our full piece on the XJ13 and its appearance at the Royal Windsor Jaguar Festival here.
The Royal Windsor Jaguar Festival
The Royal Windsor Jaguar Festival will be an event like no other. Set in the majestic surroundings of Windsor Castle, the Jaguar Enthusiasts’ Club has been invited by the Prince Philip Trust Fund to assemble a unique Jaguar display and parade with the ultimate goal of raising funds to support this great cause.
The Prince Philip Trust Fund raises money to help young people living in the Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead, having been established using a small sum of money taken from contributions to fundraising events that took place during Her Majesty The Queen’s Silver Jubilee celebrations in 1977. Since this modest beginning, the Trust Fund has benefited from a number of special fundraising events including several car rallies, and it is in this tradition that the Jaguar Enthusiasts’ Club is organising the Royal Windsor Jaguar Festival.
Booking is now open for the Festival Welcome Events on Friday 5th May, Long Walk tickets on Saturday 6th May or to join us in the evening at our Festival at Windsor Racecourse. For more details or to book, contact us here.
