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Featuring edited highlights from past issues of XJ News

May 2009

Jaguar XK-E for Sale in USA
Cover picture: This XK-E is for sale in the USA - refer to our Car Sales page

Jaguar Car Jaguar Car Jaguar Car Jaguar Car

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The International XJ-S Cabriolet Register

Contents  
 

Contents

  1. Latest news from Xclusively Jaguar

  2. Latest news from Knowles Wilkins Engineering

  3. Diary of an XJ40 - Part 4

  4. The Crowfoot Collection - a Jaguar Collectors Dream

  5. Project XJ-S Express!

  6. Hyper Engineering

  7. S.K.Jagtech

  8. Parts, Automobilia, Books etc for sale and wanted

  9. Cars for sale and wanted

  10. Newsletter archive

  11. Important notices and disclaimers

XJ Logo

Facts and Information by Model

SS & Pre-war Jaguar's

1950's Sports/Racing

1950's Saloons

E-type

1960's Saloons

XJ Series 1-3

XJS

XJ220

XJ40

X300/X308

XK8/R

S-type

X-type

X350

XK

XF

One-off's, Concept's, Protoypes & Replica's

Latest News  
 

NEWS!

Latest additions to the website are national flags, in the index column, which show the countries our visitors come from, so that you can see that we are truly international!

We have also exchanged links with Holland Bros, Jaguar Main Dealers, in Lincoln and Boston.

There are a number of new cars recently added to the Car Sales page.

I have also, finally, found time to add some information to the blank pages on the website, which offer model-specific information........but there is still lots more to come, so keep checking back, or ask me if you cannot find what you are looking for! This month there are fewer articles, because they are very long ones - but I hope you will find them interesting.

  Jaguar London to Brighton Run 26th April 2009. A personal view through the eyes of Keith Baker, a regular participant, in his Flamenco Red XJS Celebration.

View Pictures

 

Hot off the press from Jaguar

......The all new XJ !!!

Described by Jaguar as

"The Icon Re-imagined"

Sign up for further details

 
Latest News from KWE  

Latest news from

Knowles Wilkins Engineering

Knowles Wilkins Engineering - The Jaguar Series XJ and XJS Specialists

A brief word about air conditioning.......

The R134a myth!
Most garages and so-called aircon specialists will claim that you must convert to R134a if you have an older R12 system. This is nonsense! There are several drop-in R12-equivalent gases which are legal and easily obtainable. We use RS24, also known as Isceon MO49 or R413. It's 50% more expensive than R134a but the actual cost per charge goes from around £11 to £17.

Refrigerant gas facts:

  • Older cars used R12 refrigerant which is very effective but when released into the atmosphere it depletes ozone and hence has been banned some years ago. It's not illegal to use it or have it - but you can no-longer buy it.
  • R134a is a non-ozone-depleting gas which is cheap and widely available. It is less effective than R12.
  • R134a refrigeration systems need several different components to work properly: The expansion valve needs to have a different orifice, the receiver dryer needs to have a different desiccant, the hoses need to be renewed and lined in PTFE or similar (R134a is more inclined to leak), the refrigerant oil needs to be changed to PAG or Ester (not mineral), the old Harrison A6 compressor may struggle a bit.
  • To achieve the same cooling, R134 systems run at higher pressure which may stress and cause leaks in the hoses.
  • There are several R12-compatible gases which are non-ozone depleting and hence fully legal - and easily obtained - such as RS24
  • RS24 gas may be installed using simple gauges and often with twin-gas automatic systems
  • There is no need to convert any components from an R12 system to use RS24 (though it's always desirable to replace the receiver dryer which is a service item regardless of gas used).
  • RS24 and R12 give typically 6 deg C cooler air at the face vent than R134a
In practice, R134a was heavily promoted by manufacturers such as Dupont when R12 was banned and garages were encouraged to buy new equipment and stock only R134. On top of this, virtually all new cars from about 1994 were fitted with R134 a/c systems. So most garages didn't bother to consider older cars, and instead made money out of unnecessarily converting old systems to R134. This was (and still is) often done very badly, for example, not changing the hoses so the gas leaks out fast, not changing the oil so the system clogs and compressors die early etc.

KWE offers both R12-compatible and R134 system repairs and re-charging. A typical discharge, renewal of receiver dryer, pressure test with Nitrogen, evacuation and re-charge with RS24 costs £160 + vat.

For more information, please visit: KWE Technical Assistance: Jaguar Air Conditioning

Diary of an XJ40 - Part 4  
  Diary of an xj40

The Road to Recovery!

by Esta-jane Mace

 
KUH on the road

As can be seen from the picture, KUH is on the road to recovery (literally!) as she stands at the bottom of the ramps of Paul Ridley’s transporter.

Paul apparently LOVES Jaguars and LOVES the XJ40 in particular! He is a fantastic guy, Esta tells me, and clearly passionate about his job! He takes photos of every job, wherever possible (some people say no, as they do not want the whereabouts of their rare and expensive cars to be known!) Esta took pictures, and a video too! Paul had just come from the local Lamborghini dealership, before proceeding to transport KUH to the workshop (she was at that time without an MOT!) Paul does work for Top Gear, Fifth Gear, and other TV programmes, and is regularly at Jaguar and Aston Martin, or off shipping someones expensive Ferrari or rare beast somewhere!!

A link to Paul's website (www.paulridley.co.uk) can be found on our "Links" page

  Kuh ands Esta at Jaguar Spares Day

Esta and KUH pictured at International Jaguar Spares Day, Stoneleigh, March 29th.
Well, that “cuddly XJ-S" should go a long way to keeping KUH on the road!
Esta went to the spares day to look out for bargains for her XJ40 Sovereign, but didn’t find any of the bits she wanted, so took solace in this cuddly XJS………well, I suppose it will at least provide comfort when things are not going well with her 40!

  Kuhs heritage certificate

KUH now has her Heritage Certificate.

These are available for any Jaguar which is over 10 years old and are a record of all the cars vital statistics, taken from the archives at the JDHT. Known as a “Heritage Certificate” their proper title is a “Production Record Trace Certificate” which is prepared for the current owner on supplying the V5 as proof of ownership. They can also help with tracing the history of a Jaguar, as they give details of the supplying dealer, first owner, and first registration number. They are an absolute must for all cherished Jaguars, and can be obtained for £35 from The Jaguar Heritage Trust. (details on our Links page)

  At the moment KUH’s bootlid is undergoing cosmetic surgery! Being a typical XJ40 she has a few problems in this area, so as previously reported, Esta has purchased a replacement bootlid in remarkable condition………but, it’s the wrong colour! It is currently being prepared and resprayed before joining KUH!

For more details on any of the above, please visit www.project-jaguar.co.uk Esta’s own site which contains full details of KUH’s Diary

   
Crowfoot Collection  
 

The Crowfoot Collection
A Jaguar Collectors Dream

  Reproduced by kind permission of the original author Brian Foster with later additions and updates by Letitia Mace.

Brian’s Story
In 1995, my wife and I visited relations in Australia, and our host, Derek King, mentioned in passing that he had spoken to a gentleman in Taree, New South Wales, who had restored a classic Jaguar for his wife, and was currently working on other models.

February of this year (1999) found my wife and I in Australia again, and staying with Derek and my sister. In general conversation I asked Derek if he had seen anything more of the Jaguar gentleman and when he replied no, I suggested that we try to track him down. This Derek did, and discovered our man was Norman Crowfoot of Hallidays Point, New South Wales.

A couple of phone calls resulted in a most kind invitation to visit his house and view his collection!

The visit was arranged for Friday 5th March 1999 with Derek and I arriving at 10.30 am. However we were both totally unprepared for what we were about to see.

Following introductions with Norman and his charming wife Jacqueline, the first car we saw was a 1984 XJ-S HE standing under the car port, and immediately behind that, in a garage and stripped down, a Mark V. Norman showed us the beautiful dashboards he had restored and the wiring harness, all of which was identical to the original, being encased in a woven multi-coloured cotton sheath.

We moved on up the hill behind the house, to a large steel framed building with roller shutter doors on each elevation. Norman operated the first shutter, and as our eyes became accustomed to the internal light levels, they nearly popped out of our heads!

There, standing in rows, beneath white dust sheets were the unmistakeable outlines of classic Jaguar cars of every conceivable model.

As Norman and Jacqueline lifted off the covers one by one I stood there absolutely transfixed as nostalgic memories came flooding back. I thought, here am I, 13,000 miles from home, looking at the largest private collection of Jaguars I have ever seen!

Each and every model, now standing pristine in full concours condition had a story to tell. This one, Norman explained, was used for years by school children across country to the highway school bus, and back again, every day without any form of maintenance. This one was involved in a smash and we bought it on the spot. This one lay on open ground for years and had a tree growing through it, whereas this one Norman said, was bought for cash in town by striking a deal with the woman who owned it, who promptly cleared it of dogs, kids and general rubbish!

When I mentioned to Norman that I would like to write an article on his collection, he suggested that I wait until after his Jaguar Day Meeting in June, following which he would forward to me in the UK, photographs of all his cars lined up, together with a short history of his involvement with Jaguar Cars in Australia.

The Open Day/Meeting at Norman and Jacquelines house at Halliday’s Point in New South Wales took place on the 13th June 1999 and was in Norman’s words “A great success”…………. how I wished that I had been there!

Norman, in his letter explained that they are members of the Jaguar Drivers Club (Hunters Region) and about 20 cars attended from Newcastle plus some 30 from the Forster, Taree and Port McQuarrie districts. Added to these was Norman and Jacqueline’s collection of 20 cars, so in all they had 70 Jaguars on their property for the meeting and barbeque lunch.

In his promised letter to me Norman asked if it would be possible to trace the history of a Jaguar Drivers Badge No. 5483 which, at that time, adorned a Mark II brought back from England by Hugh Bryson as a present in 1964. (Was the question ever answered, I wonder?)

At the Open Day each and every restored car in the collection was separately photographed, and the cars under restoration collectively and captioned “Sick Bay”.

I was naturally most interested in Norman Crowfoot’s association with Jaguars over the years, and therefore felt that any article on his cars would be incomplete without this included.

In response to my request, Norman provided a draft for me and this now appears below in almost the form in which I received it from him.

Norman Crowfoot
His first Jaguar was a second hand XK120 in 1954, having graduated from a Vauxhall Wyvern, Singer 9 and a TDMG. That XK started the love affair which has continued. Norman raced at the Sydney circuit, Mount Druit, but because of the braking or lack of it, racing continued with aTR2, Open Wheel Special, Lancia Aurelia and Ferrari Monza. Tow wagons for these cars were a Mark V and then a Mark VII.

He then took a position with Bryson Industries, the Australian Jaguar distributor in 1960, in the sales department and ultimately graduated to Daimler marketing manager.

In 1963, having purchased the ex-Whithead 1955 Le Mans Cooper Jaguar, he raced at the Melbourne and Albury circuits in New South Wales.

Also, in 1963, Norman drove the Bryson Industries entry in the Sandown (Melbourne) 6 hour race, driving a 3.8 Mark II.

He parted with Brysons in 1967 to become Jaguar/Daimler dealer at Albury, New South Wales.

After selling that business he went into real estate, using a Mark X and then a Daimler Majestic Major as the appropriate work car.

On retirement Norman and Jacqueline moved to the coastal area of New South Wales at Hallidays Point, between Forster and Taree.

In 1985 they bought and restored a Mark II 3.4 overdrive for Jacqueline and Norman hunted for a 420G for himself.

On a trip to the UK in 1989 they bought a pristine 1985 Daimler Double Six and a DS 420 Limousine, taking both cars home. Whilst in the UK they naturally graduated to the Beaulieu Motor Museum where they noticed a plaque indicating that Lord Montague started that collection in 1970 with 5 cars. Their joint comment at the time was “we have 4 cars so why not start a Jaguar collection?”

The aim was therefore established to find and restore one of every body series from World War II to the time that Jaguar became “Forduar”.

All restoration work is done at home except for trimming and panel work and any mechanical work Norman is unable to handle himself. All cars are finished with at least 10 coats of acrylic lacquer and each restoration takes about one year. Where necessary, chromework is repaired and restored to a high standard with double copper and “linishing” (its in the dictionary!) between.

In 1999 progress stood as described below
Restoration of the Mark V and the Mark IV is well under way and the Mark I is at “metal-work finished” stage. The XK150 is being stripped at present for sand-blasting. The remainder of the collection has been totally restored, and another 2 or 3 years should see the project completed.

When completed it was already planned that the collection would be offered for sale and the projected value at that time was estimated to be in excess of £300,000.

Ten Years On……….Letitia’s Story
Having made the acquaintance of Brian Foster in 2008, he then shared the above story with me and I asked him if he knew what finally became of the Crowfoot Jaguar Collection. Brian explained that he had not been in touch with Norman Crowfoot since his visit and all he could tell me was that he was aware that Norman had suffered a heart attack and he did not know what had become of him or his collection of Jaguars. Brian gave me contact details for Norman and said that it would be quite in order for me try to get in touch, but with caution – bearing in mind his illness!

Meanwhile, enter Bleasie, with contacts worldwide! I decided it might be wise to see if a fellow Jaguar enthusiast in New South Wales could throw some light on the current situation! Bleasie came up trumps and put me in touch with David Love, who was able to provide details of a website with all the cars advertised for sale on it
http://members.tadaust.org.au/normcrowfoot/Normcrowfoot/jaguar.html
and an email address.
Norman replied to me, thanking me for my interest, and thus completed the story and our investigations.

Norman's letter
Dear Letitia
Thankyou for your persistance in tracing me. I remember Brian Foster very well. He had a relative living in our area which is how he learned of us. I do not recall the extent of our collection at the time of Brian's visit but we finished with the 20 Jaguar's listed below (all totally restored to showroom condition)

Sadly our XJ-S was not a Cabriolet, but it was a very nice, very comfortable, very fast car and incidentally was the most economical car in the collection - up to 26 mpg on highway running. We are selling off the collection as we intend moving from our property to a beachside block just down the road, and will ultimately have room for only 2 cars. This is brought about by the fact of my age - now 83. I have been a Jaguar fan since 1947 and thankfully my wife is a bit of a petrolhead too, and a keen assistant in the restoration work.

We gave the D type a competition outing in the State Hill Climb championships at Newcastle in October 2007 and gained a 3rd in Sports cars class. But a real enthusiast from Geelong, Victoria called to see our cars and just HAD to have the 'D' Type outfit. It is now being used for Historic competition at many circuits in NSW and Victoria.
If you need any further information let me know.

Regards Norman Crowfoot.

Below is a list of all the Jaguars in the Crowfoot Collection, and the ones which are still for sale are also on the Car Sales page.

Unfortunately, the collection never included an XJS Cabriolet (sorry Bleasie, Norman sent his apologies!)

Myself, I am rather partial to an XJ40 and I see that Normans very early 3.6 is still for sale – alas I cannot justify the cost of bringing her back home………but perhaps she is better off in the dry climate of Australia?

I am sure we would all love to hear from anyone who has purchased one of the Jaguars from the collection.

The Complete Crowfoot Collection
A collection of 20 Jaguars representing every model from 1948 to 1990. Personally sourced, and authentically restored to showroom condition, by Norman and Jacqueline Crowfoot of Hallidays Point NSW Australia. Currently valued in the region of AU$1,000,000. and now offered for sale due to retirement.

Much of the collection has now been sold, but those still for sale, are also shown on our "Car Sales" page.

  1. Jaguar Mark V 'Z' Series 3.5 litre
    Jaguar Mark V Z Series 3.5 Litre
    1950
    Lavender Grey with Tan hide trim
    Engine number: Z2916
    Chassis number: 62451
    Restored to Concours condition
    AU$50,000 Not Negotiable
  2. Jaguar XK150 fhc 3.4 litre
    Jaguar XK150 3.4litre
    1957
    Avocado Ivory with Suede Green trim
    Engine number: V2394-8
    Chassis number: S834897
    SOLD
  3. Jaguar MK 1 2.4 litre
    Jaguar MK I 2.4litre
    1958
    Old English White with Red hide trim
    SOLD
  4. Jaguar MK IX automatic
    Jaguar Makr IV auto
    1959
    Mist Grey and Pearl Grey with Red hide trim
    Engine number: NA3091-8 (not matching)
    Chassis number: 772357BW
    SOLD
  5. Jaguar MK2 3.4 litre mod
    Jaguar MK II 3.4 Litre
    1961
    Old English White with Biscuit trim
    Engine number:KG8592-8
    Chassis number:155260DN
    SOLD
  6. Jaguar E Type fhc Series 1 3.8 litre
    Jaguar E-Type Series I 3.8 Litre
    1964
    Carmen Red with Black hide trim
    Engine number: R84870-9
    Chassis number: 889749
    Restored to Concours condition
    AU$75,000 Not Negotiable
  7. Jaguar S Type 3.8 litre automatic
    Jaguar S-Type 3.8 Litre
    1965
    Opalescent Dark Green with Biscuit interior
    Engine number: 7B58830-8
    Chassis number: PIB55376BW
    SOLD
  8. Jaguar S Type 3.8 litre automatic
    Jaguar S-Type 3.8 Litre
    1967
    Silver Grey with Red hide trim
    Engine number: 7B64525-8
    Chassis number: PIB59281BW
    AU$22,500
  9. Jaguar 420G automatic
    Jaguar 420G
    1968
    Golden Sand with Beige hide trim
    Engine number: 7D57778-8
    Chassis number: GID54624-BW
    AU$22,500
  10. Jaguar 420 mod
    Jaguar 420 Mod
    1968
    Carmen Red with Black vinyl roof (turret) and Black hide trim
    Engine number: 7F10271-8
    Chassis number: PIF7635DN
    SOLD
  11. Jaguar XJ6 Series 1 2.8 litre mod
    Jaguar XJ6 Series I 2.8 Litre
    1969
    Regency Red with Black vinyl roof (turret) and sunroof
    Biscuit hide trim
    Engine number: 7G4385-9
    Chassis number: IG2906DN $12,500SOLD
  12. Jaguar XJ6 Series 1 4.2 litre automatic
    Jaguar XJ6 4.2 Litre
    1971
    Sapphire Blue with Dark Blue vinyl roof (turret) and Dark Blue hide trim
    Engine number: 7L301192
    Chassis number: IL15262BW
    $11,000
  13. Daimler DS420 Limousine
    Daimler DS420 Limousine
    1972
    Coachwork: Tungsten and Solent Blue
    Interior: Front cabin - Black hide. Rear Cabin - Fawn cloth
    Engine number: 7M2384-S
    Chassis number: IM2308
    AU$25,000
  14. Jaguar XJ6 Series 2 4.2 litre automatic
    Jaguar XJ6 Series II 4.2 Litre
    1974
    Old English White with Dark Blue hide trim
    Engine number: 7L93013S
    Chassis number: 2N6623BW
    AU$11,000
  15. Jaguar XJ6 Coupe 4.2 litre automatic
    Jaguar XJ6 Coupe 4.2 Litre
    1976
    Rhodium Silver with Dark Blue hide trim
    Engine number: BL72342S (1985 Factory replacement docket)
    Chassis number: 2J2554BW
    SOLD
  16. Jaguar XJ-S HE Coupe 5.3 V12 automatic
    Jaguar XJ-S HE Coupe 5.3 Litre V12
    1983
    Silver Frost with Saville Grey hide trim
    Chassis number: SAJJNAEY3AC104845
    Engine number: 8S268952HA
    SOLD
  17. Daimler Double Six Series 3
    Daimler Double 6 Series III
    1984
    Sand with Doeskin hide trim
    Engine number: 7F50616HB
    Chassis number: SADDDRLW3CC391422
    One of only 402 produced between 1980-1992,
    and Jaguar's flagship during this period!
    This has been our personal car since 1989,
    still in original condition.
    AU$18,000
  18. Jaguar XJ40 XJ6 3.6 litre automatic
    Jaguar XJ40 XJ6 3.6 Litre
    1987
    Solent Blue with Pennine Tweed trim
    Engine number: 9DPAMA107398
    Chassis number: SAJJFALH3AA504491
    Imported from England for display purposes,
    Registration for road use would be questionable.
    Completely rebuilt engine, transmission and body.
    AU$4,000
  19. Jaguar D Type Long nose
    Jaguar D-Type Long nose
    Replica of 1956 model
    Jaguar Racing Green with Green vinyl trim
    Full width screen
    GRP body by RM (UK)
    Space frame by Cooper Sports Cars (UK)
    4.2 litre engine from 420G
    Close ratio Syncro gearbox from Series 2 E Type
    Limited Slip Diff 3.54:1, SPAX adjustable shocks, Rack and Pinion (ex MGB)
    Thoroughly balanced and dyno prepared.
    Many genuine 'D' Type features.
    PLUS
    Custom built enclosed trailer - 4 wheel independent suspension, electric winch, override hydraulic brakes.

  20. Towing vehicle - Jaguar XJ6 Series 1 4.2 litre saloon. Air conditioned, sound and reliable.

    D Type Outfit
    Includes D Type replica, trailer, spares, and tow vehicle (as listed above)
    AU$125,000 not negotiable

Project XJ-S Express  
 

Project XJ-S Express

by Letitia Mace

 

H117 GKF

Jaguar XJ-S Coupe

XJ-S 5.3 V12 HE Coupe 1991 Auto Regency Red with Saville grey hide

Back in June 2004, still heady from just having purchased our second Jaguar, and thoroughly besotted with the marque, I was walking past the entrance to a local garage, with my children in tow, when I spotted an XJ-S.
“Why do we always have to come this way?” one of them said.
“Well, you never know what you might see!” I replied.
“Oh look – there’s an XJ-S!
You see, it was well worth coming this way……………OH! It’s a V12!”
As we came round to the other entrance to the garage, and the front of the XJ-S, we saw that the bonnet was up and a man was standing beside it -
“………and that’s the owner!” I added!
It was indisputable, as he had overheard us and the huge grin on his face spelt pride of ownership, and it was obvious that he was no garage mechanic working on somebody else’s car! Strangely, I never forgot that incident and it seems rather poignant now, and still brings tears to my eyes and the reminder that the age old advice to grab every moment while you can, is good advice!

A few months later, and our Jaguar went into the bodyshop next door to this garage for some remedial work. At the back of this workshop was the same XJ-S, now hardly recognisable and being stripped in preparation for a bare metal respray. Now I had even more reason to regularly walk through this alley, to keep a check on the progress of the XJ-S. South Molton is not a mecca for Jaguars, you understand, so this is about as exciting as it gets! Eventually, the XJ-S left the workshop and we then came across it quite by accident, on a visit to the local hospital (pardon the pun!). Parked in the road opposite the hospital, we soon discovered that this was where the XJ-S lived! A short time later, a disabled parking bay was neatly painted in that part of the road where the XJ-S habitually stood. We speculated that in order to get the dimensions to fit so perfectly, they must have painted round said XJ-S while it was in situ! Visits to the hospital for unsavoury things like blood tests now took on a new dimension and became a chance to see the XJ-S. Whenever possible, I would park our XJ nose to nose with the XJ-S so that they could talk together (its ok, my Dr. knows about this!) and despite having a good long look at this 1991 coupe, while waiting for my husband each time he visited the hospital, I never again met its owner. When the XJ-S wasn’t in its parking bay, I would park our XJ in its special space, since my husband holds a blue badge.

It seemed a while since we had seen the XJ-S in its parking bay but we assumed that our visits to the hospital had coincided with its owner’s decision to go out in it – we had seen them out on the road from time to time so thought nothing of it. Then one day, completely out of the blue, came a phone call from an elderly gentleman. He explained that his son had recently passed away, and had owned an XJ-S which he himself had no use or funds for, and the local garage had suggested that we may be interested in buying it. My husband explained that we could not afford to buy the XJ-S, but to help him in his plight, suggested that we may be able to find a buyer. When my husband told me about the call, I was so excited about the prospect of having an XJ-S, even on a short term basis. Then I remembered that my good fortune was the result of someone else’s severe misfortune, and it brought me sharply back to reality. It was all a mystery at the time, as the only information that this man had on his late son’s XJ-S, was that it was a V12 and it was somewhere in a South Molton garage, where it had been left before his son had been taken ill, as the windscreen wipers had stopped working! It was another two weeks before we were able to ascertain the whereabouts of the XJ-S, and we realised that this was the XJ-S we had seen regularly outside the hospital – the same XJ-S which had shared the local bodyshop with one of our own Jaguars……….and it was then that I remembered the incident in June 2004, and the first time I had ever seen H117 GKF! Never, at any time did I ever imagine that this beautiful XJ-S V12 would end up on our driveway and in our care!

Jaguar XJ-S V12 GKF

We were just settling into S-type ownership and I was learning to love LDN’s “cuddly” curves, when this sleek equivalent of a female super-model came along and stole all the attention! LDN (bless her!) compliantly moved out of her carport so that her unfortunate guest could enjoy the best bedroom during her short stay. Eventually though, we found that we could almost squeeze GKF into our rather short garage with just her nose sticking out of the end – pillows on her bonnet, and the door tied down to eyes drilled into the floor, specially for her benefit!

She had been “laid-up” for 6 months and her appearance suggested that “abandoned in a field” was nearer the truth – shame on the garage to whom her welfare was left after the death of her late owner! We collected her, brought her home, and swiftly took some photo’s of her general appearance on arrival, before beginning a thorough clean-up. As she stood dejectedly on our driveway covered in an accumulation of six months muck and rotting debris, I suddenly burst into tears, as I remembered that the last time I had seen this XJ-S she had been faultlessly immaculate – she was her late owners pride and joy. In fact, I later found out that this is what he actually called her - “PRIDE ‘N’ JOY”. In my mind’s eye, I saw him standing next to her in the garage three years previously, grinning with pride. If he was looking down upon her now, it would be breaking his heart to see her in such a neglected state! I vowed then, that I would do all that I could to bring her back to the condition she was previously in, and find someone who would appreciate her and maintain her to the same high standard. While GKF was with us, we considered her our own Jaguar, and treated her to the same high quality cleaning products that we would use on our own Jaguars. We spent many happy hours cleaning and polishing, until we were satisfied that her appearance would meet with her late owner’s approval.

GKF is the second XJ-S which we have sold on behalf of someone else – I didn’t even get to drive the other one, as it was not roadworthy and was sold for restoration. I didn’t think I was going to get the chance to drive GKF either, so it was such a thrill when Nigel pulled into a carpark so that I could swap Jaguars! The seat was a long way down after the S-type! Then I couldn’t find the seat controls – till I realized it must be manual – der !!! I’m not yet familiar with fly off handbrakes, but fortunately Nigel had left this one off. The autobox was also unfamiliar to me and I had to shout out of the window for instructions – it wouldn’t budge and there was no button to engage and I had no idea that it had to be moved slightly to the right – like reversing the action of a J-gate. I do wish this box had a J-gate, as I think it is much more aesthetically pleasing. Nigel had warned me that this was a fiery car and would take off as soon as I put my foot down – as if it were something I am unused to! In the event I drove her in my usual style and found that she behaved as do ALL the high performance cars I’ve driven to date. That is, if you want to be slow and sedate, she will co-operate fully, cornering gently and smoothly and gaining speed slowly but effortlessly if that is what is required BUT if a sudden high speed spurt is what you want, you’ll get it delivered promptly and smoothly with decisive cornering and brakes which will bring you back to a standstill as swiftly as you took off! I find this type of car much safer and more pleasurable to drive because the performance is there when you want it – not 5 minutes later, when its too late – BUT you are under no obligation to use it, as the engine will amble happily along in the interim. Nigel was also convinced that I would find the bonnet too long because of my short stature! I actually found the XJ-S much easier to manoeuvre than the S-type because of its low waistline! Personally, I didn’t think the length of the bonnet would be a problem until Nigel started to make me feel paranoid about it BUT I did have some grave doubts about those buttresses and rear visibility! As it turned out, I actually found that the view through the back of an XJ-S is amazing – much better than the XK8 or XK! This Jaguar was wonderful to drive, it felt light and nimble after the S-type and I couldn’t fault it. The XJ-S has won another fan !!!

Jaguar XJ-S V12 GKF bonnet up

GKF also put to the test another theory: Nigel would not cope with getting in and out of an XJ-S on a regular basis! As we already knew, the roof line and the seats are too low. Parking the XJ-S next to the S-type in our driveway, showed exactly how much lower the roofline, waistline and seats are! The S-type positively dwarfed the XJ-S and another astonishing fact we learnt, is that an XJ-S takes up no more floor space than an X-type (a prospective buyer measured them both!) and yet the XJ-S’s sleek, low profile makes it look as long as an XJ !!! Despite the enormously wide doors on the XJ-S, Nigel struggled to get in and out of the car and even managed to take a large chunk out of the top of his head on the doorframe one day, further substantiating the purchase of our sensible S-type. At the time, I showed no sympathy, and said GKF had bitten him because he wouldn’t let me keep her!!!

Going back through GKF’s documents, and collating all the available information, I realised that the first time I had seen GKF in the garage, with her owner proudly standing beside her, she was newly purchased by Mike Smith of South Molton. At that time, she appeared a perfectly respectable XJ-S, but between then and the time of his death, Mike had provided GKF with a complete bare-metal respray (as we were aware), new seats (which were then re-Connollised), a new walnut steering wheel, new boot carpets and her original Lattice alloys had recently been refurbished. Besides all this, he had an inspection done by a Jaguar specialist, reporting on any necessary mechanical or electrical work which needed doing, and at the time of his death he was methodically working his way through this list. She was almost complete! Her only obvious faults, a slight oil leak from the front of the engine, a cracked walnut ski-slope and those recently failed windscreen wipers! We considered it unwise to attempt any remedial work at this stage. We felt that it would be better to confirm to a prospective purchaser that everything else was still in good working order at the time, then check all her levels etc and make her ready to drive away.

Mike had done all the same things as I do with my own Jaguars, collecting as much information on their history as he could, except that in Mike’s case he was taken from us before he had time to collate and file the information. This I have now done, while GKF was in our care. She has her original wallet and paperwork; a sizeable history file with complete and thorough service history; all previous MOT’s, plus letters to Mike from previous owners. Invoices include one for complete Waxoyling by “Before ‘n’ After” and various other interesting documents. Originally owned by “Jaguar House” Liverpool (now Hatfields), we assume she was a demonstrator for 6 months before being sold on.

Jaguar XJ-S V12 GKF interior

One of my regrets is that I never had the opportunity to meet Mike properly, as I could then have offered to put together GKF’s history file for his enjoyment, instead of doing it for the sale of his treasured XJ-S after his death. It is difficult to walk through South Molton now, without thinking about GKF and Mike. I come across places where I have seen her formerly parked and feel saddened by the circumstances which surround her. It is odd because all eight of our own Jaguars have been parked in similar places, and now been sold away from the area, and yet I can remember where they have formerly stood and not be affected by it, as they left us under happier circumstances!

To Mike and GKF I feel I owe so much, as not only is she the first XJ-S I have driven, but also the first Jaguar V12! There were times when I thought I would never drive either, but it was well worth the wait, and I am only sorry that the opportunity arose out of such tragic circumstances! Were it possible, I would rather GKF was still in her parking space by the hospital, where we regularly visited her! GKF has introduced me to so many new people, from a retired Coombs panel beater , to club members, such as Paul Sinnott of the XJ-S Forum, dealers, and all manner of XJ-S drivers who I would never have ventured to speak to had it not been for GKF. I would like to thank them all for their kind help, and although I could have registered GKF with the forum, I felt that the pleasure should fall upon the new owner, rather than myself. I have learnt that I am far better suited to an XJ-S than I had realised, as GKF is the first Jaguar I have been able to clean the roof of without standing on something! And finally, if you think you don’t like the XJ-S, try borrowing a V12 for a month, and then see how willing you are to part with it !!!

Jaguar XJ-S V12 GKF wheel

After a couple of false starts, we eventually found GKF a wonderful home with a young stockbroker from London, who already owns a 2001 XKR. (Who says Jaguar’s are old men’s cars? Pah!!!) He is absolutely thrilled with her, and is taking the responsibility of caring for GKF very seriously, and has also been persuaded, that with 2 Jaguars to his name, it is about time he joined JEC !!!

“GKF was a car full of coincidences” was how one specialist who previously worked on her had put it. Apart from her recent history involving us, she had been at Gatwick Jaguar on the same day as an X300 (N7 RTL) we later owned! “Sentimental trivia” as her newest owner refers to it, and then points out that her registration number is similar to that of his XKR, and that both Jaguars originated from Hatfields of Liverpool! He also picked her up from J27 of the M5, where once she collected a speeding fine! OK, its nonsense, but it makes you feel as though you know the car, or that it was meant to be with you at some time, and made parting with her all the more difficult!

Whatever you may call these phenomena, GKF is undeniably intoxicatingly gorgeous, charismatic and a worthy memorial to her late owner, Mike Smith. I am certain that Mike would have approved of Tom, GKF’s new owner, and as long as she is still with us, a part of Mike lives on to remind us of his work and ambitions.

Jaguar XJ-S V12 GKF with an XJR-S
GKF pictured above with XJR-S "D8 XJS" which belongs to SKJagtech (Somerset),
who formerly maintained GKF along with Dave Baskerville (Devon) unfortunately, GKF was at neither of these garages when her owner passed away, so they are not the ones responsible for the neglect.

Pictures copyright SKJagtech and Xclusively Jaguar