JD Classics secured two overall race victories at this weekend’s Donington Historic Festival.

• JD Classics secured two overall race victories at this weekend’s Donington Historic Festival, having entered a total of four cars
• The Maldon-based team competed in a Bastos Rover SD1, ex-Tom Walkinshaw Racing Jaguar XJS, Costin Lister and Ecurie Ecosse Jaguar XK120
• The JD Classics Costin Lister took victory in the Stirling Moss Trophy, while the Bastos Rover won the Historic Touring Car Challenge
• Latest two victories follow JD Classics’ season-opening two race wins at the 75th Goodwood Members’ Meeting

JD Classics has followed up its double-win at the season-opening Goodwood Members’ Meeting with a further two victories at this weekend’s Donington Historic Festival.

The Maldon-based classic car specialist was competing with four fully race-prepared entries; a Bastos Rover SD1, ex-Tom Walkinshaw Racing Jaguar XJS, Costin Lister and an Ecurie Ecosse Jaguar XK120. 

The weekend’s racing kicked off with qualifying for the Historic Touring Challenge, in which JD Classics was fielding the Bastos Rover and Jaguar XJS. Early laps revealed a breather tank issue for the Rover, which was quickly rectified by the JD Classics engineers, before it went on to set a blistering pole position time of 1:16.267. The Jaguar XJS, with John Young at the wheel, was sitting 11th on the grid by the end of the session.

The Historic Touring Car Challenge race got underway on Saturday afternoon, with Steve Soper taking over driving duties in the JD Classics’ Rover, and Chris Ward piloting the Jaguar XJS. After the rolling start, the Rover began to show its pace, pulling away from the pack with each lap. The Jaguar XJS was performing well, too, having moved from 11th to fifth in the space of just five laps.

By the time the pit window opened for the mandatory 60-second stops, the Rover SD1 had pulled out a 45-second lead. Even coming in for its stop and allowing Chris Ward to swap from the XJS into the Rover, it still rejoined the race in second position. Just a couple of laps later it was back in the lead, eventually crossing the finishing line 39 seconds ahead of the chasing car. The XJS, meanwhile, was consistently quick throughout, finishing in sixth position.

Next up was the Stirling Moss Trophy, where Chris Ward once again put in an incredible qualifying lap that saw the Costin Lister set a pole position time within his first six laps. No other car on track was able to beat the time for the remainder of the session, including the JD Classics-supported XK120 which qualified in 26th position with a lap three seconds quicker than its time last year.

The race began late on Saturday with a rolling start, in which Chris Ward established his place at the front of the pack and began pulling away in the Costin Lister. On lap 8, Ward had begun to lap the slowest cars, and the team decided to bring the Lister into the pits for its 60-second stop, before rejoining the race in fifth. As other cars began to pit, the Costin Lister made its way back into the lead, persistently chased by a Lister Knobbly that closed the gap to 0.4 seconds. But by the time the chequered flag fell, Ward had secured JD Classics’ second victory by a margin of 1.1 seconds.

The Ecurie Ecosse Jaguar XK120 of Steve and Josh Ward, meanwhile, made up seven places over the course of the race to finish in 19th overall and first in in its class.

JD Classics Managing Director, Derek Hood, said: “This was another weekend of fantastic performances from our Competition Department. The cars were brilliantly prepared by our engineers back at our Maldon HQ, and maintained to perfection at the track. We’re only two events into the historic racing calendar and JD Classics has already secured four victories –here’s to plenty more over the next few months.”

An ex-F1 owned and Ex ITN News correspondent Range ROver Classic is up for sale.

• Range Rover driven 14,000 miles from Johannesburg to Somerset by ex-ITN Chief Foreign Correspondent now for sale at JD Classics
• Michael Nicholson of ITN News embarked on the epic five-month journey with his family in 1981
• The car also comes with a copy of the book, Across the Limpopo, in which Nicholson chronicled his incredible journey
• First owned by ex-Formula One racer Duncan Hamilton, and recently restored to perfection, this Range Rover has an impeccable history

A 1973 Range Rover driven on an epic 14,000-mile, five-month expedition from Johannesburg to Somerset is on-sale now at JD Classics. Undertaken by ex-ITN Chief Foreign Correspondent, Michael Nicholson in 1981, this Range Rover has survived the Nyaki Mountains in Malawi and elephants in Dar es Salaam – all chronicled in Nicholson’s book Across the Limpopo.

Nicholson was sold the Range Rover by its first owner, none other than Le Mans-winning racing driver Duncan Hamilton, who specified it in Lincoln Green with a Palomino interior and a number of factory options. 

Full leather upholstery and a Webasto sunroof were both fitted as extras by Nicholson who bought the car in 1976, before shipping it to Johannesburg where he was working as ITN’s Chief Foreign Correspondent.

After four years of daily use in South Africa, Nicholson was due to head back to England but couldn’t face the thought of simply waking up in the UK the next day. Instead of the 16-hour flight, he packed his family and their belongings into his Range Rover and set off for home.

From South Africa, Nicholson headed through Zambia to the Nyika Plateau of Malawi, where he camped fearing for his family’s safety, staying up all night with a machete at hand. The Range Rover took them through Tanzania’s Ngorongoro Conversation Area, where they travelled side-by-side with wild rhinoceros, and saw them through dangerous encounters with bull elephants in Dar es Salaam.

Nicholson’s unstoppable Range Rover then crossed the Serengetti to Kenya, where it had to tackle the Weiwei Drift, a series of boggy washed away bridges where the average speed was 2.5 hours per mile.

Following its final route through Egypt, Sudan, Greece and the rest of Europe to the UK, the car was dry stored for many years. Recently it was subjected to a comprehensive bare shell restoration, completed by Range Rover specialists Bishops 4x4.

JD Classics Managing Director, Derek Hood, said: “The classic Range Rover market is hugely popular at the moment, and this is a wonderful opportunity to own a very special part of it. From its Le Mans-winning racing owner to its incredible journey through Africa – chronicled in a book and many photographs accompanying the car – this Range Rover has perfect provenance. Add to that the recent impeccable restoration, and it’s easy to see why this Range Rover is perhaps the most desirable on the market today.”

JD Classics is celebrating an incredible 1-2 finish in the Jaguar Heritage Challenge race at Brands Hatch.

• JD Classics is celebrating an incredible one-two finish in the Jaguar Heritage Challenge race held at Brands Hatch this weekend
• The JD Classics-prepared lightweight racing E-Types driven by Chris Ward and John Young raced to a nail-biting finish
• The first and second place cars of JD Classics finished almost a minute ahead of the third place E-Type
• The JD Classics Competition Department is now busy preparing for Silverstone Classic

JD Classics completed a dominant one-two finish in the Jaguar Heritage Challenge race held at the Brands Hatch Superprix this weekend. The team’s expertly prepared lightweight E-Types, piloted by Chris Ward and John Young, crossed the finish line nearly a minute ahead of the third place car.  

This was the third round of the Jaguar Heritage Challenge, open to all pre-‘66 Jaguars, the pinnacle of which is the class contested by racing E-Types. JD Classics entered two of its most successful racers: ‘1196 WK’ driven by the team’s in-house racing driver, Chris Ward, and ’61 E’ driven by historic racer John Young.

Saturday morning’s qualifying session provided the first glimpse of the JD Classics cars’ pace, with Chris Ward setting successive fastest laps to put ‘1196 WK’ comfortably on pole. The first three cars on the grid were separated by just half a second, with ’61 E’ and John Young just behind in fourth position.

As the 40-minute race kicked off on Saturday afternoon both of the JD Classics E-Types started brilliantly, with John Young moving up to third place by heading around the outside of the pack through Paddock Hill. By Druids – the second corner of the track – ’61 E’ was sitting in second, just behind Chris Ward in ‘1196 WK’.

The two cars of JD Classics remained in a nail-biting battle for the lead until ’61 E’ pulled in for its compulsory pit stop, merging back in to the race in fourth position. As the cars ahead pulled in to the pit John Young regained second place, and Chris Ward in ‘1196 WK’ completed a flawless pit stop to maintain the lead.

But the race was far from over, as the two lightweight E-Types jostled for position, pulling away from the chasing pack and eventually finishing just under half-a-second apart. A spectacular race from both drivers saw the JD Classics E-Types finish almost a minute ahead of the next fastest car.

Derek Hood, JD Classics Managing Director, said: “This was a good old-fashioned race to the chequered flag; two excellent drivers getting the most from two brilliant race-bred machines. The fact both Chris and John were able to race so hard and be so consistently quick just shows the expertise and dedication of our engineers in the Competition Department.”

Classic Rover SD1 and jaguar XJS Touring cars to star on the Goodwood Hill Climb this weekend.

• JD Classics gears up for Goodwood with stellar line up of racing cars and drivers
• JD Classics’ hugely successful Bastos Rover SD1 and Group 44 Jaguar XJS will both take to the hillclimb
• GP2 driver Jordan King, endurance racer Alex Buncombe and ex-touring car racer Steve Soper will be driving for JD Classics

This year at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, JD Classics will be thrilling the crowds with two of its most successful racing cars on the hillclimb – a Bastos Rover SD1 and a Group 44 Jaguar XJS.

Both of the JD Classics hillclimb cars have impeccable racing histories, but more importantly for the Goodwood crowd, the XJS and SD1 are ferocious and loud, fitting perfectly with this year’s theme of ‘Flat-out and Fearless’.

The Group 44 XJS uses a 5.3-litre V12 engine, putting out more than 500hp and allowing for a top speed just shy of 200mph. Stripped-out and with countless racing modifications over the road going car, this XJS is a spectacular sight.

JD Classics’ Bastos Rover SD1 was one of the most successful touring cars of its era, campaigned by Tom Walkinshaw, Win Percy and Jeff Allam. In the 1986 European Touring Car championship it took outright wins at Monza and Donington, along with five other podium finishes.

JD Classics will have a crack team of expert racing drivers piloting its cars up the hill, including GP2 racer and Manor F1 development driver, Jordan King. Sharing the Group 44 Jaguar XJS with Jordan will be endurance racer Alex Buncombe, who is currently competing in the International V8 Supercars Championship.

Taking the wheel of JD Classic’s Bastos Rover SD1 will be ex-touring and sports car driver, Steve Soper who has victories at the 24 Hours of Spa and 24 Hours Nürburging to his name.

JD Classics has long supported the Goodwood Festival of Speed, with the team’s massively successful Ford Cologne Capri racer the focal point in 2014. At the 2013 event JD Classics’ Lancia Aurelia B24S won the Cartier Style et Luxe concours d’Elegance at Goodwood, revealing JD Classics’ expertise at concours-winning restorations as well as historic racing.

JD Classics Managing Director Derek Hood said: “The Goodwood Festival of Speed is such a fantastic British motoring event, and this year’s theme of ‘Flat-out and Fearless’ is something we can really get behind. We’ve got three of Britain’s best drivers taking to the hill in some incredibly powerful British racing cars, so it’s going to be a spectacular sight for the crowds.”

JD Classics’ legendary Ford Cologne Capri continues its winning ways with victories at the 2015 Spa Classic.

• JD Classics’ legendary Ford Cologne Capri continues its winning ways with a comprehensive victory at the 2015 Spa Classic
• The 1974 Ford chalked up impressive victories in the past year, including at the Silverstone Classic and Donington Historic Festival
• A dominant performance saw the Capri win both legs of the Heritage Touring Cup by 40 seconds and 30 seconds respectively

JD Classics’ Ford Cologne Capri has chalked up another comprehensive victory following a dominant season of racing in 2014. In the past twelve months, it has conquered its rivals at the Silverstone Classic and Donington Historic Festival.

As the 1974 Cologne Capri Works arrived at a warm and dry Spa Francorchamps circuit in Belgium, its drivers Chris Ward and Andrew Smith prepared for qualifying in the Heritage Touring Cup. Of a field of 38 strong contenders, the JD Classics Capri qualified second, sitting just behind the Rover Vitesse of Tim Summers and Richard Meaden.

But the work wasn’t over, with the night time practice session looming. Complete with an all-new lighting system, and never having run in the dark before, the Ford Cologne Capri showed just how dominant it can be, recording a lap that was six seconds quicker than any other in the field.

The following day was the first of two hour-long Heritage Touring Cup races, with driver Andrew Smith sitting on the grid behind the wheel of the Ford. At lights out, the JD Classics car’s searing pace was immediately obvious as the Rover ahead struggled to maintain its lead. By the time the cars were approaching the notoriously tricky Eau Rouge corner on lap one, the Ford Cologne Capri was in the lead.

And once in front, the Capri’s consistently quick lap times allowed it to pull out a lead that made it uncatchable. As the gap to second place lengthened, the JD Classics team called the Capri in for a pit stop, with time to give the car a once-over and allow Chris Ward to step in to the driver’s seat. By the time the chequered flag had fallen, the Capri had claimed fastest lap of the race and was 40 seconds ahead of second place – the Ford Capri of Steve Dance.

Later the same day, the JD Classics Capri headed out for the second of the Heritage Touring Cup races – an hour-long sprint in the dark, kicking off at 10pm.

Sitting on pole, the Capri extended its lead from the very first lap, but dropped to second as the team performed a pit stop and driver change with the safety car out. Nevertheless, the first-place Capri of Steve Dance couldn’t hold the lead for long, and before the out lap was through, the JD Classics Capri was back in the lead. Free to extend its lead once again, the Capri crossed the finish line 30 seconds ahead of its closest rival, showing no signs of interrupting its impressive winning streak.

JD Classics founder, Derek Hood, said: “The race results of our Ford Cologne Capri Works are a testament to the world-class engineers, drivers and support crew that make up our Competition Department. Its track record is seriously impressive and we believe there’s plenty more to come from this fantastic car.”

JD Classics celebrates successful Donington Historic Festival 2015.

• JD Classics takes two podium finishes and two pole positions at the 2015 Donington Historic Festival
• The team’s Costin Lister was driven from sixth on the grid to a second place finish
• In the new Jaguar Heritage Challenge, JD Classics’ E-type also raced to third in a strong field of pre-1966 Jaguars
• In a successful weekend of racing, the JD Classics team also posted two fastest laps in its Cooper T33 and Costin Lister
• JD Classics’ Bastos Rover SD1 and Cooper T33 both forced to retire from the lead following technical issues

JD Classics finished the Donington Historic Festival with two podiums, two pole positions and two fastest laps – despite technical difficulties forcing two of its entries to retire from leading positions.

Competing in the Stirling Moss Trophy for pre-1961 sports cars was JD Classics’ Costin Lister, which qualified well in sixth place at the hands of JD Classics’ own Chris Ward. 

A slight misfire prevented a higher qualifying position but with the car running smoothly for the race, the Costin Lister was in the lead by lap six, having posted the fastest lap of the race. 

With a time penalty for using just a single driver and a driver mistake while chasing the leader, the Costin eventually finished second.

In the newly created Jaguar Heritage Challenge event for pre-1966 Jaguars, JD Classics was competing in an E-type, again with Chris Ward at the wheel along with historic racing driver John Young. With a qualifying position of fifth, the team were in good shape for the race, and were dicing for the lead with two other E-types. 

At one point an oil spill forced all three cars off the track and the race was red-flagged. Following a driver change shortly after, the JD Classics’ E-type came home in third place.

JD Classics’ Bastos Rover SD1 was competing in the Historic Touring Car Challenge race, where former Touring Car driver, Steve Soper, drove it emphatically to pole position. 

As the race kicked off, the Bastos Rover began pulling away from the pack, looking set to dominate from the front. Unfortunately, though, it was forced to retire with technical issues before the chequered flag.

In the Woodcote Trophy, JD Classics’ entered its Cooper T33, which put in a brilliant qualifying time to take pole position more than six-tenths of a second ahead of the Aston Martin DB3S sitting in second. 

While sitting comfortably in the lead – and having posted a fastest lap of the race – the occasional puff of smoke in the corners hinted at a mechanical problem. With the car in the pits, the team were forced to retire the Cooper T33 with a head gasket failure.

Following its successes at Donington and at the 73^rd Goodwood Members’ Meeting earlier this year, JD Classics’ next challenge is to take on the gruelling Mille Miglia with a host of expertly prepared cars.

JD Classics looks to continue 2015 with a series of four entries at the Donington Historic Festival.

• JD Classics is entering four expertly prepared racing cars in the 2015 Donington Historic Festival: a Costin Lister, Cooper T33, Rover SD1 and Jaguar E-type
• The JD Classics race team has already kicked off the 2015 season with two podium finishes at the 73^rdGoodwood Members’ Meeting
• The team will be looking to build on last year’s success at Donington, where JD Classics cars took two victories

JD Classics will be entering four cars, expertly prepared by its Historic Racing team, in to the 2015 Donington Historic Festival from 2-4 May.

Following a successful 73^rd Goodwood Members’ Meeting earlier this year, in which JD Classics cars took two podium finishes, the team looks set for more successes at Donington. At last year’s event, JD Classics scored two victories: one in its Ford Cologne Capri and one in its Costin Lister.

The Costin Lister will be competing again this year in the Sir Stirling Moss Trophy for pre-1961 sports cars, driven by JD Classics’ own Chris Ward. JD Classics founder, Derek Hood, and historic racing driver, John Young, will drive the team’s Cooper T33 in the Woodcote Trophy for pre-1956 sports cars.

Taking part in the GT and Sports Car Cup will be JD Classics’ Bastos Rover SD1 with John Young and former Touring Car and Endurance racer, Steve Soper at the wheel.

New to this year’s event is the HSCC Jaguar Heritage Challenge, in which JD Classics will be competing with a Jaguar E-Type. Sharing the drive will be Derek Hood, Chris Ward and John Young. The Jaguar-only race is open to all Jaguar models produced before 1966.

JD Classics’ hugely successful race preparation team is just one part of the company’s wider business, which also includes world-beating Concours restorations. At last year’s Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, JD Classics picked up two ‘Best in Class’ awards for its Jaguar XK120 Fixed Head Coupé and XK120 Jabbeke land speed record car restorations.

Most recently JD Classics became the first classic car specialist to open a showroom in Mayfair, London. 

Surrounded by boutiques from the world’s most sought-after luxury brands, JD Classics’ showroom on Mount Row showcases a selection of the company’s finest models.