The Jaguar Classic Challenge returns in 2017 with two brand new events confirmed in the five-race series for pre-1966 Jaguars

• Silverstone Classic and Spa-Francorchamps added to the Jaguar Classic Challenge calendar for 2017
• Five-date race series runs from April to September
• First race commences at the Donington Historic Festival on 28 April – 30 April, and the series concludes with the Spa Six Hours from 15-17 September
• Drivers wishing to take part can register via the dedicated web page at http://www.hscc.org.uk/jaguar-classic-challenge

The Jaguar Classic Challenge returns in 2017 with two brand new events confirmed in the five-race series for pre-1966 Jaguars.

A new date for the Jaguar Classic Challenge calendar is the Silverstone Classic on 28-30 July. This special summer weekend will be the third round in the Challenge and is expected to draw a full grid of stunning classic Jaguar racing cars.

Another new addition to the series for 2017 is Spa-Francorchamps (Six Hours of Spa), taking place between 15 and 17 September at the world-famous circuit in Belgium, and set to feature over 600 cars racing in a variety of different races, one of which is the Jaguar Classic Challenge. 

The single-marque series returns to the circuit where it claimed victories in the showpiece six-hour endurance race in 1954 (Hans Davids in a C-type), 1956 (Ninian Sanderson in the Ecurie Ecosse D-type) and 1987 (Martin Brundle, Johnny Dumfries and Raul Boesel XJR-8).

Run in partnership with the Historic Sports Car Club (HSCC), the Jaguar Classic Challenge for 2017 will continue to compete according to the FIA’s Appendix K technical regulations for cars competing in international historic racing competitions. 

The regulations pay particular consideration to a car’s period specification and are in keeping with the true spirit of historic motor racing.

Drivers participating in this year’s Jaguar Classic Challenge will now also qualify to enter many other international historic races that run this set of rules.

The full list of races for 2017 is as follows:

28-30 April: Donington Historic Festival

1-2 July: Brands Hatch Super Prix (GP Circuit)

28-30 July: Silverstone Classic

26-28 August: Oulton Park Gold Cup

15-17 September: Spa Six Hours

Tim Hannig, Director, Jaguar Land Rover Classic, said: “Now in its third season, the Jaguar Classic Challenge continues to build, and pay homage to, the brand’s rich racing history. 

To see such a diverse array of iconic cars from Jaguar’s past racing on the world’s finest circuits is a sight to behold, and we are delighted to confirm Silverstone and Spa for the 2017 calendar.”

Places are limited, and drivers wishing to take part in 2017 are encouraged to visit the dedicated web page for the new season at http://www.hscc.org.uk/jaguar-classic-challenge for full details and information on how to enter.

Jaguar to build the lost XKSS models when Brown's Lane Burned to the ground, so, more New, old Jags, Awesome !

• Ultra-exclusive sports car to be hand-built by Jaguar Classic
• All nine cars built to exact same specification as those made in 1957, replacing cars lost due to the Browns Lane fire
• Jaguar originally made the XKSS as a road-going version of the Le Mans winning D-type

Jaguar is to build the stunning XKSS as an ultra-exclusive continuation model.

Nine new XKSS’s - often referred to by experts as the world’s first supercar - will be hand built by Jaguar Classic to the exact specification as they appeared in 1957, replacing the cars lost due to the famous Browns Lane factory fire.

Tim Hannig, Director Jaguar Land Rover Classic, said: “The XKSS occupies a unique place in Jaguar’s history and is a car coveted by collectors the world over for its exclusivity and unmistakable design.

“Jaguar Classic’s highly skilled team of engineers and technicians will draw on decades of knowledge to ensure each of the nine cars is completely authentic and crafted to the highest quality.

“Our continuation XKSS reaffirms our commitment to nurture the passion and enthusiasm for Jaguar’s illustrious past by offering exceptional cars, services, parts and experiences.”

The original cars were earmarked for export to the USA, however, just 16 were completed before disaster struck. Now 59 years later, Jaguar is going to build the nine ‘lost’ XKSS sports cars for a select group of established collectors and customers.

The expertise gained during the construction of the Lightweight E-type project will be transferred to the construction of the nine ultra-exclusive continuations. Each one will be hand-built at Jaguar’s new ‘Experimental Shop’ in Warwick.

Every car will be constructed to the same specifications as those first 16 made in 1957 – every aspect fully certified by Jaguar. The price will be in excess of £1 million.

The story of the XKSS began following Jaguar’s three successive Le Mans victories in 1955, 1956 and 1957 with the all-conquering D-type.

After the hat-trick of wins, Sir Williams Lyons took the decision on 14 January 1957 to convert the remaining 25 D-types into road-going versions with several external modifications - creating the world’s first super car.

These modifications included the addition of a new higher windscreen, an extra door on the passenger side, taking away the divider between driver and passenger and the removal of the famous fin behind the driver’s seat.

The first deliveries of the new continuation Jaguar XKSS will commence in early 2017.

Jaguar Land Rover announces rebranded Jaguar Land Rover Classic business, for parts, service, hiring and more.

• Jaguar Land Rover announces rebranded Jaguar Land Rover Classic business
• Formerly known as Jaguar Land Rover Heritage, the new business will provide classic cars, services, parts and experiences
• Renaming of business division better reflects Jaguar Land Rover’s capabilities and expertise

Jaguar Land Rover is delighted to announce the renaming of its Heritage business to Jaguar Land Rover Classic. The rebranded division will continue to provide cars, services, parts and experiences for Classic Jaguars and Land Rovers and their owners.

Tim Hannig, Director, Jaguar Land Rover Classic, said: “Renaming the rapidly growing global business to Jaguar Land Rover Classic best reflects the division’s overall capabilities in providing the best cars, services, parts and experiences for our customers. We aim to build an even more successful future by celebrating and nurturing Jaguar and Land Rover’s past.”

Jaguar Land Rover Classic can now accommodate full restorations of classic vehicles at its UK sites, as well as providing a repair and maintenance service for customers.

Jaguar Classic will continue to use the historic Browns Lane facility, where the six continuation Lightweight E-types were built and a newly developed Land Rover  Classic workshop at Solihull for the restoration of Land Rovers. Fully factory restored Jaguars and Land Rovers are now also available for purchase.

Jaguar Land Rover Classic Parts supplies genuine parts for models whose range has been out of production for over a decade. 

The parts catalogue has over 30,000 individual and guaranteed parts, available to order from Jaguar Land Rover’s global retail network. Specialist technical advisors have extensive product knowledge and selected parts are available to order on the day for collection at local retailers.

In addition to cars, services and parts, the Classic business also offers customers the opportunity to experience a selection of Jaguar and Land Rover’s most iconic models with Classic Drives. This is complemented by the second season of the Jaguar Classic Challenge race series for pre-1966 Jaguar models, which commences on 2 May 2016 at Donington Race Circuit in the UK.

Jaguar has announced it will return to the iconic Le Mans circuit by taking part in the Classic race series this year.

• Iconic Jaguar sportscars will return to the Le Mans circuit as the Jaguar Classic Challenge confirms Le Mans Classic in revised 2016 calendar
• Race series is part of Jaguar Land Rover Classic business specialising in cars, services, parts and experiences
• First race commences at the Donington Historic Festival on 30 April - 2 May
• Drivers wishing to take part in the true spirit of classic racing in 2016 can visit the dedicated web page at http://www.hscc.org.uk/jaguar-classic-challenge for full details

Excitement levels are building for the second season of the Jaguar Classic Challenge as the Le Mans Classic is confirmed for inclusion in the all-new race calendar for 2016. The Le Mans Classic will be one of the major highlights of the forthcoming season that will see a diverse field of pre-1966 Jaguars going wheel-to-wheel in the competitive single-marque series.

Jaguar has a long and successful history at Le Mans, with the marque first winning there back in 1951 with Peter Walker and Peter Whitehead driving the C-type – affectionately known as XKC 003.

A one-two finish followed this in 1953 with the duo of Tony Rolt and Duncan Hamilton taking overall honours. Jaguar dominated Le Mans for three consecutive years in 1955, 1956 and 1957 in the D-type.  A further two race victories were to follow years later in 1988 and 1990 in the XJR-9LM and XJR-12 respectively.

Along with the inclusion of the Le Mans Classic in the calendar, the Jaguar Classic Challenge, run in conjunction with the Historic Sports Car Club (HSCC), will also adopt new technical regulations based on the FIA’s Appendix K framework for cars competing in international historic racing competitions. These regulations pay particular consideration to a car’s period specification and are in keeping with the true spirit of historic motor racing.

Drivers participating in this year’s Classic Challenge will now also qualify to enter many other international historic races that run these standardised set of rules.

The dates for the 2016 Jaguar Classic Challenge are as follows:

Donington Historic Festival: 30^th April – 2^nd May

Silverstone International Trophy: 21^st – 22^nd May

Le Mans Classic: 8^th – 10^th July

AvD-Oldtimer-Grand-Prix, Nürburgring: 12^th – 14^th August

Oulton Park Gold Cup: 27^th – 29^th August

Tim Hannig, Director, Jaguar Land Rover Classic, said: “Jaguar’s wonderful history of racing at Le Mans will add to the spectacle of the Jaguar Classic Challenge. Watching a diverse array of pre-1966 Jaguars racing on the iconic circuit, some of which even raced there in period, will surely be a sight not to be missed.

“The racing and camaraderie between the drivers during the inaugural season was fantastic to witness and the new regulations will enhance the experience for both competitors and fans alike making it a fitting tribute to the brand’s rich racing pedigree.

“The Jaguar Land Rover Classic business specialises in cars, services, parts and experiences to maintain and nurture the passion for the Jaguar brand and its iconic models for decades to come.”

Drivers wishing to take part in 2016 can visit the dedicated web page for the new season at 

http://www.hscc.org.uk/jaguar-classic-challenge 

for full details and information on how to enter.

Jaguar showcases a further expansion to its range of accessories with respected designers,

• Successful collaboration between Jaguar and Oliver Sweeney continues
• Two new styles named Weslake and Sayer
• Further co-designed styles to launch in 2016  

Jaguar and Oliver Sweeney announce the latest range of co-developed shoes from the on-going collaboration between the British brands today.

Named Weslake and Sayer, the two new styles of formal driving shoe are celebrations of the company’s design and engineering heritage. Malcolm Sayer was one of the company’s most famous designers, the man credited with the C-type, D-type, E-type, XJ-S and the unique XJ13. Whilst Harry Weslake was Jaguar’s legendary engine designer.

Jaguar’s Advanced Design Director, Julian Thomson, said:

“This is a great relationship as both Jaguar and Oliver Sweeney have much in common: British craftsmanship, artistry and a love of the creative process.  Above all we’re all very proud of this latest collection that we’ve created together.”

Designed and developed using similar processes to those adopted by Jaguar design, the shoe styles were sculpted and refined in clay first, before 3-D printing using composite plastics for pre-production sign off.  The prototypes were then sent as an approved design to the Oliver Sweeney factory in Italy to be hand crafted and stitched in to finished shoes.

Unique construction features of the shoes include a super-flexible yet firm sole to maximise driving comfort and to maintain the flowing lines of the upper’s style.  A special heel profile, chamfered to create a pivot point for better pedal control, and a waist-less finish ensure a fluid driving experience without the shoes catching on pedals.

The upper design echoes some of the design cues from Jaguar’s latest range of vehicles, with the curved sewn panel on the shoe taking a similar line to that of the distinctive D-pillar of the XJ, while the chisel toe profile recalls the signature squared-off grille, used on every current Jaguar, including the all-new F-Pace crossover and F-type sports car.

Oliver Sweeney Cobbler-in-Chief, Tim Cooper, said:

“We’re absolutely thrilled to build on our partnership with Jaguar.  Collaborating with another great British brand has been really inspiring, and we’ve truly worked together on these shoes to create something that reflects what both of our brands represent: a luxurious, modern take on traditional craftsmanship.  As a result, the shoes are not only beautiful objects, but ideal for driving in too.”

The new Jaguar by Oliver Sweeney range of formal driving shoes goes on sale from 1 October 2015, priced at £325 from Oliver Sweeney retail stores and online at www.oliversweeney.com.

GOODWOOD REVIVAL - Jaguar to let anyone race on track, Scalextric track that is on their stand.

• Jaguar continues its 80^th anniversary celebrations with action on and off the race track at this year’s Goodwood Revival
• Brand will showcase its rich history and heritage ahead of a major announcement for the future – the launch of the F-PACE performance crossover at the Frankfurt Motorshow on 14 September
• Rare opportunity to see Jaguar’s sports car icons from past and present such as XK120, C-, D- and E-type plus latest F-TYPE
• Witness Jaguar’s 1960 E2A Le Mans prototype and Lister Jaguar ‘Knobbly’ in the action-packed historic races
• Challenge friends and family to a race using Jaguar sports car scale models on a custom-built Scalextric track on the Jaguar stand

Jaguar will celebrate its glorious history in style at the Goodwood Revival this year, with the presentation of a selection of famous heritage sports cars, new products for heritage car owners and the opportunity for festival visitors to race heritage cars of the electric-powered kind on its stand within the Earls Court Motor Show enclosure. 

Jaguar is celebrating its 80^th anniversary in 2015, and Jaguar will present iconic and award winning Jaguar sports cars on its show stand. In addition, Jaguar invites festival visitors to compete using scale model historic race cars on a custom-built Scalextric race track, which will be positioned on the main stand.

The 1938 SS100 Jaguar 2 ½ Litre is one of the rarest of the breed with only 191 examples ever made. Also on display is a cherished piece of automotive history – the 1950 XK120 wearing registration plate ‘NUB 120’.

Wearing chassis number 850041, the 1961 E-type was, as the chassis number denotes, the 41^st E-type to ever be produced. It wears the original production features such as external bonnet locks and was reportedly first owned by the Duke of Bedford. The final model on display is Jaguar’s latest sportscar icon, the F-TYPE.

Many of Jaguar’s iconic sports cars will entertain spectators in a number of different races across the weekend on the famous Goodwood Motor Circuit.


Cars including the XK120, Long nose D-type, E-type and Lister Jaguar ‘Knobbly’ will be challenging for outright victory in their respective races.

Fresh from his recent Class C victory at the final round of the Jaguar Heritage Challenge and completion of the grueling Mille Miglia earlier this year, Royal Automobile Club Motoring Committee Chairman Ben Cussons will be racing his ‘PUG 676’ C-type in the Freddie March Memorial Trophy. Headlining the range of Jaguar racing cars is one of the brand’s most significant models ever built – the Jaguar E2A Le Mans prototype, which is entered into Race 16, the Sussex Trophy.

Another legendary Jaguar racing car present at the Goodwood Revival is C-type ‘MDU 212’ with chassis number XKC 005. 

This all-original C-type, which goes on display at the dedicated Jaguar Land Rover Special Operations stand, is a truly remarkable car and is credited with winning the 1952 Reims Grand Prix with Sir Stirling Moss behind the wheel.

The Jaguar Land Rover Special Operations team is inviting owners of pre-1972 Jaguar cars to park in its designated area on site. 

In addition, owners can enjoy refreshments at the Special Operations stand by simply presenting the keyfob of their heritage model to a member of the Special Operations team.

Jaguar Heritage, which forms part of Jaguar Land Rover’s Special Operations division, offers a growing and comprehensive catalogue of over 30,000 spare and replacement parts for a range of Heritage models 10 years out of production.

Jaguar Heritage Parts will launch three new exhaust kits for E-type Series 1 and Series 2 (excl. 2+2 versions) at Goodwood Revival this year, all on display at the Special Operations stand. Like all Jaguar Heritage Parts, the new exhaust kits are manufactured using the original drawings and tooling methods to maintain and preserve the authenticity of each customer’s treasured Jaguar Heritage model.

In addition to its Parts business, Jaguar Heritage will showcase the services of its new expanded Browns Lane workshop, which now has the capability of carrying out service, maintenance and complete restoration on all Heritage models, including the stunning XJ220 supercar.

Vauxhall joins in with it's parent companies half a billion car sales celebrations.

• GM celebrates 500 million vehicles produced
• Vauxhall has made ‘a significant contribution’ after 90 years of GM ownership
• GM & Vauxhall continue to innovate after more than a century in business

General Motors today became the first car manufacturer in the world to produce 500 million vehicles, as Vauxhall in the UK – GM’s fourth largest market – celebrated 90 years of ownership by the US company.

‘During 2015, we expect to sell more than 1,000 new vehicles per hour, 24 hours per day,’ said Mary Barra, GM’s CEO. 

‘This adds up to nearly ten million vehicles, the most in our history. I look at this extraordinary volume as ten million opportunities to prove what kind of company we are and to say thank you.’

The landmark figure came 90 years after General Motors purchased Vauxhall in 1925 in what was the American company’s first overseas acquisition. Luton-based Vauxhall, which is Britain’s oldest surviving car manufacturer, very quickly repaid GM’s investment and to date has sold nearly 14.5 million vehicles in its own right.

Like its parent company, which pioneered the automatic transmission, the V-8 engine and the first airbags in a production vehicle, Vauxhall has a long history of innovation too. Just 10 years into GM ownership it produced the DY and DX models, the first British cars with independent front suspension. Two years later the H-type was launched, the first British car to have an integral body and chassis.

But perhaps the most significant achievement for Vauxhall is its 112 years of continuous vehicle production, even during both World Wars when it manufactured the D-type Army Staff Car and Churchill Tank respectively from its Kimpton Road plant in Luton. Today, Vauxhall’s Vivaro van is still built on Kimpton Road, with a further five million vehicles produced by the company’s Ellesmere Port plant since it opened in 1964.

‘Vauxhall has made a significant contribution to GM’s success, and we are very proud to be part of its global family,’ said Tim Tozer, Vauxhall’s Chairman and Managing Director.