

David Esch
- Sep 15, 2022
Destination Hilton Head
Margaret DeBolt and David Esch decided to make their trip to South Carolina a bit more interesting...
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We have just returned from a thoroughly enjoyable weekend celebrating 75 years of the Jaguar XK with a wonderful gathering of Club members and friends – some joining us from the Continent and as far away as Singapore and Australia. Thank you to all who came to celebrate with us.
We'll have more details on the weekend's events in an upcoming Gazette, and you'll find a link to the photo gallery below.
In other event news, our Classic Motor Cars Technical Seminar is fast approaching – 21 October. These always book up quickly so, again, don’t leave it too late!
Organised by Club HQ
Organised by Classics on the Road
Organised by Club HQ
XK 120 twin-pipe exhausts
A detailed description of the dual exhaust system used on the XK 120 between 1951 and 1954
Jaguar published its Service Bulletin 95 – ‘Tuning modifications on XK.120 cars for competition purposes’ – in June 1951. One of the items detailed within was a ‘dual exhaust’. The text states: ‘To obtain the maximum performance with any of the three compression ratios referred to, a special dual exhaust system, Assembly No C.5700, should be fitted. This should be installed as shown on Drawing No C.5700 which can be provided. Note, however, that when fitted, this exhaust system reduces the ground clearance by approximately 2 inches.’
Jaguar had just won the 1951 Le Mans 24 Hours with its C-type XKC 003, generating much publicity, and XK 120 owners wanted to upgrade their cars accordingly and/or take part in racing events. Note that many of the listed modifications had been developed for the C-type and the ‘gesture’ of Jaguar management to share and sell these modifications to their customers was...
XKSS wins 1950s class at Concours of Elegance 2023
This 1956 Jaguar XKSS (above) took the top prize in the 1950s class at the 2023 Concours of Elegance, which returned to Hampton Court Palace on 1-3 September. Jaguar’s official withdrawal from motorsport in late 1956 meant that several D-types remained unsold or unfinished. Sir William Lyons, seeing the potential for sales success in the United States, therefore ordered a small run of road-going versions to be built using the remaining D-types, to be called the XKSS.
Chassis number XKD 550 is the 16th and final D-type to be converted to XKSS specification by the factory. It was dispatched to Jaguar...
The website, which is actively managed and often updated daily, has a 'Members’ Only' section with a library of technical articles and is ever-expanding.
The Club’s emphasis is very much on using our cars – the XK was designed to be driven!
Thus we have a wide range of events from runs to international tours, from lunches to weekends, from track days to technical seminars. Many are free of charge or the cost is modest. Above all, we aim to give value for money. Some are organised by HQ, and some by our splendid volunteer Representatives around the UK, Europe, the USA, Australia and many other countries.
Philip Porter
Getting on for 30 years ago, I made a speaking tour of Australia,
meeting some special people and making some lasting friendships with such as John Elmgreen, who joined us for XK75, Terry McGrath and Les Hughes, with whom I stayed in Brisbane and who took me to visit the old Ecurie Ecosse mechanic Ron Gaudion.
Like many of us, Les has been what I once described as ‘an unpaid PR man’ for Jaguar for umpteen years. He started his superb Jaguar Magazine in 1984. He has just produced what will probably be his last issue. Reading his editorial made me very sad. Most unfortunately, illness has impacted on this family-run venture but the real killer is a lack of advertising. Social media is murdering traditional print magazines. We ourselves are very concerned and greatly appreciate our remaining, loyal advertisers.
For some while, Les has been scathing in his criticism of Jaguar. He was outraged by the C-type replica legal action by JLR. He also points out...
Apart from the emotional aspects, there are a number of hard-headed reasons to buy a classic XK.
Reliability – there is no point in owning a classic car unless you can use and enjoy it, and do so with confidence it is not going to let you down. We have members who have clocked up 100,000 miles in 10 years, in some of the world’s toughest terrain, with no problems. All the XK mechanical components were used in the higher volume saloon cars (sedans) and many were proved at Le Mans. This makes the XKs different...
The opportunity to participate in a wide range of International events, including tours, track days, dinners, factory tours, motoring weekends, hillclimbs and lunches
Monthly 68+ page magazine —The XK Gazette
Expert technical advice
Free Classified advertisements
Discounts on parts, services & more
Buyer's Guide
Club Shop
Technical advice
Porter Press publishes the finest selection of top quality Jaguar books in the world, bar none and these are just some of the titles in their portfolio...
Check with Club HQ for your member discount code (valid on most Porter Press titles).