

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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The Jaguar XK is 75 years old in 2023 – celebrate with us:
Due to popular request, we are very pleased to announce that our XK75 Tour is now available in three ‘mini-packages’ of three nights each, which can be booked individually.
A weekend celebration centred around Whittlebury Park in Northamptonshire and taking in some historic and quintessentially English locations – including Bicester Heritage and Bletchley Park.
We are saying goodbye to another of our longstanding Representatives, Mike Downey, who has looked after a large chunk of Australia on behalf of the club for a number of years but is now stepping down due to other commitments. Thank you for all your help and support Mike, from all of us here at HQ.
Happily, John Elmgreen, another longstanding member and friend has stepped into the role – so a big welcome to John! And Ronald Lorijn, our former Swiss Representative, has been instrumental in recruiting his replacement – Peter Wiget. So thank you very much, Ronald, and a very warm welcome to Peter.
Since 1931, details of every SS and Jaguar vehicle that has been produced have been recorded. Initially in a bound ledger which was completed as a vehicle made its way down the production line; from the 1980s a computerised system to recording the same details.
Learn more below.
Organised by Classic Rally Press
Organised by Classic Grand Touring
Organised by Classic Rally Press
Jaguar, McLaren and Bond – James Bond Part one
Philip’s editorial in the November 2022 issue led to an exchange of emails that grew from a ‘Letter to the Editor’ to this article about the need to restore the full brilliance of XK and Jaguar history. I begin with my original email to Philip [below] and then share with members the great pleasure that can be found in discovering and reliving the history of our treasured cars and their original owners. I hope to inspire owners/members to get down to some research…
...When I discovered that the original owner of 804088 was Lieutenant Commander Martin Solomon, a highly decorated comrade of Fleming from Naval Intelligence, I naturally started to investigate the connection between him, Fleming and Bond, and have been amazed at how much material I have been able to find. ‘There is a real basis for James Bond. Whether as an individual or pastiche of individuals who inspired Fleming...
Online William Lyons exhibition from JDHT
The Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust has devised a new and original ‘virtual journey’ through the life and work of marque founder Sir William Lyons. ‘Sir William Lyons – The man who made Jaguar’ is a digital exhibition that has been produced by the JDHT with curator and historian Andrew Nahum, author and TV producer Peter Grimsdale, and Painting the Cave, which is a specialist in creative digital technologies.
Lyons combined the roles of company boss with a natural flair for automotive styling, and was responsible for the dramatic shapes of the cars his company built, which won worldwide admiration. This is the first exhibition devoted...
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
Aft er two or three strange years, are we finally getting back to normal, whatever that is? At least the weather in the UK is improving now as we head rapidly through spring into summer. At last, we can start to use our cars more.
I must try not to sound too envious of those members around the world who have lovely weather for a greater proportion of the year! Julie and I are looking forward to a number of events this year, not least the XK75 Weekend and the XK75 Tour. We are aware it is not so easy for some members to commit to a whole tour these days and so we are now off ering some options.
The full tour lasts 11 days, from 13-23 September, and we have three main bases – Stratford-uponAvon, Chester and Yorkshire, culminating in a night at Coombe Abbey near Coventry, the spiritual home of Jaguar.
We are now offering the option to book each leg separately to give members more flexibility because we are keen for as many of you as possible to join us. The 11-day tour will be based at four 4-star hotels with day trips exploring each local area, driving some very scenic routes and exploring the beautiful countryside.
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).