

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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A weekend celebration centred around Whittlebury Park in Northamptonshire and taking in some historic and quintessentially English locations – including Bicester Heritage and Bletchley Park.
The Jaguar XK is 75 years old in 2023 – celebrate with us:
A 10-night tour featuring beautiful scenery, enjoyable driving, plenty of relaxation, good food and good company.
...unique...bespoke...intimate...
...history...innovation...excellence...
See here for latest news and updates on our XK75 Weekend
Thank you to everyone who completed our membership survey. It probably won’t be a surprise to learn that we had some wildly different requests and preferences – hardly unexpected with such a wide membership! It has been really interesting to read the results, and the additional comments – along with the various responses to Philip’s editorial – have proved particularly useful.
One of the main 'takeaways' from the survey was that we need a better way for members to access technical articles from the Gazette. So we have begun to create an archive of individual articles. This will be an ongoing project, with the first tranche available now. Check out the new-look Technical Library in the Members' Area.
Organised by Classic Grand Touring
Organised by Backwater Tours
Organised by Classic Grand Touring
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.
An XK for a dame
Steve Foster relates the history of an XK 150 FHC that was sold to a notable first owner in New Zealand
Crime writer and theatre director Dame Ngaio Marsh ordered her new Jaguar through Archibald’s – the Christchurch Jaguar dealer – with delivery occurring in Britain. She was there from mid- 1960, picked up the car in July that year, and used it in the UK until 30 November 1961, when it was shipped to New Zealand. It arrived on 1 January 1962 and was first registered here on 18 January with the numberplate AQ5832.
The 150 is quite rare, being a right-hand-drive 3.8 – most were the earlier 3.4-litre version – and only about 99 were made in right-hand-drive FHC Special Equipment form. Most 150s were left-hand drive for the US market.
This, I believe, was Dame Ngaio’s second Jaguar, having previously owned a MkV Drop Head Coupé. Dame Ngaio used the 150 as her everyday car and is well remembered being seen driving around Christchurch in her distinctive black Jaguar. Archibald’s maintained the car for her throughout her ownership.
On Dame Ngaio’s death, the car was inherited by her second cousin, Mr Dacres-Manning, and...
Hampton Court Concours of Elegance 2023
once again be coordinating XK Club attendance – for which we are, as ever, extremely grateful. Many thanks, Steve.
Visit the event website at concoursofelegance.co.uk to book tickets, click the button and use the following club discount code: XK23.
If you have any questions, or for further information, please contact Steve by emailing him at stevebeeson@gmail.com.
Please also let Steve know when you have booked your tickets so he can coordinate the club’s attendance.
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
I’m terribly sorry to report that the XK Club recently lost a very active and wonderful member. Personally, I have lost a great friend. I refer to Nick James.
We first met socially years ago and, for several decades, he owned an ex-rally TR. He then graduated to an E-type and it was thanks to Nick that Pol Roger, of which he was the UK Managing Director, sponsored the E-type Challenge race series. He then decided he was more of an XK man and purchased a superb RHD 140 Roadster, with a fascinating period overseas history, from Twyford Moors.
Nick wrote about the car in this magazine on a number of occasions and it spent time in my workshop here. What was a remarkable coincidence was that it not only sat next to my own RHD example, but they have successive chassis numbers. So, they would have gone down the production line together and were reunited, something like 65 years later!
Nick was a very genuine enthusiast and a terrific guy. It is an absolute tragedy that he suddenly became ill and died a few short months later. To honour and remember him, we plan to have a Nick James Memorial Run in May.
Following suggestions about members researching the history of their cars, Ian Robertson has been in touch proposing that members write up what they know, highlighting any gaps in the hope that other members worldwide might be able to help. Great idea.
Meanwhile, Bruce McComish in Australia, who started this ball rolling, has written a superb piece about his car’s early history and had some further excellent ideas. More on all this in future issues. Thank you, gentlemen.
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).