Europe - Area Representatives
Europe - Area Representatives
Areas with Representatives are listed alphabetically below.
We do have some vacancies – if you would be interested in becoming a Club Representative, or would like to find out more about the role, please contact the Club Secretary on sarah@xkclub.com or call +44 (0)1584 781588.
Austria, Vienna: Christian Mitterdorfer
"To be honest, I was a late starter with XK. My initial Jaguar attraction was clearly driven by the E-type and it was only later that I got more and more attracted by the XK, having seen them on various events like club tours or classic car rallies. The pure form of the XK appealed to me the most - the first version (for me) shows the most attractive form. Today luckily both park in my garage."
Belgium: Jérôme Vryghen
Finland: Kari Kuosmanen
I’m 58 year old married male, born in Helsinki.
First Jaguar I bought was and is XK140OTS SE -56. Purchasing year was 1987.
I have had XJ6 and XJ12. Still have also Rover 75 (-52 and -04).
I’ve driven many regularity rallies with my XK. Including 1000 lakes rally, Midnights suns rally, Bavaria Rally, Winter Challenge, MonteCarlo, Coppa del Fiori (sanRemo), Tour de Corse.
I’ve been several years board of Finnish Jaguar Drivers Club – editor in Chief “Jaguar News” and later Chairman (nineties).
At the moment I’m responsible about Finnish Regularity Rallyes in our National Auto Sporting association (Autoliitto/AL-Sport).
France, Rhone & Swiss - French Alps: Michel Crombe
Up until recently I was the MD of a UK subsidiary of Essilor, based in Thornbury, near Bristol, a multinational group manufacturing optical lenses (for eye glasses). I am now retired and often between UK and France; more exactly, between Annecy, near Geneva and Bristol, where my family has been living for the past 10 years. My wife Fiona is Scottish and my two children, Jean Michel and Laura, have dual nationality.
I own a Jaguar XK 140 DHC which I bought from Twyford Moors, five years ago: a left-hand drive car, which is good for me since the car is now based in France.
France South: Jean-Charles Bello
I am your Club Representative for Southern France. En quelques lignes , je vais vous dévoilez ma passion pour les JAGUAR .........durant mon séjour en stage hôtelier à Londres , je suis tombé amoureux de ces belles ladies ...... les JAGUAR ......... les XK et la fameuse Type E ...... Un rêve de toujours .......!!! cette époque ma marquée ...à jamais ! ...... aujourd;hui , mon rêve s’est accompli ...je suis le plus heureux de tous ..... Si vous êtes passionnés de Jaguar , rejoignez le club XK et E type , nous aurons l’occasion de faire des randonnées ensemble dans la région du sud de la France ..... Dans l’attente du plaisir de vous compter parmi nous ..
Greece: Alexandre Holis
Alexandre Holis has been the XK Club Representative to Greece since 2008 and more recently also E-type Representative, and has just acquired a magnificent Series I OTS. He has been cultivating his passion for classic cars for many years. Born in Athens in 1959, as a student of Electronic Engineering in Turin, Italy, he had several Innocenti Minis including a 1968 Mini-Cooper Mk2 and a 1975 Mini-Cooper 1300 that he still uses for mountain rallies. With his wife Aza, he has participated in many rallies, winning more than 100 prizes. After becoming a Manager in Information Technology he acquired a 1960 MGA 1600 roadster that is perfect for holidays in the Greek islands, and a 1964 Jaguar Mk2 3.8 ideal for romantic winter escapes. He completed a meticulous restoration of a gorgeous 1957 Jaguar XK 150 DHC that won first prize at the 10th PHILPA Concours d’ Elegance 2013, which featured 78 excellent selected cars and distinguished judges from abroad. Living 20 years in Italy, Alexandre was a member of the Technical Commission of ASI (that represents FIVA in Italy) for the evaluation of the originality of classic Minis and MGAs. He is a member and rally organiser for clubs in both Italy and Greece. He is always interested in any kind of events involving classic cars, from Concours d’Elegance such as Villa d’Este to Goodwood Revival and Le Mans Classic, technical seminars (CMC Bridgnorth and CKL Battle) and historic races such as Mille Miglia.
Italy: Stefano Rota
"I became passionate about vintage cars in 2005, buying a Fiat 124 Spider. Two years later I was looking for a restoration project, and I saw a Jaguar XK for the first time - it was an XK150S and it immediately looked beautiful to me! It was love at first sight, and my research ended in 2008 with the purchase of a very special XK120 OTS: it is one of the 12 Irish XK120s so called CKD (Completely Knocked Down). After 4 years of restoration in 2012 I was able to fulfil my dream of driving an XK120, and the pleasure has grown ever since for this wonderful car."
Luxembourg: Goy Feltes
"As a British car enthusiast, you meet Jaguar rather sooner than later, so after the lovely XJC, I looked deeper into the Jaguar World and it is no wonder that XK 140 and 150s are the top!!"
Netherlands: Chris de Groot and Roel Bloem
Chris: "I was born in Utrecht, married with Gisella and we have a lovely daughter Lotte. The three of us drive with our 1954 120 OTS. One of the last times our daughter was driving with the 120 was during the Gran Premio Nuvolari in Italy, where both of us drove parts of the route. We wrote about our Gran Premio Nuvolari experience in the December 2018 issue of the XK Gazette.
How did I get involved with Jaguar? I started as an Alfa Romeo aficionado. Oops. But friends of ours all drive classic British cars - MG, Healey, Jaguar, Aston Martin, etc. So they pushed me to buy an British icon. I’ve looked at several cars and models, but from day one one, the XK 120 OTS was my favourite. So, almost 10 years ago, my wife and I bought the XK 120 OTS. It’s an SE model, with enough power in Old English White with a burgundy interior.
Roel: Married to Inez, we have three grown boys and always enjoyed old cars. The first Jaguar was a bright red XK 150 FHC (our fireman’s car - for the chief of course). We still own that car and with it made some fantastic journeys – in the USA from New York to Los Angeles via Route 66 and last year China, the Yangtse Delta Rally around Shanghai.
Inez proved to be a keen navigator and over the years we also participated in more or less “serious” rallying, having multiple finishes in events like the Tulpenrallye, the Winter Trial and Gran Premio Nuvolari etc.
A few years after the FHC we bought a XK 150 DHC as Inez likes to feel the wind in her hair! We took this car on a trip around Croatia. Recently I finished the restoration of a XK 120 OTS.
Norway: Fred Ljone
Having enjoyed classic Jaguars since I was 24 and owned my present XK 140 FHC for the last 37 years.
Through a register of XK cars in Norway I have so far gathered more than 75 cars including a handful of C and D-type recreations but a membership in the international XK Club is what really offers a brilliant XK environment.
The monthly XK Gazette features overseas membership advantages like lots of technical advice, tour reports, historic documentation and adverts from safe suppliers whose membership price reductions very easily cover your annual club fee.
The XK Club website will also truly impress you. Most importantly you will find the club members and organisers surprisingly friendly – and their highest ambition all seems to be driving their XK through Norwegian scenery!
Sweden: Joel Berg
"My first Jaguar memory is not really an XK memory (where in the US it would considered as such) I was five years old and a friend of the family took me for a ride in his 4.2 E-type. This man's idea of driving was something different, instead of 'stay in your lane and pass slower traffic' he stayed in the opposite lane with oncoming traffic and just moved not to hit whoever was coming towards him, and, of course ,as fast as the car could go...
"Since then I have been quite hooked on Jaguars and still am. I bought my first car when I was 18 years old - a 1964 FHC E-type that I still own and drive. My interest has matured with time and I now have two XK120s and a C-type that I enjoy driving in different rallies and races."
Swizerland: Peter Wiget
For decades I have a strong affinity to cars with the Jaguar emblem. It started with owning and driving an XJC, upgrading to a powerful XJR, and since my retirement in 2015 an XK 140 DHC. Driving Jaguars, I experienced a lot of great moments, but also moments, challenging my technical understanding. But, life is about learning! And I learnt a lot. Experiences, I wouldn‘t mind to share.
My XK140 is having his home in the Locarno area. In the Lucerne area, you will see me driving my prewar Alvis. So, depending on the side of the alps, you may encounter me either with my Jaguar or my Alvis.
Looking forward to great interactions and a decent club life.