NZ BUILT

Over 1500 Series 2 XJs were assembled in New Zealand. It seems some were sold in Australia and authority Brian Devlin would like to find them.

Words - brIan devlIn

- brIan devlIn - Jaguar magazIne

I HAVE A PASSION FOR the around 1500 new XJs assembled in New Zealand. They were part of a huge industry in the South Island city of Nelson which covered 33 years when more than 4500 people worked at the Motor Vehicle Assembly Plant.

The plant's closure in August 1998, a victim of the government's decision to remove tariffs on imported vehicles, was a blow to not only the Nelson economy, but the 190 staff and their families. 160,406 vehicles were assembled there ranging from Jaguars to Triumphs, Rovers, Leyland and Albion trucks and vans followed by Hondas. The plant was officially opened in April 1966.

Going back further, Rover appears to have started assembly in New Zealand around 1930.

My mission led to the publication of the book ‘Tracking the Cats’. It left open the question relating to the export of the Nelson assembled cars to Australia. At the time of my original research, I assumed that there had been, based on the following facts.

A comment made by Roger Harding in an interview with the leading New Zealand motoring writer, Donn Anderson, regarding the reluctance of Australian dealers to accept New Zealand assembled cars stated: "and to compound the agony, we sent Daimlers over there as well. I was unable to find any Daimlers in New Zealand with build numbers 85 to 120."

Jaguar Distributors Ltd received export tax credits, and despite intensive investigation my contacts in Australia could not remember or trace any New Zealand assembled Daimlers.

Within a couple of months of publication I was contacted by several owners of the Daimlers from the missing batches.

Perhaps the Australian experts were correct. However, in 2022 new information was obtained that changed the whole aspect of my research.

I had been endeavouring to obtain from the New Zealand Land Transport a full list of the chassis numbers of those Jaguars and Daimlers registered in New Zealand between 1970 and 1980. Finally in July information was released to me. When it was incorporated with my own register, I was able to compile a complete list of the Nelson assembled cars, the

01/02 Not a lot of the New Zealand assembled XJs survive in pristine original condition, but they are easily distinguished from their Coventry counterparts with their distinctive liveries, carpets, signage and numbering. It is not certain why standard Jaguar colours were not mixed locally - would you like your's on a Triumph or Jaguar?

Daimler

01 Looking sad, but hopefully restorable. A New Zealand Daimler and Jaguar.

iDentification

02 It might say they were built in England, but they were assembled in the 'Colonies' and have their own numbering system.

dates they were registered, and whether they are currently registered.

I found there were twenty-nine Series Two SWB XJs assembled in late September 1974 and early October 1974 - which were never registered.

I then received an email from Eddie Bleackley who told me he had a 1978 Series Two LWB (KZ1257) which was not listed. He had owned it for 35 years.

He went on to say he bought it through Forthwright Motors Ltd, the Jaguar agents in Wanganui which he was part-owner of, and had material regarding cars exported.

It was contained in a Product Information Bulletin from Jaguar Distributors Ltd dated November 22, 1974. 'We wish to advise dealers that we have recently completed negotiations with Australia to export up to 40 CKD Series 2 short wheelbase Jaguars to arrive in Australia by 31 December 1974. The units to be despatched will commence from Unit KZ643, and production permitting, will be completed with Unit KZ682.

'The reason the export order was accepted was to meet Australia’s urgent requirement, and our decision to supply was made after discussing the matter with dealers, who collectively represent about 75% of the sales. It was felt that by taking 40 new units out of the New Zealand market, we could restore a better supply and demand situation and create a better climate for the used Jaguar market.'

StencilleD trim

03/04 All cars were finished with a stencilled number under the bonnet. A New Zealand Jaguar colour chart is a rare thing.

05/06 Fine cars surviving in Auckland. The chrome lettering on the boot is arranged differently on these two, and all are different to UK machines. The carpets are courser in texture, and the leather has narrow pleats but without perforations.

The Bulletin is most interesting in that although they had an order for forty cars, only twenty-nine were exported. The remaining eleven were all allocated to Shorters Ltd in Auckland who were a shareholder in Jaguar Distributors Ltd. In New Zealand at that time a low mileage used Jaguar was nearly the same price as a new one.

The final piece of information that confirmed Jaguars were exported to Australia came from an email from Matthew Thomas in Christchurch.

‘In 1978 I was living in Melbourne and working for Bryson Industries in the Spare Parts Department. Bryson Industries were the Jaguar and Daimler dealers for Victoria, New South Wales, Tasmania and South Australia. I was told there were New Zealand assembled Series 2 Jaguars which would come in for servicing.’

There were other differences which distinguished a New Zealand assembled Jaguar from a UK one and these related to the ‘New Zealand’ content.

They included the leather upholstery, vinyls and fabrics, carpets, underfelt, side glass (excluding the quarter-lights), brake hoses, radiator, seat belts and tyres plus many small items.

However, it was the paint and colours which were probably the most visible. The twenty-nine cars exported were a mixture of Arctic White, Sable, Carmine, Signal Red, Honeysuckle, Ice Blue, Turquoise and British Racing Green. There were also further distinguishing characteristics under the bonnet.

The New Zealand commission plate or identification tag is riveted to the lefthand inner guard, the chassis number on the tag always starts with an ‘A’ to show it was an overseas assembled CKD order. On the tag below is the body number which was the Nelson plant's own system as was also the chassis number.

Nelson cars start with the letters ‘KZ’, New Zealand’s identification number, then the build number, the date it was assembled and finally an ‘N’ to show it was assembled in Nelson.

The first car exported to Australia was chassis A2N4670BW and body number KZ643-9-74N. The twenty-ninth was A2N6057BW and KZ677-10-74N.

There was also another feature which distinguished a New Zealand assembled Jaguar from a UK one. The production number was painted on the underside of the bonnet reinforcing cross member.

Now there remains one final part to this whole saga.

Are there any New Zealand assembled 1975 registered Series Two SWB Jaguars still in existence in Australia?

01 This sad and abandoned XJ is probably not economical to restore.

02/03 The Nelson plant before major development was undertaken. Only the concrete pad of the building remains to mark largely unknown international motoring history. The remainder of the facility is a now a shopping complex.

04/05/06 This stunning example shows how handsome the New Zealand-built Jaguars, with their distinctive colours, are. Surely serious collectors around the world would want one in their garage once they learn about them?

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