here

Mk2 Gets A MAjor MAkeover ... FINCH RESTORATIONS SPECIALIST PUT ALL OF ITS SKILLS INTO RESTORING AND UP-GRADING A Mk2

XK150 Is A ClAssIC We love ... THE LAST IN A SERIES OF WORLDBEATING CLASSIC SPORTS MODELS WHICH PUT JAGUAR ONTO THE WORLD STAGE

Buy And sell ... PRE-LOVED JAGUARS AND PARTS WHICH ARE OFFERED FOR SALE AND MAY BE WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR on the Prowl ... HISTORIC IMAGES AND PERSONALITIES OF INTRIGUE IN JAGUAR'S LONG HISTORY ... jAGuAr sMAtterinGs ... NOBODY REMEMBERS THE MANY E-TYPES WHICH HAVE RACED SO WE GO LOOKING FOR THEM AND HOPE TO IDENTIFY SOME

Cover Pic: The Mk2 remains a beautiful model in most people’s eyes. Finch Restorations in Adelaide have restored and up-graded a treasured family car.

ThaT’s how iT is ...

Readers might be a little surprised that we have been hard on Jaguar in this edition - actually JLR - not Jaguar.

A former boss of Jaguar Australia told me not too long ago to be honest in the magazine, and tell things as we see them and not just please Jaguar. I really did take that to heart, but at the time didn’t imagine the state of affairs Jaguar would find itself in come 2023. JLR has no permanent CEO, and if not for Jaguar’s electric racing programme it wouldn’t be making any headlines for the better. No new models to talk about, no concepts, no previews and it continues to prosecute the Magnussons in Sweden over their C-Type replica. That is ridiculous and cruel.

We know that is not Jaguar’s way of conducting itself, but today the marque is just part of a controlling conglomerate and has as good as no say in its own affairs.

So our criticism is entirely justified.

Then there is the attempted effort to create a fictitious history for a car in the U.S. claimed to be an ex-works XJR-S, but which has no documentation to prove that.

Additionally, the owner claimed to me the car had been maintained in pristine order in every way since he bought if from a Jaguar dealer over 30 years ago. However, we acquired images from the internet, during our research into his claims, showing it had spent decades abandoned in a barn far from his home, was infested with mice, didn’t run, was buried in dirt up to the wheel rims - and the brakes were seized!

That caused just a little consternation, and the endless calls from the owner claiming his was the first XJR-S build by the new Jaguar and TWR owned JaguarSport in 1988, and was valued at U.S.$6msuddenly stopped. It was a lesson to us all. Finally, my thanks to John Crawford, former PR chief for Jaguar in Australia and the U.S., and then Bentley in North America, for all of his assistance in tracking the history of the XJR-S, and telling us his genuine thoughts about the state of affairs Jaguar is battling with at this time. He has a mountain of knowledge, expresses himself honestly and well - and has been a stalwart for this magazine since our establishment in 1988. Go JC! It has to be a better year.

Les. Hughes

EDITOR AND DESIGNER Les. Hughes

OFFICE PO Box 2703, Mansfield BC, Qld 4122 Aust. tele: +61 (0)7 3349 0322 email: bronwen@jaguarmagazine.com

ROAD TEST EDITOR Tristan Hughes

TECHNICAL MANAGER Michael J. Shaw

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Les. Hughes, Tristan Hughes, Paul Cummins, Tony Brown, Paul Murrell, Hans-Peter Bruggeman, John Crawford.

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Jaguar Cars, Jaguar Magazine Archives, Jock Psaros, Heinz Schendzielorz, Tony Brown, Paul Cummins, Wal Nelowkin, Craig Thompson, Hans-Peter Bruggeman, State Library NSW, Bob Taylor, JDCUK, Lord Family.

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