As stated earlier in this blog, my intention is to create a facsimile of Jaguar's unique XJ13 - as it was in 1966/67 and before it was rebuilt in 1972/73. It had to be rebuilt after it was badly damaged on the eve of its first public appearance in 1971. My aim is to recreate the car as faithfully as I am able and as a tribute to the genius of its designer, Malcolm Sayer.

During the rebuild by Abbey Panels in 1972/73, certain aspects of the car were altered and it lost its "pure" form as originally envisaged by Sayer. One of the more obvious "enhancements" was the addition of flared/widened wheelarches. The XJ13 log records this was done primarily for "cosmetic reasons". Earlier entries in this blog describe some of the major differences between the car I want to recreate and the car as it stands today.

Undoubtedly, the current car is unique and has continuous history linking it back to the one and only original. It may have been described as a, "Jaguar-built replica" by authors Viart & Cognet in their 1985 book, "Jaguar - A Tradition of Sports Cars" (page 318), with forward by William Lyons himself, but I personally feel this may be a little unfair as most of the underlying structure was salvaged and re-used (with the exception of certain floor and sill sections - the original sections were originally painted black and are likely to have been been replaced). The engine installed in the car today is a different engine to the one originally installed in the XJ13 in the Spring of 1966 but it remains one of the very few prototype quad-cam engines that have survived and was installed in the car in period. OK, the body may be completely new, and different in some respects to the original body, but there can be no doubt that the car gracing the Jaguar Heritage collection can describe itself as the unique Jaguar XJ13.

What I am attempting to create can only ever be a facsimile and homage to the original XJ13 and its designer Malcolm Sayer. There is, and always has been, one Jaguar XJ13.

So - how to set about recreating a car which doesn't exist anymore?

Contrary to what you may read from certain replica manufacturers over the years, there are no "blueprints" for the car. Jaguar, on their part, have never allowed sufficient access to the car to enable detailed measurements to be made. Again, this is despite statements to the contrary by certain replica builders. Indeed, a replica made by the very talented Rod Jolley which passed into the hands of the late Jaguar Specialist Tim Waddingham, bears a brass plaque claiming the replica was produced "with the co-operation of Jaguar". The inaccuracy of the replica compared to the original bears testament to Jaguar's unwillingness to allow intimate access to the car. The closest anyone got to the car may have been Bryan Wingfield whose car eventually ended up in the Walter Hill Collection. However, this car was notoriously "wrong" in may details - including a rather "snub-nosed" appearance. The latter does indicate how difficult it is to replicate the complex curves of the car simply by reference to photographs - even with privileged access to the car itself and for a man with undoubted car-making skills.

OK - there are no "blueprints" and no chance Jaguar will allow sufficient access to the car so where do you go from here?

Fortunately, Jaguar Heritage very kindly granted me access to XJ13-related documents in their archive. However, although the archive is now professionally managed by Anders Clausager and his team, this has not always been the case in the past and many documents may have gone missing in the intervening years. Although Jaguar Heritage's archived documents give valuable clues to the car's build and history, I have had to dig deeper and extend my search further afield. A breakthrough came the best part of a year ago when a collection of original documents came to light containing actual data describing the original car's construction. This has since been supplemented by previously-unpublished photographs taken during the car's build in 1965/66. It is my wish to eventually deposit these documents in the Jaguar Heritage Archive for the benefit of future historians.

What are these documents exactly?

These documents contain critical measurements used by Jaguar to build the car. They are likely to have originated from Malcolm Sayer himself. Just to explain ...

Malcolm Sayer, as I reported in a previous post was very much a man “ahead of his time”. There is much talk nowadays of Computer Aided Design (CAD) and Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) but it seems that as early as the 1950s Sayer had developed his own longhand version of similar techniques. He kept his calculations and means of representing complex shapes mathematically very close to his chest and there is little information on his methodology available today. Paul Skilleter reported that Cyril Crouch, who worked in the Body Drawing Office in Sayer’s time, recalls him “using Chambers seven-figure log tables to calculate all the shapes, as one would do on a computer now.”

In essence, these documents consist of a mass of numbers defining fixed points in 3D space. For example, a particular single point on a body surface can be defined as:

As an example of data for one part of the car, the following original document indicates how the curvature of the windscreen was defined.

Original data - definition of outer windscreen surface.(Data obscured). © Jaguar Heritage - reproduced with permission.

At the start of my project I discovered that Pilkingtons claimed to have located the original metal jig used to manufacture the original 1966 XJ13's windscreen. (see earlier blog entry Triplex Laminated Windscreen. I commissioned a windscreen from them and this gave me a unique opportunity to objectively validate their claims against the original data. The finished windscreen was digitally scanned and it's precise shape was captured.

Digital scan of windscreen made using Pilkington's original XJ13 windscreen former.

We then superimposed the 3D points defined in the original Jaguar document. We were then able to carry out a statistical comparison of the two sets of data. During this analysis we discovered that Sayer had defined the windscreen as sitting a rather strange 32.39 degrees from horizontal. The conclusion was that Sayer found, "wherever the windscreen laid within his overall body profile was correct". More detailed analysis showed a close agreement between the windscreen Pilkingtons had produced and the original Jaguar data. The following picture shows the variance between points on the two defined surfaces - the closer to red, the bigger the difference:

Comparison of the new windscreen vs original Jaguar data.

The data is shown below:

In short, there is an average of 0.06mm difference between the new screen and the original data - pretty good don't you agree?

This was very good news for me as it meant we could precisely locate a key section of the outer body. But more was to follow .... similar data describing original car's body shape, as well as data precisely identifying key location points for things such as steering rack, front and rear suspension, suspension arms, shock absorbers etc etc was uncovered. The latter data has proved especially invaluable in the design and ongoing build of the complete chassis/monocoque unit.

Here is an example of the type of data that shows where key components are located. It shows the precise location of the XJ13's upper front wishbone (wishbone as used in the 1964 Lightweight E-Type Jaguar). I have obscured the actual 3D data points.

Original document describing location of upper front wishbone in 3D space.

The above data doesn't only describe exactly where the wishbone should attach to the chassis, it also gives valuable information on the dimensions of the chassis itself. Combining data such as this with original photographs such as the one shown below allows us to precisely model the front suspension. Whether or not we will choose to copy the rather poor quality of welding remains to be seen ....

Front chassis.

Putting all this data together, along with other measurement data and contemporary photos taken during the car's build have enabled us to arrive at an excellent digital CAD representation of the 1966 original. This data has been further enhanced by discussions with those who were present and participated in the original build.

So - where to from here?

All the above data has been used to enhance the digital model of the 1966 car. Gradually seeing the 1966 car emerge from the data has been a rather exciting process. The first physical manifestation of the digital data has been the manufacture of a full-size buck which is being used to manufacture the car's monocoque. Pictures of this buck can be seen in a previous post Building the Chassis/Monocoque. We have decided to build the monocoque in steel first, just to "get it right". This all-steel monocoque will then be destroyed and we will build one using original-spec aluminium and steel as original.

At the same time, work has been continuing on the buck which will be used to form the outer body panels. The picture below shows some views of the "virtual CAD buck" as it looks today.

Before I finally press "GO" and have the body buck manufactured, I have commissioned a pair of 3D-printed models of the body - one in 1:18 scale and one in approximately 1:30 scale. It is all very well being able to see the finished car on a screen but I wanted to have something I could hold in my hand. I plan to paint the larger of the two so I can see how the light catches it and how the curves measure up to the original. First impressions are very favourable

To be continued ....

I have published the following two videos of progress to YouTube. Part 1 shows construction of the "trial" front suspension. Part 2 shows the first trial assembly of the front suspension as well as construction of the body bucks.

A lot has happened since I published them and I will continue to add more video as time allows. As they say, "a picture is worth a thousand words" ....

Having spent the best part of three years conducting painstaking research into the form of the original 1966 Jaguar XJ13, we are now able to offer accurate body and monocoque/chassis bucks scaled down from the full-size items. The item featured in the video below is a full third-scale model which is almost 6 feet (1.8m) long.

These are truly impressive items and are works of art in their own right. They will be produced in limited numbers and made available via this website. Contact us for details. Sale proceeds will contribute to our quest of building and racing an authentic copy of Jaguar's 1966 XJ13. To continue where Jaguar left off and race against the cars the XJ13 was designed to compete against - Ford's GT40 and Ferrari's P330 amongst others.

From August 24th this year, Jaguar Enthusiasts were no longer able to view cars from Jaguar Heritage's collection of iconic cars in one place. It has been known for a number of years that the museum's days were numbered although it had been hoped that Jaguar would come to their senses and demonstrate a commitment to their heritage with a new museum. This has not happened and the land the museum sits on has been sold to a housing developer.

As I write this, it seems there are no firm plans for a museum. I personally find it sad that the parent company appear to have turned their back on their heritage in this way.

Here is some text that featured on the main Jaguar.com website (which has since been removed by Jaguar):

"EXPERIENCE OUR HISTORY FIRST-HAND

The Jaguar Heritage Museum offers a fascinating glimpse into the history of this remarkable company. Based on the site of the former Browns Lane plant in Coventry - Jaguar's spiritual home - the museum was opened in 1998 and celebrates the history of Jaguar Cars and associated marques including Swallow, SS, Lanchester and Daimler. It contains a selection from Jaguar Heritage's collection of over 120 vehicles dating from 1896 onwards. The collection began life in the mid-1950s when Jaguar founder Sir William Lyons brought together some of his early models. These can now be seen alongside classic Jaguar racing cars and other iconic models from the past.

Images, brochures and factory records from an extensive archive give valuable insights into how these beautiful cars were produced.

Jaguar Heritage works closely with schools and colleges to introduce a new generation to Coventry’s motoring heritage, and hosts educational activities at the museum. It also provides a range of services to owners and enthusiasts including Heritage Certificates, Classic Parts and a shop that offers a wide range of merchandise and technical publications."

Jaguar claim to value their heritage but their actions do not support this. In my humble opinion, the most successful current designs are where they lean on styling cues from their past - styling cues first sketched by the late genius Malcolm Sayer. Witness the beauty of the new C-X75 styling exercise (leaning heavily on Sayer's 1966 XJ13), the new C-X16 sports car (which leans heavily on Sayer's 1961 E-Type) compared with the ungainly bulk of their new XF and similar models which break with their past styling tradition.

2011 C-X75 vs 1966 XJ13

C-X16 ("The new E-Type")

Jaguar XF vs Ford Mondeo vs Vauxhall Astra vs whatever ......

Jaguar XF

Vauxhall Astra

Ford Mondeo

The I Make News Website (www.imakenews.com) described the museum in 2010 rather well:

The Jaguar Heritage Museum is located in Coventry, England. It first opened its doors in 1983 as part of an effort to consolidate and maintain the history of three important brands hailing from the British Isles: Jaguar, Daimler and Lanchester. We are now well past the first 100 years of the automobile industry, and many automakers have begun to strengthen and leverage their ties to their pasts in terms of how these histories influence their current designs and practices.

When a company features a history as extensive and distinguished as Jaguar’s, it seems only fitting that special actions be taken to make sure this heritage is not only preserved and protected, but also celebrated.

For this reason, Jaguar has created and maintained the Jaguar Heritage Museum.

Not to be confused with the German conglomerate, Daimler purchased the smaller Lanchester marque in 1931, and was then itself made part of the Jaguar family in 1960. These contemporaries represented some of the seminal designers and players in the early British auto industry and the facility, which is located at Browns Lane, is an important link to the country’s past.

The museum was founded and is currently managed by the Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust, which is an independent charity organization that plays an important role in the Jaguar community. The Trust is known around the world by Jaguar collectors and fans as being one of the best information sources for those attempting to restore, document or even locate Jaguar automobiles. In addition to curating the museum, the Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust also maintains an extensive archive of Jaguar’s historic production records and is often called upon to help provide documentation on classic Jaguar and Daimler automobiles. The Jaguar Heritage Museum itself is a true delight for visitors. The structure was given a grand reopening in the summer of 2009, and it now operates five days a week, as well as the final Sunday of every month, allowing for extensive public access to a glittering array of historic Jaguar automobiles. More than 140 cars are on display at the facility at any one time, dating all the way back to the motorcycle sidecars manufactured by the Swallow Sidecar Company – the very first automotive business venture undertaken by Jaguar founder Sir William Lyons.

The museum’s collection traces the development of Jaguar as a company over the ensuing decades thanks to the careful preservation of some of the most important automobiles ever to have been produced by the brand. These include the first vehicle ever to have worn the Jaguar badge, an SS Saloon car built in 1937, the final Jaguar E-Type to ever have been built, an S3 convertible that featured the company’s classic V12 engine configuration and a number of different concept cars, which have traveled the world wowing audiences for decades. In addition to production vehicles, the Jaguar Heritage Museum also shows a number of racing models that were critical to helping Jaguar establish its reputation as a purveyor of some of the finest and fastest sportscars available. On display is the NUB 120 Appleyard Rally Car, which dates from the 1950s, alongside its contemporary D-Type ‘Long Nose’ racer – a vehicle that won the 12-hour Reims race in 1956. The 1966 XJ13 prototype is also available for public viewing, a “one-off” concept model that was intended to compete at Le Mans, but never actually competed in any events. A huge number of other cars are additionally kept safely in the museum’s archives, and they can be toured privately by appointment.

If any of the lucky visitors to the Jaguar Heritage Museum feel like taking their historic automotive experience to the next level, then it is also possible to rent some of the vehicles for private events. The museum offers a complete car rental system that classifies each vehicle according to its value and the type of use for which it is authorized. Some of the classic Jaguars on display can be hired to pull duty as glamorous wedding coaches while others can serve parade functions or be used as parked objets d’art. The Jaguar Heritage Museum presents a unique opportunity for Jaguar lovers to get up close and personal with some of the most important automobiles ever to have been built by the storied brand."

In the light of recent events, the above words read rather poignantly. Coupled with the rather distasteful rumours of financial impropriety and other activities surrounding Jaguar's recent launch of "Jaguar Heritage Racing" (hopefully these rumours will prove to be unfounded), the company's actions in closing the museum with no firm prospect of a replacement are rather sad and I do hope they will soon announce a replacement museum. Can you imagine the likes of Porsche, Mercedes, BMW etc behaving in the same way towards their heritage? Jaguar is an important brand in the hearts of Jaguar Enthusiasts worldwide and I do hope they will take steps to remedy the situation. There endeth my sermon!

In the meantime, 10 of Jaguar's most iconic cars are displayed at the Heritage Motor Centre at Gaydon. Gaydon has a truly awe-inspiring collection of British motor cars and the Jaguars are in excellent company. Enthusiasts of British cars owe a debt of gratitude to Peter Mitchell OBE who was the driving force behind protecting this collection of motor cars - Jaguars included.

I took the following video during a recent visit to Gaydon which includes the new Jaguar display.

STOP PRESS ....

Since posting this article I have discovered a source of original and genuine Avdel Rivets - as used by Jaguar in 1965 when building the XJ13. They aren't made anymore and are damn expensive (just over £1 EACH and I need thousands ....) BUT they are the genuine article and I don't need to resort to modern-day Chinese equivalents :)

Original Avdel 4000-series Dome Head L86 Light Alloy Rivets. Oldest remaining stock is purple and most recent production is plain aluminium.

The discovery was down to those friendly and helpful chaps on the E-Type Forum at JagLovers - probably the BEST Jaguar Forum on the web today.

"We need some rivets" said Paul at North Devon Metalcraft (the bodyshop working on creating my 1966 XJ13 recreation).

"OK" I replied, "What kind do we need?". Paul scratched his head and answered, "Dunno - I suppose we need to find out what Jaguar used in 1966".

Little did I know that this exchange would lead to. It seems that rivets aren't as simple and boring as I had first thought. For the benefit of others who may follow us along a similar path I thought it would be worthwhile recording what I learnt about rivets (don't laugh - rivets really do have an interesting history). Ever wondered how primitive man over four thousand years ago attached handles to the first metal tools and weapons? You guessed it - rivets. How do you attach an aluminium skin to an airframe when aircraft designers switched from wood to metal? - rivets. How do you join almost any kind of dissimilar materials (wood, bone, metal etc) when you don't have welding or adhesives? You got it - rivets.

Check out the following picture:

What do you think these are examples of? You guessed it (see the common theme?) - rivets. Only this particular rivet is from the late Bronze Age (1000 BC to 700 BC). It is a copper alloy rivet with two domed heads and has about eleven longtitudinal facets - probably resulting from manufacture. Some of these faces have longtitudinal grooves, perhaps caused when parts of the surface were shaved off with a tool. The more eagle-eyed amongst you will note the domed heads aren't parallel to each other but are at about 18 degrees from each other. The size, form and condition suggest its probably a rivet from a late Bronze-Age dirk, rapier or sword.

But what has this got to do with Jaguar, the XJ13 or the price of fish?

Probably not a lot but, skip forward a few thousand years and place yourself in the shoes of the XJ13's designer, Malcolm Sayer. A man steeped in aerodynamics and a former student of aerodynamics at Loughborough University’s Department of Aeronautical and Automotive Engineering. After graduating from Loughborough he joined the Bristol Aero Company where he worked on various projects including their radial engine. Aircraft and aerodynamics were in his blood and he naturally settled on the same principles of construction to Jaguar's cars. Chief amongst these methods of construction? Go on, hazard a guess ....

The fasteners of choice in 1965/66 were "Avdel" - short for "Aviation Developments". Anyone think (as I did) that "rivets were rivets" and were pretty much like today's pop rivets? There's a bit more to it than that. The clue as to which rivets were employed by the builder of the car (the late talented Bob Blake) was given by Peter Wilson (someone who can genuinely lay claim to having participated in the build of the original XJ13). Peter recalled Blake's use of "Advel" rivets and the fact that the car "looked like a porcupine" during its build. Those of us who have used modern "pop-rivets" will know that the stems are broken off during application but the stems of the original Advel rivets remained in place and the protruding stems were later cut off and the face of the rivet shaved flat. When the rivets were first applied the sticking-out stems gave the "porcupine" effect.

"Porcupine" effect

So how did these Avdel rivets come about?

In 1936 from a small shed in Godalming Surrey Stanley Thomas Johnson started a business called Aviation Developments.

The company was established to manufacture & supply riveting technology, to a number of industries, but primarily for the rapidly developing Aviation industry. This industry was soon to mushroom as the world responded to the antics of a moustachio'd individual after 1939. In 1936, wood was rapidly giving way to aluminium for aircraft manufacture and a reliable means of fastening was required. Initially these aluminium and steel structures were assembled using solid rivets that were slow to install, requiring two operators with access to both sides of the components to be assembled.

Working with the pioneering UK Aviation Engineers of the time one of Aviation Developments Engineers, Jacque Chobert, invented a radical new riveting technology, the Chobert® riveting system.

Types of rivet

Initially Chobert® fasteners could only be installed one at a time. Aviation Developments Engineers soon recognised this limitation and set about developing a tool capable of installing multiple fasteners before requiring reloading.

Types of rivet

Types of rivet

The Chobert® system allowed rivets to be installed by a single operator using a hand tool accessing one side of the riveted joint - significantly reducing both assembly times and costs. The concept of assembly from a single side of the application became generically known as blind fastening. This advanced system was quickly adopted by the UK Aviation industry and proved invaluable in building more than 20,000 Spitfire fighter aircraft (yes - you read correctly - 20,000 Spitfires) over a period of eight years that were key to the success of the Battle of Britain.

Supermarine Spitfire

During the late 40’s and 50’s the global aviation industry moved into the jet age and sales of the Chobert® increased as it became an industry standard fastening technology.

Disney Studios Instructional Video

As well as expanding both the range and sales of the Chobert® system the company developed engineered fastener and assembly solutions for other industries. Unsurprisingly, Malcolm Sayer adopted these types of fastener for prototypes and racing cars. However, he did continue to make use of hand-applied countersunk solid rivets to minimise disruption to airflow where needed. The following picture shows examples of solid rivets which could only be applied if there is access to both sides of the join:

Solid aluminium rivets. Countersunk (left) and Domed (right)

Malcolm Sayer was very much a perfectionist when it came to the aerodynamic properties of his designs and used these countersunk rivets as far as practicable. Indeed, Peter Wilson recounts in his definitive book on the XJ13,

"... Bob Blake had found a small winged Jaguar badge which he thought would look rather nice on the front of the car. He carefully made a depression in the nose panel, the exact shape of the badge, such that it sad almost flush with the skin surface. No sooner had he done this that Malcolm Sayer made one of his regular visits to the shop to see how things were progressing. Malcolm took one look at the badge and obviously did not like what he saw. He asked Bob who had fitted it. 'I did' said Bob. 'Well take it off!" Malcolm insisted. 'It will disrupt the airflow over the front of the car.' ... Bob removed his badge and beat out the depression."

The nose of the original 1966 XJ13 was left smooth by Malcolm - presumably for aerodynamic reasons. However, one of the many changes made during the rebuild of the crashed car in 1972/73 was the addition of a row of domed rivets across the nose of the car - clearly wrong when compared with the 1966 original. Needless to say, my 1966 recreation will have the smooth nose Sayer intended.

Yet another difference is that the rivets used during the rebuild were larger than those used originally. This was probably because the original rivets were drilled out and so larger ones were now needed to fill the enlarged holes.

Original 1966 car

Jaguar's 1973 rebuild of the XJ13

By the 1950’s Aviation Developments was focusing on providing new assembly solutions. The two part Avdel® breakstem aerospace rivet was introduced offering improved rivet strength, different head configurations, diameters and material options. When installed the stem breaks above the head and is machined off. When painted countersunk forms of the rivets where almost invisible. These fasteners were used in many areas of the aircraft including ailerons, flaps, engine pods, elevators, rudders, tail planes, fins, doors & floors. In 1961, to reflect its broadening product portfolio and cross-market/industry capability, Aviation Developments changed its name to Avdel® and opened its new manufacturing facility in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire.

Original 1966 car

One of the first products developed by Avdel was the Avex® multigrip breakstem rivet. It was introduced to the market with the compact 734 hydro-pneumatic hand tool. The world’s first multigrip fastener quickly became a flagship product for Avdel that would remain unchallenged across automotive, industrial and electronic market sectors for the next 20 years. It is this product that was almost certainly used by Bob Blake when building the original XJ13.

Original 1966 car

Advel the company still exists today and they offer a close equivalent to the rivet originally supplied to Jaguar.

Original 1966 car

Sadly, the Avdel manufacturing facility at Welwyn Garden City was closed down in 2005 and manufacturing was transferred to Wuxi in China.

Closure of Advel's Manufacturing Facility in 2005 when production was transferred to China

Unless some kind reader of this blog has a secret stash of original Avdel Avex® rivets from the mid-1960s, I shall have to settle for these Chinese replacements. If you do happen to come across a source of these fasteners before the end of Autumn 2012 I would very much like to hear from you!

Recently came across the excellent international Jaguar Magazine - highly recommended! Well into their 30th year, Jaguar Magazine is a world leader in independent Jaguar publications with so much in the magazine you won't find elsewhere and always presents a straight-forward and independent view of Jaguar Cars with no "toadying"!

It's availability in UK and US shops seems limited but subscriptions are available here - definitely worth supporting.

I recently had to modify a pair of Jaguar rear driveshafts to suit my transaxle output shafts and thought I would post a video showing how I did so in the hope it may be of help to anyone else travelling down the same path. I spent a long time researching how others had achieved the same thing and worked out what I consider to be a sound way of shortening driveshafts. I expect the end result to be more than capable of coping with whatever torque my engine will throw at it. I did use rather substantial pieces of cold-drawn steel tubing and may have ended up with rather over-engineered items but feel more comfortable sacrificing lightness for strength. The last thing I want to happen is for a driveshaft to let go at an inopportune moment .... Using such thick-walled tubing also meant I could use a deep weld over a relatively large surface area.

Well that's my story and I am sticking to it!

Why Shorten the Driveshafts?

I started with a pair of standard Jaguar production driveshafts that last saw duty in a 6-litre 1996 Daimler Double Six. These driveshafts turned out to be around 40mm too long for my application. I probably could have got away using wheels with a custom offset to take up the difference but one thing I am trying to do is come as close to the 1966 original as I can, and I want to try and replicate its handling characteristics. I don't pretend to know what difference the extra 40mm would have made to handling but I would guess that the longer the upper link (driveshaft in Jaguar's case), the less the wheel will move away from its ideal plane with large suspension movements? Whatever the difference, if any, I wanted to keep to the 1966 original's dimensions. The precise dimensions used in 1965/66 have survived as 3D data points and so I can be confident the rear suspension will be exactly "right".

Transaxle Output Shafts

As you will see from the video, I was fortunate enough to have acquired a pair of original XJ13 output shafts. It is likely these items were in place when the XJ13's main test driver, David Hobbs, set a new UK closed lap record at MIRA during early testing in 1966. These unmodified shafts were referred to by Mike Kimberley in 1967 after the third test where he recorded, "examine halfshaft drive flange locating circlip". Eleven days later, and after further testing, Kimberley recorded, "fit split rings in Halfshaft drive flange circlip groove and test to determine reduction in end float. Check effect of wider circlip and twin circlips"

Attention to these (my) halfshafts was because David Hobbs was reporting a "looseness" at the rear which may have been caused by the shafts moving out of position and causing uncontrolled camber changes - not a happy state of affairs! A month or so later the shafts were modified by threading and adding nuts in place of the circlips to securely fix them in place and solve the problem once and for all. It is believed my unmodified shafts were removed at this time. These shafts have now been modified in the same way - more than 40 years later.

Jaguar's use of driveshafts as upper links does impose additional loads on the transaxle for which it may not have been originally designed. By way of contrast, Ford's GT40 has an additional upper link that relieves the load on the driveshafts. The following picture shows the rear suspension of an early XJ13 replica produced by Bryan Wingfield for the late Walter Hill. Bryan's GT40 background is very evident in this car which is essentially "GT40" under the skin. Wingfield's replica makes use of these additional upper links. To be honest, it could be considered a more satisfactory solution than Jaguar's although the Wingfield replica is certainly "not XJ13" and bears only a passing resemblance to the original car - above and below the skin.

Calculation of Rear Hub and Driveshaft Stresses - any mathematicians out there?

Jaguar expended a lot of energy in 1965/66 examining the dynamics of the XJ13's unique rear suspension and engine mounting. It is rather surprising that they hadn't anticipated the problems of the combination of transaxle and driveshafts as upper-links.

The above report was produced by one of Jaguar's unsung heroes T Sokolowski - statistician and mathematician extraordinaire. There are many other detailed reports produced by this talented individual which have provided a wealth of detailed dimensional information for my recreation.

ZF Transaxle

In 1967, and after changes to Le Mans Prototype capacity changes had been announced, Mike Kimberley (XJ13 Project Manager and later to become Lotus CEO) visited ZF and produced the following report. References are made to halfshaft modifications. There are also many other interesting references including a possible 3 litre prototype to meet the changed maximum capacity regulations giving lie to the view that it was this change alone that ended Jaguar's Le Mans ambitions..

So how do I go about making one?

It seemed to me the best starting point would be to see if I could get my hands on an original. After a bit of research I found that, besides the bellhousing currently installed in Jaguar's rebuilt "original", only two others are known to have survived. One ended up with a collector in Texas and the second in a replica put together by Bryan Wingfield. Rather than risk having my knuckles rapped by Jaguar Heritage by asking if they hold their "original" in the air while I crawled around underneath with a ruler, I approached the owners of these other bellhousings ....

Fortunately the second of these bellhousings had been removed from the car while it was being comprehensively restored/rebuilt and I was given the chance to get my grubby mits on it and measure its dimensions. The owner of the Texan bellhousing proved just as co-operative and obliged with a series of superbly detailed photographs - wonderful people these Jaguar Enthusiasts!

The following pictures show the "Texan" bellhousing. It is attached to one of the prototype V12 engines which was internally modifed by Jaguar in period to run as a 60-degree V8. Before you say, "but it is well-known that a V8 will only run smoothly at 90 degrees?" - Jaguar knew this but wanted to try this configuration for other reasons and to see for themselves the actual effect of running eight pistons at 60 degrees.

 

Here are some pictures of the bellhousing that had been removed from the Bryan Wingfield replica:

 

Both bellhousings had the same Jaguar experimental "X" casting marks and appeared to have been made to fit a standard ZF transaxle of the period. Photographs I have of the bellhousing installed in the XJ13 show them to be identical in appearance. One feature common to all three is the provision for rods which extend from the "cradle" supporting the transaxle.

Again, before you ask, Jaguar Heritage weren't persuaded to hold the original in the air while I took this photo - instead the photo was given to me by them. Jaguar Heritage took the picture when the XJ13 was up on a four-post lift during routine maintenance.

Note the absence of any form of silencing - helps explain why this engine sounds so deafeningly glorious! Note also the damage on the underside of the transaxle cradle. I have extended my replica steel cradle downwards slightly to help protect my new bellhousing and dry sump during the inevitable grounding which may occur when the car is driven enthusiastically. I do know the original sump was cracked in recent years when the car was dropped from a transporter onto a kerb and I want to protect my own drivetrain as far as I can. Another measure I have taken is to "beef up" my own sump and bellhousing internally.

OK, so I now know the dimensions and configuration of the original bellhousing. These dimensions also helped confirm dimensions of the flywheel and sump bottom. The flywheel that came with my engine had last been used on a manual gearbox while installed in a Mk10 Jaguar and was far too big and heavy for this application. In any case, it would have extended below the bottom of the bellhousing and sump. I commissioned a new lightweight aluminium flywheel to match my new 2-plate racing clutch. Although I planned to increase the wall thickness of my new bellhousing for strength, it had to accommodate these new items. I also bought a new lightweight high-torque starter and set about designing my new bellhousing.

Design

The main tool I use for designing items such as this is the 3D CAD Program "Solidworks". I find it very useful as it allows me to "trial fit" components on my PC before I commit to metal. It also allows me to carry out analyses such as "interference" (to check nothing clashes as suspension etc moves), final component weight and strength. It allows me to build up all components into an assembly and check everything fits before the design even leaves the computer. I don't pretend to be anywhere close to being expert in using this tool but after two years of regular use, have reached the standard where I feel able to carry out basic design of these components myself. Having said that, I still need the help of an engineering professional to make sure my designs can actually be manufactured. The best design in the world is no use if a multi-axis CNC mill can't physically get a tool to where it needs to be! No doubt, it would be easier and (arguably) faster to entrust the whole process to a professional but the satisfaction I gain from seeing one of "my" components in the flesh is worth it. I started off making simple things such as brackets etc and, as my confidence grew, I found I was able to progress onto much more complex items - a bellhousing and sump being some of these. As well as gaining new skills there are also cost and time benefits to this approach.

As the design progressed, I decided to make some changes from the original. My machined-from-solid bellhousing would be much more substantial than the cast original and would be tailor-made for my flywheel, clutch-pack, release-bearing, starter and transaxle output shaft. I also decided to substantially beef up the two "wings" on either side of the bellhousing which are used to mount it to the ends of the sills. Unusual for its time, the whole engine/transaxle assembly is a fully-stressed member and the rear suspension hangs off it. The entire assembly can be wheeled away from the car as this original 1967 photo shows:

The bellhousing is an important part of this structure and so I wanted it to be as strong as possible. I also decided to extend the shafts that run between the transaxle cradle and bellhousing even further so they extend into the sump as well - giving increased rigidity to the whole structure. I took the decision to not try for an exact "cosmetic" replica of the original bellhousing but to end up with something which is "in spirit".

After a lot of trial and error on my PC, I ended up with the following basic design:

My design becomes reality

I took this basic design to my local engineering works - Billcar Engineering in Shrewsbury. I am lucky enough to live quite close to this superb facility and I cannot praise them highly enough. As well as being equipped with a number of state-of-the-art multi-axis CNC milling machines, they are knowledgeable, enthusiastic and a pleasure to deal with. A company well-worth supporting. They also not only "do what they say they will do" but they also do it when they say they will!

One of their engineers is Russ who looked through my designs and suggested minor modifications that would make them easier (and cheaper) to manufacture. A production slot was scheduled and the massive blocks of correct-spec alloy ordered. The following video shows production of the actual bellhousing. It was such a thrill to see "my" bellhousing begin to appear from a solid billet.

In my opinion?

Yes.

Let me explain ...

How did the competition look?

When I scan through reports, analyses and tests, Jaguar clearly had two cars in its sights - Ferrari's 330 P3 and Ford's GT40. In 1964 their eyes will have been on a 1966 Le Mans debut for a team of XJ13s. These cars would have raced as Le Mans Prototypes

In the spring of 1963, Ford heard that Enzo Ferrari was interested in selling his company to Ford. Ford committed millions of dollars researching and auditing Ferrari's company only to have Ferrari unilaterally withdraw from talks at a late stage. This angered Henry Ford II who directed his racing division to find a company that could help them build a Ferrari-beater on the world endurance-racing circuit. The Ferrari-beater turned out to be the GT40 which, although American-built, was based on a collaboration between Ford and England's Lola. Ford did not, at this time, have the racing prowess to take on the likes of Ferrari so had earlier engaged in discussions with England's Lotus, Cooper and Lola - eventually choosing the latter as a partner. The first GT40s raced in 1964 and 1965 with no great success. In 1966 however the 7-litre Mk II absolutely dominated the 24 Hours of Le Mans race with a 1-2-3 result - shades of the Jaguar victories in the 1950s. This dominance continued in 1967 with a win by the Mk IV version of the car.

The Lucas Mechanical Fuel-injected 1966 Ferrari 330 P3 used a rather fragile transmission that was later replaced by a ZF. Jaguar's design included Lucas Mechanical Fuel Injection and the more robust ZF DS25-1 transmission from the outset.  In 1967 the P3 became the P4. The latter car finished 2nd and 3rd at Le Mans in 1967 behind the winning Ford GT40 Mark IV.

How would the XJ13 have fared against the mighty GT40 in 1967 ?

Project delays and lack of commitment by Jaguar meant things got off to a slow start and the car wasn't completed until 1966. Sadly, the car's main opportunity to shine at Le Mans may have been missed.

Although Jaguar's rebuilt "original" will probably never race, my recreation perhaps could. However, even though I can recreate a car with similar power and identical handling characteristics to the 1966 original, it would probably be humbled by a GT40 if it lined up against it on a track today. The reason being that, since 1967, original GT40s have undergone continuing race development and are probably now achieving levels of handling and performance far in excess of those achieved in 1967. The Jaguar XJ13 hasn't enjoyed the best part of 50 years continuous development and would likely be embarrassed if placed on a track alongside an original GT40 today.

This would definitely be true of Jaguar's one-and-only rebuilt "original" which has led a sheltered life punctuated only by the odd low-speed excursion and short run over the last 40 years since it was rebuilt as a "demo queen". In performance terms, the engine powering the "original" is only a shadow of its former self and would likely struggle to maintain any sort of pace.

Sadly, and as I write this, the "original" has barely turned a wheel in six months. Following the quite-unbelievable closure of the Jaguar Heritage Museum in 2012, the car has been sitting motionless as part of a small Jaguar Heritage display at the Heritage Motor Centre at Gaydon, Warwickshire UK (From 3min 17secs in the video on the left).

Currently published forthcoming events (as at May 2013) make no mention of the XJ13 being taken out for an airing. The XJ13 is a purpose-designed racing car. This inactivity does all manner of harm to its various sophisticated race-bred mechanical components to say nothing of seals, internal corrosion etc. There doesn't appear to be any sort of "scheduled startup" where, at the very least, the engine is taken up to working temperature and the car is allowed to exercise its stiff limbs. As a lasting homage to the genius of its late designer Malcolm Sayer the car does continue to inspire with its superb lines but is likely to remain as no more than that.

However ....

We can at least examine the many contemporary records and reports that have recently come to light and can look at the XJ13 as it appeared in 1967. We are fortunate in being able to re-live events through things such as the detailed development and testing reports recorded at the time. The XJ13 Project Manager, Mike Kimberley fortunately recorded events in detail through his meticulous test reports and worklists that were prompted by post-test analysis. A then-current GT40 was acquired by Jaguar's Competition Department in 1966 and the results of their findings were also recorded.

In addition ....

Readers of this blog will know of my intention to not only recreate the XJ13 exactly as it was in 1966 but also to eventually see it on a racetrack. I am taking great (some would say "obsessive" ) care to remain true to original suspension design/location so that my recreation should perform similarly to the 1966 original. The finished product may give us additional insight into how the original may have fared in competition. Watch this space!

"Jaguar's GT40"

By the middle of February 1966, the XJ13 was nearing completion. With all eyes on the likely competition at Le Mans in 1967, "Lofty" England (Jaguar's racing team manager) succeeded in borrowing a Ford GT40 from Ford Advance Vehicles. It was duly delivered to the Competition Department where it was subjected to a detailed analysis. Mike Kimberley, Derrick White and Malcolm Sayer were very much involved in this analysis of the "competition" and participated in its stripdown, measurement and analysis. Someone else also involved in this analysis was Peter Wilson - author of the definitive work on the XJ13, "XJ13 - The Definitive Story of the Jaguar Le Mans Car and the V12 Engine that Powered it".

Contemporary Photo of the Ford GT40

The car Lofty borrowed wasn't a racer but a road-going version powered by a 4.7 litre wet-sump engine.

According to Peter Wilson:

"Touring equipment in the form of 'luggage boxes' were fitted either side of the engine compartment, adjacent to the exhaust manifolds. We felt these were good for very little else other than keeping one's fish and chips warm on the way home from the chip shop! This car, road registered OVX 355D, sat on wire wheels and was painted silver, while the cockpit was fully-trimmed and featured a driver's door mounted, push-button Motorola radio, together with a twin speaker system - sheer luxury on wheels!"

Has this car survived? Perhaps any GT40 enthusiasts could please let me know?

The car was taken to MIRA on 4th March 1966 by Mike Kimberley & Norman Dewis and the car was put through its paces. Testing wasn't particularly extensive as the car wasn't a full race version - in any case, time was running short! 

In his book, Peter Wilson gives an account of the MIRA test. Bearing in mind Norman Dewis had comparison with the XJ13 in mind, in summary:

Centre of Gravity Comparison - Reproduced with Permission

BHP Comparison - Reproduced with Permission

After the driving tests, the car was taken into the MIRA wind-tunnel and Malcolm Sayer was able to  examine the car's airflow characteristics in some detail.

GT40 MIRA Wind Tunnel Airflow Pattern - © Jaguar Heritage

Sayer noted differences between the car and its racing version including blanking-off of brake ducts and side-cooling ducts. He also noted the rear spoiler was a good 4" shorter than the 1965 car and the car didn't have the lift-reduction deflector plates which would have increased drag.

Although drag for the road-car was lower than the 1962 E-Type and 1962 Ferrari Berlinetta, it was significantly worse than the 1955 racing D-Type. Aerodynamic lift did seem to be an issue and it was interesting to note that "reliable sources" stated Ford were suffering with excessive lift on their racing versions. These "reliable sources" may have been from MIRA who were carrying out secret air-studies for Ford at the time.

It was interesting to see that the XJ13 (which was almost complete at the time these comparisons with the GT40 were carried out) had many similarities to the GT40. Two completely disparate teams of individuals working towards a common goal - success at Le Mans - ended up with very similar solutions. For example:

• The Ford famously was just over 40" high wheras the XJ13 was lower at just under 39"
• Wheelbases were within an inch of each other (Ford 95"; Jaguar 96")
• Tracks were similar (Ford 54"; Jaguar 56")
• Width (Ford 70"; Jaguar 71")
• XJ13 had similar but smaller frontal area (Ford 16.91 sq ft; Jaguar 15.97 sq ft)
• XJ13 had similar but superior drag (Ford 0.35; Jaguar 0.29)
• XJ13 was lighter (Ford 2,707 lbs; Jaguar 2,600 lbs)
• Lower centre of gravity for the XJ13 (Ford 15.02"; Jaguar (14.5")

XJ13 - Tested at Silverstone

The XJ13's main test driver was David Hobbs. Although Jaguar already had a competent driver in the shape of Norman Dewis, William Heynes recognised as early as 1964 that a car such as the XJ13 really needed a top-flight race driver to help develop it. There is some evidence to suggest that Jack Brabham had been approached in this respect but, in the end a former Jaguar apprentice - David Hobbs - was recruited for testing. In 1969 Hobbs was included in a FIA list of graded drivers which was an élite group of 27 who were rated the best in the world. It was Hobbs who achieved the unofficial UK closed lap record with the XJ13 which stood for the next 32 years. The XJ13’s main test and development driver, Hobbs, was joined at Silverstone for the XJ13’s final test at full racing speed by another top-flight racing driver (and ex-Jaguar apprentice) Richard ("Dickie") Attwood (a Le Mans winner and the subject of a recent “Motorsport Magazine” podcast).

On the morning of Tuesday, 15th August, the XJ13 was taken to Silverstone amidst great secrecy. Mike Kimberley planned for David Hobbs to drive all that day for comprehensive testing under full racing conditions. They wanted to see what the XJ13 could do! Unfortunately, rain began to fall (this was an English Summer after all) and testing was curtailed early on. Conditions looked better the next morning and David Hobbs was joined by Richard Attwood. Although drying, the track was still wet in places and the XJ13 gingerly took to the track. Conditions continued to improve although a shower did interrupt proceedings for two hours and some dampness did remain at the end of testing. Hobbs and Attwood managed a full five hours of testing - although they had to seek shelter for two hours during the shower.

Extract from Silverstone Test Report - ©Jaguar Heritage

Hobbs did outperform Attwood. Mike Kimberley later described Hobbs as "a fearless driver" who clearly drove with maximum commitment. Hobbs had also carried out the lions' share of testing and so was very familiar with the car already. His best time was a respectable 1 minute 35.7 seconds - this on a drying track with a lingering damp patch at Beckets. A time comparable to Attwood's previous best time in a Ferrari LM of 1 minute 35 seconds - the same time as the best time for a GT40 in the hands of P. Hawkins (1 minute 35 seconds).

Extract from Silverstone Test Report - © Jaguar Heritage

The test at Silverstone was to be the final outing for the XJ13. It was never to race and only emerged when required to play a supporting role in a promotional film in 1971 for the soon-to-be-launched Series 3 V12 E-Type. It crashed and was rebuilt in 1972/73 in a specification more suited to its role as "demo" vehicle. It has now been established that the crash was caused by the failure of a rear tyre that had been plugged to cure a slow leak - Norman Dewis having ignored instructions not to drive at racing speeds for the camera.

Would the XJ13 have been competitive at Le Mans?

After the Silverstone test, the data was examined and a package of improvements was proposed which may have delivered the following:

• Improved brakes - an improvement of 2 to 3 seconds
• Lower axle ratio - a further 1/2 to 1 second
• Improved tyres/wider wheels - 2 seconds

The above, conservative, estimates would have resulted in a Silverstone lap time in the region of 1 minute 30 seconds. A full five seconds faster than the best lap time achieved by P Hawkins before 1967 and coincidentally, similar to Hobbs' best lap time in a BRM V8 F1 car at the British Grand Prix in 1967 at Silverstone.

The XJ13 was designed in 1964 by a small team of people under Bill Heynes - Malcolm Sayer, Derrick White and Alex Frick. At the same time, they were working on a number of actively-campaigned E-Types. This team was incredibly small considering their workload (even Connaught had a design staff of 8 in 1955!).

In 1964 they settled on a monocoque design using Baily's quad-cam V12 as a fully-stressed member - like the D- and E-Types before it, a more sophisticated and advanced design than its contemporaries. By the end of 1964 they had settled on the basic layout of the rear suspension. In essence, similar to the E-Type with a lower wishbones and a fixed-length driveshaft acting as upper link. White, argued for a transverse upper suspension link coupled with a sliding driveshaft. This would have ensured greater accuracy in controlling rear wheel geometry when faced by the demands of tyres rapidly growing in width at the time. His wishes were constantly rejected by William Heynes.

Derrick White also designed a series of completely novel state-of-the-art front suspension setups. Heynes, it seems, from the outset wanted to adopt an E-Type based setup. Each of White's designs were rejected by Heynes in turn. He also became increasingly frustrated at Heynes' lack of progress and stubborn attitude. In the end White became royally pi**ed off with all this and left Jaguar to join Cooper.

Shortly after joining Cooper (and having been given free reign to design a car in the way he felt it should be designed) his Cooper-Maserati became a front-runner in the 1966 F1 season then won the first race of the 1967 season. He later joined the Honda/Lola/Surtees consortium and helped design the "Hondola" wich won first time out in 1967.

It is a shame he was prevented from exercising his talents on the XJ13 as well as the lack of urgency throughout 1965 as Ford may really have been humbled by the XJ13!

What do you think?

Getting closer to a rolling chassis now and work is focussed on finalising fuel tanks*, gear-linkage location and bulkhead details. Work has also started on hand-forming aluminium panels for the body. The following picture shows the view from the front of the car with an original 1965 photo superimposed. There is still a lot of detail to complete on the bulkheads but we should end up pretty close!

2013 vs 1965

The (steel) rear engine mount and front suspension mount has now returned from the powder-coaters and the many original-spec Avdel rivets can be applied to attach everything together. Paul wasn't completely happy with the shade of silver used by the coaters and both sections will be hand-painted to more closely match the original finish before they are finally attached to the central body section.

After a lot of deliberation, and having taking advice from an aeronautical specialist, we have decided to complete the rivetting of the engine mounts using modern high-strength rivets. Most of these will be hidden anyway and I wanted the additional security they will provide. The intention is to drive the finished car in the way it was intended to be driven so I want to make sure this part of the car is as firmly fastened down as possible! The rivets we will use for this engine mount section are the same as supplied to Richard Noble for use in his latest Land Speed Record Car so I'm sure they will be up to the job! 

The chassis engine mounts are fabricated from steel as original and provide the main attachment of the engine to the chassis - via my CNC-machined solid-stainless engine mounts. The chassis engine mounts also provide location for the roll-bar. The picture shows the mounts at quite an early stage and, since the photo was taken, they have been coated/painted, welded and rivetted. The strain on the engine mounting arrangement was subject to a lot of detailed analysis by Jaguar and I was able to make use of the data contained therein. I'm confident this major structural part of the car is pretty well "nailed"!

Some extracts of the many original reports focussing on this very critical area are shown below (copyright images reproduced with permission):

* The current "original" was rebuilt in 1972/73 with only a single small fuel tank. My recreation of the 1966 car will have a fuel tank setup similar to that originally installed (3 tanks and a setup more suited to endurance racing). Individual key components supplied by Kinsler in the US.

Time I posted an update ...

Family matters have meant the project has had to take a back seat but things are now back on track and progressing swiftly - family comes first after all!

The dream of seeing the car on the track and squaring up to GT40s of the period takes a few steps closer - they may be small steps but at least they are all heading in the right direction :)

An opportunity to contribute towards the dream of seeing the car completed and racing has also appeared in the form of Lynx Motors International. I have agreed to help the owner of Lynx (and Proteus) dispose of the Lynx assets. It's all very sad to see these assets being dispersed but at least it gives the "ordinary enthusiast" the chance of acquiring items from their large inventory of hard-to-find and unique items. The assets include everything from the "Lynx" and "Lynx Eventer" brands through to original pattern/reference parts for cars such as the D-Type. The asset register also includes hundreds of original Jaguar blueprints and technical drawings for cars such as the C-Type, D-Type, XKSS, E2A and Lightweight E-Types.

Sorting through and cataloguing the assets has been fascinating with some amazing items coming to light - an ORIGINAL D-Type Service Manual or Dunlop Manual for the early disc brakes for example?

There are still many items to list, and for now it is only possible to browse and compile your own "wish-list", but the site will go live within a few weeks - first-come, first-served - don't miss out on this unique opportunity to own a piece of history!

I was thrilled when the JCNA (Jaguar Club of North America) invited me to submit a series of articles in their magazine. Here's the first in the series ....

Incidentally, the way the article was worded may give the impression that there is more than one "Original" XJ13. There has only ever been ONE XJ13. It suffered a calamitous crash in 1971 after skidding off the MIRA banking at speed and, even though its original shape was altered during a subsequent rebuild, it remains the one and only original. Any claims for another original Jaguar-built car, or a car built from discarded spares, are bogus. The real XJ13 has always been in Jaguar’s possession and their car is unique, with continuous history proving it is the original.

My aim is to create an accurate replica of the car as it was when it emerged in 1966, a time when Jaguar’s ambitions of re-living the 1950s glory days at Le Mans were still alive, and as a tribute to the genius of its designer, Malcolm Sayer.

At around 4pm on Wednesday 24th September, Jaguar's second quad-cam V12 burst into life after a slumber of almost 50 years.

After the best part of a day spent gradually coaxing the engine into life, with the invaluable assistance of David Gathercole, the engine's bark finally shattered the silence - accompanied by the odd flame! Our cats and neighbours may not have been too impressed ;) The incredible sound this unsilenced engine made as well as the broad smiles all round make this something that will live with me.

I had waited years for this moment. To me, this represented the first major milestone in the long journey towards achieving my dream of seeing my recreated XJ13 on track - perhaps to finally do battle with the mighty Ford GT40 and the sublime Ferraris amongst others.

We only ran the engine for a few minutes. Just long enough to verify all was well and as a prelude to the engine's first "public startup" scheduled for the 30th October 2014. My aim is to allow as many people as possible to share in this special moment. Readers of this blog are cordially invited to attend this event although a RSVP would be appreciated as I need to ensure adequate supplies of food and fizzy drinks are on hand! Your formal invitation is shown below.

Please respond to me using the contact link if you wish to attend and I will send details of venue/timing etc.

You are invited to come and share the dream!

Background

In July of 1964, Jaguar began assembly of the first in a series of quad-cam prototype V12 engines. Whilst Jaguar’s earlier 6-cylinder XK engine had been designed primarily with road-use in mind, this new V12 was aimed firmly and squarely at the racetrack and a return to Jaguar’s glory days at Le Mans.

On the 1st December 1964 Jaguar began assembly of a second quad-cam prototype V12 engine which would be used to investigate the feasibility of using this race-engine in one of their road cars.

In the end, only six engines were assembled. Today, there are only three complete running engines in existence. One of these remains with Jaguar (they also own parts of the engine originally installed in the XJ13 in 1966), a second was built up from a collection of new and used parts (assorted components which never progressed beyond the test-bed in period) and a third which miraculously survived as a complete engine – complete and intact from the day it last ran on the road and Jaguar’s test-bed at the end of 1969.

It was my acquisition of this complete engine in 2010 which inspired me to recreate Jaguar’s one-and-only XJ13. Not simply a copy of the car crowning Jaguar Heritage’s collection, but as it was in 1966/67 during active development and when hopes were still alive for a return to Le Mans. In the end, and for a variety of reasons, only one car was built and the car never turned a wheel in anger, although its latent potential was evident very early on when it broke the UK closed-lap record in the hands of its main test and development driver David Hobbs. This record stood for the next 32 years and was only beaten in 1999 by the McLaren F1 by just over 6mph.

In 1967 the XJ13 was pushed into a quiet corner of Jaguar’s Competition Department and left to gather dust.

The car was wheeled out again in 1971 only to be heavily crashed during an event to promote their forthcoming SOHC V12-powered Series 3 E-Type. The driver was Jaguar’s legendary Norman Dewis. Although Norman’s quick reflexes meant he survived unscathed, the car was badly damaged. It was eventually re-built and re-bodied using most of the original components but in a form altered from the original – a form more suited to its intended future role as a demo vehicle.

Having acquired the surviving second engine, I decided I would recreate Jaguar’s XJ13 as it looked during its active development and as a tribute to the genius of its Designer – Malcolm Sayer. Almost 4 years of meticulous research and study has left me with a unique collection of original documents, photographs and data which gave me the information needed to accurately recreate the car. Although there were never any “blueprints” for the original car, I have succeeded in piecing together original and unique base working data (much of it originating from Malcolm Sayer and others involved in the project) which means I am probably the only person now in a position to accurately recreate the 1966 car – a car which no longer exists in its original form.

As a means of contributing towards the costs (there are many!) of seeing this car on the racetrack where it belongs, I have decided to offer a limited run of customer cars. Whilst using exactly the same jigs, bucks, tools, materials and techniques as my recreation, these cars are powered by the later SOHC Jaguar V12. Details may be found by CLICKING HERE. These engines are being completely reconditioned and rebuilt by renowned ex-Jaguar engine builder Nigel Boycott. Buy one and help me make the dream a reality!

Recreating the original 1966 XJ13 is not enough. My dream is to eventually see the car carry on where Jaguar left off. I dream of seeing it in open combat with the cars Jaguar had in their sights in 1965 – the mighty Ford GT40 and Ferrari 330 amongst others.

You are cordially invited to come and share the first major milestone towards this dream. The public startup of this unique engine will take place on Thursday, 30th October 2014 – almost 50 years since the engine was first assembled by Jaguar and 45 years since its bark was last heard.

Come and share the dream!

50 years ago, Jim Eastick of Jaguar started up Jaguar's No.1 quad-cam V12 prototype engine in the presence of the late William Heynes - Jaguar's Engineering Director.

Yesterday - 50 years later - Jim started up Jaguar's No.2 quad-cam V12 prototype engine in the presence of Jonathan Heynes - son of William Heynes.

This was the first time this engine has been heard in over 45 years. The startup was witnessed by friends, fellow-enthusiasts, Jaguar personnel and members of the original XJ13 project team as well as those who worked on the engine project. Also present were Richard Hassan - son of the late Walter Hassan.

A full report and video will soon be published here in this blog. For now, you may want to hear the growls of this legendary engine as it awoke from a 45-year slumber yesterday afternoon ...

In the meantime, here's a few pictures:

Left to right: Richard Hassan (son of Walter), Jim Eastick (Jaguar Experimental), Brian Martin (Electrical Engineer who wired up the XJ13), Some bloke, Peter Jones (Competitions Department) & Frank Philpott (Jaguar Experimental) - © Neville Swales 2014

Left to right: Jaguar enthusiast Mike Carr & Jonathan Heynes (son of William) - © Neville Swales 2014

Peter Wilson (author and ex-Competitions Department) - © Neville Swales 2014

Left-to-right: Brian Martin, Peter Jones, Neville Swales & Nigel Boycott (ex-Jaguar) - note the regulation "Jaguar Competitions Department white overalls! - © Neville Swales 2014

Jim Eastick's expert hand on the engine at initial startup - note the flames! - © Neville Swales 2014

Video, text and more pictures to follow ...

Well - wouldn't you?

A few pictures from last week's public startup - video to follow ...

Another in the series "XJ13 - A Phoenix Rises" as published in the JCNA (Jaguar Club of North America) Jaguar Journal.

Founded in 1955, the Jaguar Journal (the World's Oldest Jaguar Magazine) is published bi-monthly by the Jaguar Clubs of North America, Inc. for its members and all Jaguar Enthusiasts. Subscriptions are available here.

50 years ago, in 1964, Mr Jim Eastick started Jaguar's No.1 "XJ13" prototype quad-cam V12 engine for the first time in the presence of the late Mr William Heynes - Jaguar's legendary Engineering Director.

50 years later, on Thursday 30th October 2014, the same Jim Eastick started Jaguar's No.2 prototype engine in the presence of Mr Jonathan Heynes - son of William Haynes.

This is a long video ... for those who may not have an hour to spare, the following is a list of significant times:

• 05:37 INTRODUCTION (Neville Swales)

• 22:14 Peter Wilson (ex-Jaguar Competition Dept) - Part 1

• 25:50 Jim Eastick (ex-Jaguar Engine Development)

• 29:00 Frank Philpott (ex-Jaguar Engine Development)

• 33:23 Peter Wilson (Part 2)

• 38:22 Jonathan Heynes

• 44:00 ENGINE START

The year is now 2015 and my car is approaching its "rolling chassis" stage - mirroring events of 50 years ago in Jaguar's Competition Department. It was then 1965 and William Heynes, Jaguar's Engineering Director still had hopes of seeing the car on track to contest that year's Le Mans endurance race. Time was short but the skilled team working behind closed doors were used to working to such tight deadlines ...

Let us go back a couple of years ...

1963.

William (“Bill”) Heynes, Jaguar’s Engineering Director takes note of a change to the Le Mans regulations which now open the door to sports/racing prototypes of up to 5.0 litres (305 cu in) in capacity. No doubt, he smiled to himself as he was now in a position to bring a plan he had long kept in the back of his mind to the fore …

William Heynes of Jaguar

For Bill Heynes, racing engines had always been in his blood. Having left Humber in 1935 where he completed his engineering apprenticeship, Heynes joined William Lyons at SS Cars. Six months later he was working closely with and became one of the prime architects of an overhead-valve conversion for the Standard 6-cylinder engine. The first cars to have this engine installed were known as SS Jaguars. One of these first cars was the SS Jaguar 100. The power unit Heynes had a hand in designing soon powered this car to best performance in the 1936 Alpine Trial – showing these cars were more than just pretty faces.

Ten years later, Bill Heynes combined his talents with Harry Weslake, Walter Hassan and Claude Baily to produce Jaguar’s legendary and long-lived 6-cylinder XK engine - an engine which was to bring Jaguar success, not only in the showroom, but also in the highest-level of competition. Cars powered by these engines still dominate fields in historic racing today. After successes in the 1950s at La Sarthe with the works C-Types and D-Types, Jaguar switched their efforts to road cars and formally retired from racing in 1956 (although the factory continued to support private entrants).

Left to right: Walter Hassan, William Heynes and Claud Baily of Jaguar

Heynes did not disband Jaguar’s Competition Department and ensured its personnel remained intact after 1956. Key amongst these personnel were Malcolm Sayer who had masterminded the design of the highly-successful C-Type, D-Type and the E-Type prototypes. Another member of this select team was the South African Derrick Whyte, a talented chassis engineer who had cut his teeth at Connaught and became associated with their well-engineered, beautifully-built and superbly-handling cars. The third member of the team was Alex Frick whose expertise lay in tubular chassis frame design.

By 1963 Jaguar were on the brink of a return to racing with their Lightweight E-Types. However, the change in regulations for Le Mans in 1963 meant these beautiful cars would have been completely overwhelmed by the 5-litre prototypes now allowed by the regulations. The way was clear for Bill Heynes to carry out his plan for a full assault at Le Mans with a new mid-engined prototype sports car powered by Jaguar’s own 5-litre quad-cam V12 – an engine which was first and foremost aimed at racing with a possible secondary use in one of Jaguar’s future road cars. Unlike the XK 6-cylinder engine which was aimed fairly and squarely at road use and later modified for racing.

On 9th July 1965, Heynes despatched a young Mike Kimberley to Silverstone to see what he could learn. His brief? To brush up on the latest in Sports Racing Car design to see what the others were doing.

Fast-forward to 2010.

The story and fate of Jaguar’s car designed to carry out this assault at Le Mans is now well-known.

In short …

Only one car was built and circumstances conspired to prevent the car from ever turning a wheel in anger. Construction began in 1965 and the sole example built was completed in 1966. Its breaking of the UK closed-lap circuit record in 1967 in the hands of its main Test & Development Driver David Hobbs, showed its potential. This record was to stand until 1999 until beaten by a McLaren F1 road car.

Many myths and stories have been built up around this legendary car over the years. In recent years, exhaustive and comprehensive research by respected author Peter Wilson has established the facts surrounding this car – research which has been substantiated by interviews of those who were there as well as a mass of surviving contemporary documents and reports. Peter’s book “XJ13 – The definitive story of the Jaguar Le Mans car and the engine that powered it” provides a definitive record and builds on earlier writings from Jaguar historians such as Andrew Whyte, Paul Skilleter, Bernard Viart, Michael Cognet and Philip Porter.

The car underwent a series of clandestine but official tests arranged by its Project Manager Mike Kimberley (later to become CEO of Lotus Cars). Professional race-driver David Hobbs piloted the car in all official tests, supported by Norman Dewis and Richard Attwood. The one-and-only original was put under wraps in 1967 where it remained until 1971 when it was wheeled out to help publicise the forthcoming Series 3 V12 E-Type. The sad fate of the car in the hands of Norman Dewis is now well-documented. The car was crashed and its mostly-intact underlying structure was clothed in a new body fashioned by skilled craftsmen at Abbey Panels.

The sublimely beautiful lines of Sayer’s masterpiece were altered during the rebuild and the car remains in this altered form to this day. Regularly displayed at prestigious events the car forms a backdrop to Jaguar’s rich heritage and testament to the genius of Malcolm Sayer.

Many replicas of Jaguar’s current car exist although none have yet come close to capturing Sayer’s original 1966 form. Jaguar’s one-and-only altered original was digitally scanned recently and the resultant body is being applied to a GT40-inspired chassis which contains parts of an engine which, although never installed in a car in period, does contain surviving original prototype quad-cam components. This car, however, replicates the car as it stands today with its many differences to the 1966 original.

In 2010, I acquired the only surviving complete original prototype quad-cam V12 built to a specification similar to that of the engine which powered the original car in 1966. Four years of exhaustive and painstaking research have resulted in the accumulation of original and unique data for Jaguar’s original 1966 masterpiece.

What to do with this engine and all this data?

What would YOU do?

CONSTRUCTION BEGINS

First of all, the following must be emphasised:

Four years of painstaking research – supplemented by interviews with those who were present at the time – resulted in a collection of data which could be used to precisely define the geometry and form of the original 1966 car. Having exhausted information available in Jaguar Heritage’s own archive, additional information was unearthed from records, photographs, reports as well as documentation passed down through the families of surviving relatives. This accumulated mass of data was combined by Neville using computer-aided design techniques to arrive at a digital model of the car and its underlying structure. This data includes the precise location of key mechanical and body components as well as suspension geometry as measured in 1966. The hope is that the finished recreation will duplicate the driving experience and characteristics of the original.

The prospect of actually driving the car under its own power for the first time is something which keeps me awake at night … :)

My aim, from the outset, was to attempt to replicate not only the original car but also to follow the build sequence as carried out by Jaguar in their Competition Department. As time went on, both myself and the people entrusted with the build of his recreation came to respect the skills of the original builders more and more. Without doubt, today’s use of computers and rapid-prototyping does make life easier. Wheras I was able to digitally model and “trial-fit” virtual components and body panels on a computer screen, these techniques weren’t available in 1964 and the builders of the original made do with “trial and error” as well as experience born from years of mastery of their craft.

In September of 1964, although there had been no official “go-ahead”, Bob Blake assisted by Geoff Joyce andRoger Shelbourne set about translating Malcolm Sayer’s hand-written data into wooden “buck” which could be used to shape the outer body skin.

Photo taken during the crashed car's rebuild in 1972/73 showing the original rear body buck in the foreground.

The bucks (two in total – front and rear) were to be sent to Abbey Panels who would form the outer skins leaving Jaguar to fabricate the car’s monocoque/chassis. All they needed now was the formal go-ahead.

I followed a similar process – translating 3D data (and data derived from original technical drawings and photographs) into a “virtual” wooden buck which could be used to shape the outer body skin of my recreation. I was assisted in this process by CAD/3D specialists. To ensure accurate replication of details such as headlamp apertures, air scoops and windscreen surround, parts of the wooden buck had incorporated solid 3D sections which would be used as “hammer formers”. At this stage, the wooden buck only existed on a computer screen.

©Neville Swales - Digital representation of full-size body buck (third-scale model in foreground).

©Neville Swales - Close-up of actual buck.

©Neville Swales - Hammer-form nose-cone and headlamp 3D sections.

©Neville Swales - Nose-cone 3D section being CNC machined

Before this virtual buck was turned into reality, I digitally replicated the XJ13’s underlying chassis/monocoque and was able to virtually “trial fit” the body onto it to ensure everything was as it should be.

©Neville Swales - Trial-fitting virtual components

©Neville Swales - Trial-fitting virtual components

I was also able to add suspension components, engine, wheels and tyres etc to ensure everything would fit together without fouling when the digital model became reality. At this stage, it was possible to view the model from every possible angle as well as estimate things like final weight distribution, centre of gravity and the way light would catch the finished body surfaces. These are all things unavailable to Jaguar in 1964 and, instead, would have relied on trial-and-error as well as pure skill. The original builders were truly craftsmen.

Something which certainly wasn’t available to Jaguar in 1964 was the ability to print small-scale 3D models of the body before committing to buck manufacture. It is all very well being able to see things on a computer screen but being a bit “old school”, I didn’t feel comfortable giving the go-ahead to manufacture a full-size buck until I had something I could hold in my hand. Something which could be held and, in theory, be painted so the way it caught the light could be studied. I therefore commissioned a number of small-scale 3D-printed models to give himself greater confidence in the accuracy of the final body. 1/3rd and 1/6th bucks were also produced to show details which may not have been apparent at a smaller scale.

Finally, satisfied with the accuracy of the model, I gave the go-ahead for a full-size buck to be made directly from the CAD data.

Meanwhile, back at Jaguar, there was still no formal “go ahead” for the outer body skin to be made by Abbey Panels. The Competition Department staff knew that, if the car was going to be ready for the 1965 Le Mans, they really needed to get on with it. Derrick White pressed Bill Heynes but was told “not yet”. First signs of a lack of urgency around the project were becoming evident. Sadly, knowing what we do now, the best chance of a win at Le Mans would have been in 1965 – before Ford’s GT40 had got into its stride leaving Ferrari as the only serious competition.

As Peter Wilson reports in his book, “XJ13 – The definitive story of the Jaguar Le Mans car and the engine that powered it”,

As a further means of ensuring accuracy of the replica monocoque, I turned to his computer again and commissioned a “monocoque buck” based on these reference points which would be precisely located in relation to the ’10 lines’.

©Neville Swales - Monocoque buck showing '10 lines' on baseboard

My chosen bodybuilders, Paul & John Evans of North Devon Metalcraft, used this monocoque buck to fabricate and build the front and rear suspension sections. Paul designed his own jigs to precisely locate all suspension components consistent with Jaguar’s original data.

Back in the January of 1965, Bob Blake made a start on the monocoque. At the time, it was believed that it was still possible to have the car up and running in time for Le Mans – although time was very, very tight. The hard-working members of the Competition Department were used to these tight deadlines. For example, work had started on the E2A E-Type Prototype in January of 1960. It was ready to run before the end of February and went on to race at Le Mans in June of the same year.

An XJ13 at the 1965 Le Mans was still a possibility.

The monocoque centre section consisted of the floor and outer sills. These were produced in two halves, as mirror-images of each other and joined along the centreline of the car using a double row of 3/16” dome-headed rivets. The sills had internal stiffeners and were roller-welded along their lengths. The Competition Department didn’t possess equipment to do this themselves so the entire assembly was shipped to Abbey Panels so they could be welded there. The welded sill sections were returned to Jaguar where bulkheads and door apertures were added. The team had been added to by that time by Denys Davies who assisted Derrick White with fabrication of detailed suspension components.

©Neville Swales - Original rear monocoque construction detail

©Jaguar Heritage - Original front monocoque construction detail

©Neville Swales - 2013 vs 1965

Determined to exactly replicate the XJ13 monocoque, Paul & John at ND Metalcraft decided to fabricate a “prototype” sill structure in steel just “to get it right” before they fabricated the final version using the (rather expensive) original-spec aluminium.

©Neville Swales - Prototype all-steel monocoque

©Neville Swales - Prototype all-steel monocoque

©Neville Swales - Trial-fitting of front suspension on steel prototype monocoque

©Neville Swales - Prototype front suspension on steel prototype monocoque

©Neville Swales - Final monocoque - front suspension detail (NB original XJ13 does not have collapsible steering column section)

This steel prototype has since been destroyed and its place taken by the final aluminium version. As with the original, the front suspension consists of a steel framework riveted to the floor and front bulkhead. After many iterations and failed attempts by Derrick White to persuade Bill Heynes to use a state-of-the-art purpose-designed front suspension setup, Heynes prevailed and the XJ13 was fitted with a modified 1964 Lightweight E-Type front suspension as can be seen in the following picture:

©Jaguar Heritage - Front suspension detail - as 1964 Lightweight E-Type

I replicated the front suspension as far as I was able to arrive at the following:

©Neville Swales - Final monocoque - front suspension detail

To be continued ...

Spent a very enjoyable and informative morning watching the first of my XJ13 bellhousings being sand cast. Having decided to produce a limited run of "customer cars" built using the same tools, techniques and the same meticulous level of detail as the first car, I needed to have a batch of bellhousings made. I drew up these items in CAD referring to original data as well as measurements taken from one of the very few originals. I had to modify the model to suit the later SOHC 5.3 and 6-litre blocks as well as my modified Quaife "ZF" 5-speed transaxles, but they do have a similar cosmetic appearance to the original prototypes. Items such as these sadly aren't available "off-the-shelf" - mostly because of the XJ13's unique way of mounting the engine in the monocoque and the need for attachment points for a framework of tubes attaching the drivetrain to the ends of the sills. CNC machining from a solid billet would have been an option but sand-casting is closer to the process originally used as well as being more cost-effective for multiple items.

These same bellhousings will also be suitable for my quad-cam replica prototype engine currently in its design stage - watch this space!

I started with a CAD model:

The next stage in the process was to make a series of moulds and patterns. Traditionally, this would be done in wood by skilled pattern-makers but nowadays this has been superseded by digital CNC machining methods. The following pictures show the digital casting patterns produced from my CAD data:

These patterns were then produced by CNC machining resin blocks. We were now ready for casting ...

I was joined at the Foundry by Peter Wilson (author and one of few surviving members of the original XJ13 project team) and Nigel Boycott(ex-Jaguar engine builder and the person entrusted with the assembly of my SOHC engines). The following video shows what we witnessed:

A few days later, the sand was removed from the castings to reveal the following:

The risers etc were then machined off and the final casting was ready for x-raying, dimensional checks and heat treatment. LM25 alloy was used and heat-treated to TB7 specification which gives strength coupled with a degree of flexibility to accommodate the loads this item will be subjected to.

The bellhousings are now ready for final machining. It was fascinating to see the technologies used - very much a case of "old meets new". Sand-casting is, after all, the second oldest profession ;)

50 years (almost to the month) after similar events took place in Jaguar's Competition Department, work continues apace on my exact recreation of Jaguar's 1966 XJ13 Le Mans Prototype.

GT40s ..... move over!"
© 2015 Neville Swales

On Tuesday, 3rd March 2015 I was privileged to be joined by members of the original team who all contributed to the XJ13 project. These wonderful older gentlemen were kind enough to offer the benefit of their considerable experience as my car reaches its "rolling chassis" stage. Also present were friends, enthusiasts and Jaguar's Nigel Boycott who is the builder of my engines.

Left to right: Mike McElligott, Peter Wilson, Peter Jones, Jim Eastick & Frank Philpott
© 2015 Neville Swales

The gathering took place at the premises of North Devon Metalcraft in the UK. The pictures and videos which follow record the events of the day:

North Devon Metalcraft - "The Lads"
© 2015 Neville Swales

North Devon Metalcraft's workshop - my quad-cam powered car was joined by a superb pre-war Alfa-Romeo as well as the beginnings of a 6-litre V12 SOHC customer car - testament to the skills and versatility of the ND Metalcraft team
© 2015 Neville Swales

The North Devon Metalcraft team at work - these people are SKILLED!

© 2015 Neville Swales

The lines and curves of Malcolm Sayer's original 1966 design have been faithfully captured by the chaps at NDM. When you remove the later "1970's" additions such as flared arches, taller rear body etc, the purity of Sayer's design becomes evident. The man was surely a genius and the XJ13 represents the pinnacle of his achievements at that time. Let us not forget that Sayer was also responsible for the shape of the E-Type - one of the world's most iconic and beautiful cars. It is a shame that his talents and contribution to the racing cars which defined Jaguar and formed the foundation of their rich heritage were never really recognised during his tragically short lifetime. Jaguar continues to trade to this day on their rich heritage of which Malcolm Sayerwas so much a part. If anyone at Jaguar deserves an OBE, it is Malcolm Sayer. Are these things ever awarded posthumously?

© 2015 Neville Swales

The picture above shows a three-quarter rear view of the car. I should point out that the rear wheels are inset rather more than they will end up. It was interesting to see just how much rubber could actually be accommodated in the back without having to deface Sayer's original design as was done during Jaguar's rebuild. It was perfectly possible to accommodate wider wheels without having to add those flared rear wheelarches.

The picture below shows one of the first customer cars. These cars are powered by Jaguar's later SOHC 6-litre V12s although we are also working on a 7-litre version as well as developing a quad-cam version of the same engine. The latter is being built for customers wanting the ultimate replica.

© 2015 Neville Swales

The engine is mated to a "ZFQ" 5-speed transaxle which was manufactured exclusively for this application by Quaife in the UK. In the XJ13, the driveshaft doubles up as the top suspension link and so needs to be beefed up to cope with the additional lateral loads. Externally they have a similar cosmetic appearance to the classic ZF although the internals are new and improved. The transaxle is mated to the engine using a custom-cast bellhousing in the design of the original. There is a bit of background to making the bellhousing here. You will note the front wheels are black in colour. These are actually magnesium-alloy Lightweight E-Type wheels made using Jaguar's original drawings and are being used only as slaves. The rough-cast finished wheels will be painted silver as specified in Jaguar's original drawings for the XJ13 wheel. Fronts are the same as used for the 1964 Lightweight E-Type and rears (9 ⅜”) were exclusive to the XJ13. Needless to say, the wheels on my recreations will use wheels made to these original specifications. Hub-carriers are also custom cast to exactly replicate those of the original.

Recently-discovered original drawing of the XJ13 wheels (critical data has been obscured for the web)
© 2015 Neville Swales

Specified final treatment.
© 2015 Neville Swales

The pictures below show more views of the same engine:

© 2015 Neville Swales

© 2015 Neville Swales

© 2015 Neville Swales

© 2015 Neville Swales

© 2015 Neville Swales

© 2015 Neville Swales

© 2015 Neville Swales

The SOHC engine above was assembled by ex-Jaguar Nigel Boycott

© 2015 Neville Swales

© 2015 Neville Swales

© 2015 Neville Swales

© 2015 Neville Swales

The picture below is included to point out that at least two current XJ13 replica manufacturers used this excellent 1:18 scale model as a basis for their full-size replicas. What they may not have realised is that these models (although based very closely on the original) are manipulated and distorted so they look good when reduced to this small scale. This may explain why certain full-size replicas of the current car just don't look "right".

"Little & Large"
© 2015 Neville Swales

© 2015 Neville Swales

The engine sits a few inches behind your head ...
© 2015 Neville Swales

Arrival of the Jaguar VIPs
© 2015 Neville Swales