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Anyone out there have photos or details of the service vans that Jaguar used to use to take to the Race Circuits in the years 1951-1956? The C Types and D Types used to be driven to Le Mans on the road, but the spares etc had to be taken to the various races as well.
I have bought 2 lovely books by David Cross relating to various transporters used by most of the race teams, as it is fascinating to see these period shots and I was struck that the 1950s Works Jaguar Team was completely absent
The books are:
Inside the Paddock, Racing Car Transporters at work
And
Around the Circuit, Racing Car Transporters and Support Vehicles
I'd appreciate any information anyone has Jaguar wise on these?
I bought an original K series Bedford van with the appropriate sliding side doors as used by Jaguar for the Cs and Ds. No original works vans still exist.
Come on Clive, are you going to leave us hanging there?
It look like there is a tale to be told.
What to say? I was looking for the right van for 2 years as there was nothing that was evocative of the service vehicles that Jaguar used in its 50s heydays. I eventually found a correct K series with original side doors from a committed collector in Reading. When I had bought it and told him it was to become a Jaguar ‘support’ vehicle, he opined that at least the van was already green. Wrong! I did my research by speaking personally to Norman Dewis and Ron Gaudion (Aussie mechanic for Hawthorn’s Jaguar in 1955 and the Ecurie Ecosse Team in 1956/57) and the Vans were blue. Probably because Sir William took a standard colour from Bedford. The van ‘came out’ by escorting the D types from Coventry to Hampton Court and then on to the Goodwood Revival last year, when the D type 1/2/3/4/6 finish at Le Mans 1957 was celebrated. The old girl was belting along at at least 45mph, albeit down hill and with a following wind. She’s lovely though and makes me smile.