Jaguar : Set for a starring role at Goodwood

Keith Adams

Yasmin Le Bon (looking like Audrey Hepburn) and 77RW, the oldest remaining E-type roadster.
Yasmin Le Bon (looking like Audrey Hepburn) and 77RW, the oldest remaining E-type roadster.

The 2011 Goodwood Festival of Speed was launched with Jaguar playing a key role as the event celebrates the 50th Anniversary of the E-type.

Present at the launch were Yasmin Le Bon with her daughter and fellow model, Amber, who posed alongside arguably the most famous E-type of all – one of two cars to have made an epic, high-speed journey from Coventry to Geneva in March 1961 at the behest of Sir William Lyons.  The car, a prototype Series One E-type roadster carrying the registration ’77 RW’, was delivered by Norman Dewis, the Chief Test Driver at the time.

Jaguar XKR-S was a star on the hill
Jaguar XKR-S was a star on the hill

Norman’s modern day successor, Mike Cross, Chief Engineer, Vehicle Integrity, took the wheel of the new Jaguar XKR-S and marked the event in style with a series of dramatic demonstration runs up the notorious Goodwood hill.

Joining Mike in taking on the hill was ex-Le Mans and BTCC racer Anthony Reid driving an XFR – his enthusiastic driving style won him the TAG Heuer ‘Most Spirited Getaway’ award.

The 2011 Goodwood Festival of Speed will see Jaguar take centre stage with a dramatic sculpture being commissioned for the lawn in front of Goodwood House. Enthusiasts will be able to view an array of Jaguars from the past, present and a little way into the future with the XK120, and examples of the C-, D- and, of course, E-type taking part in demonstration runs in front of the crowds.

The Festival will start on Thursday, 30 June with the Moving Motor Show – a chance for visitors to experience the latest Jaguar road cars and even get behind the wheel to take on the Goodwood hill themselves.

Keith Adams

3 Comments

  1. I with Ross A on the XKR-S – it’s about time Jag made a beefy version of the XK and it looks good as a convertible as well. The new front end gives it more character, which I always thought was the XK’s, old and new, weakest point.

    Incidentally, I recently had a bizarre moment – I was on a dual carriageway near the south coast when I was passed by a very early E-type. It stayed in front of me for a few miles when a purple Lamborghini Diablo overtook me as well and drew level with the E-type. It would have made the perfect picture seeing the contrast between what was the ultimate sports car of the 1960s and the ultimate sports car of the 1990s. What struck me was how narrow the track was on the E-type compared to the ultra-wide Diablo.

    The E-type is such a simple and elegant car – its beautiful curves hide a feisty beast, rather like Mrs Le Bon. The Diablo reminded me of Jordan (aka Katie Price) – indiscreet, brash and as clumsy as a cart horse. I suppose that, in other words, what you see is what you get.

  2. Simon Woodward :
    The Diablo reminded me of Jordan (aka Katie Price) – indiscreet, brash and as clumsy as a cart horse. I suppose that, in other words, what you see is what you get.

    There’s one distinction – one’s as common as muck, the other is an Italian supercar…

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