RE: Jaguar D-Type: not the usual ride-along
Discussion
Great story. I managed a trip to Le Mans the year Jaguar achieved the 1st, 2nd and 3rd places (I got there on a Lambretta scooter of all things - all I could afford). It was a great weekend. In those days Jaguar drove their cars to and from the circuit, Another year I recall seeing them, line ahead, burbling their way up St Aldgates towards Carfax in Oxford, returning from Le Mans to Coventry along the old A34. A great sight and sound.
I took my TVR Tasmin to Le Mans for the classic in 2010 and that has equally "candle power" head lamps. Roof off all the way execpt for a brief (2 hour!) thunderstorm, on the outskirts of Rouen. Arrived 5am on the Friday morning and proceeded to be "alarm clock" for half the campsite as the stewards tried to find where to put me. (annoingly it was very close to the gate so I didn't need the "tour" of the campsite!)
I'd gladly (as you did) "suffer" the lack of comfort for the experience of a life time, never been in a D-type even stationary.
Very well written but as others have said would love to have seen some video too.
I'd gladly (as you did) "suffer" the lack of comfort for the experience of a life time, never been in a D-type even stationary.
Very well written but as others have said would love to have seen some video too.
Thanks Scrof ..... Really enjoyed that. You're clearly in the right profession!
Reminds us all just how cosseted we are in our nice comfy euro barges ..... and how raw a driving experience can be in a car designed to do nothing but go very quickly with few (if any) concessions to comfort and your eardrums or your very existence come to that! Lol
I guess that's partially why it's so pleasurable to drive cars like my S1 Elise or a Caterham. Cars that remove as much as possible of what gets in the way of you and the road beneath.
Great article ....... Lets have more of the same please!
Reminds us all just how cosseted we are in our nice comfy euro barges ..... and how raw a driving experience can be in a car designed to do nothing but go very quickly with few (if any) concessions to comfort and your eardrums or your very existence come to that! Lol
I guess that's partially why it's so pleasurable to drive cars like my S1 Elise or a Caterham. Cars that remove as much as possible of what gets in the way of you and the road beneath.
Great article ....... Lets have more of the same please!
Thanks Scrof ..... Really enjoyed that. You're clearly in the right profession!
Reminds us all just how cosseted we are in our nice comfy euro barges ..... and how raw a driving experience can be in a car designed to do nothing but go very quickly with few (if any) concessions to comfort and your eardrums or your very existence come to that! Lol
I guess that's partially why it's so pleasurable to drive cars like my S1 Elise or a Caterham. Cars that remove as much as possible of what gets in the way of you and the road beneath.
Great article ....... Lets have more of the same please!
Reminds us all just how cosseted we are in our nice comfy euro barges ..... and how raw a driving experience can be in a car designed to do nothing but go very quickly with few (if any) concessions to comfort and your eardrums or your very existence come to that! Lol
I guess that's partially why it's so pleasurable to drive cars like my S1 Elise or a Caterham. Cars that remove as much as possible of what gets in the way of you and the road beneath.
Great article ....... Lets have more of the same please!
Travelled up to Mallory a few years back to act as camera jock with a mate who's gilrlfriend had given him a days Jaguar driving experience. It was hovering around freezing point but dry on the day. So I was allowed into the drivers briefing room to sit at the back ( out of the cold ) to wait for my video filming to begin.
During the pep talk to the partisipants, the door pushed open and a Stig lookalike poked his head in the door and said, "anyone fancy a few laps in the D type while I warm her up"? !!
A whole millisecond passed and I was out that door like a rat up a drain pipe !!
by this time it was lightly snowing and bitter breeze from the east.
The noise as we came out of each bend was biblical and the long bonnet rose and fell to the intense application of either fuel or brake fluid.
Suffice to say, I think my face has since thawed out and seems to be fully functioning. But the grin is permanent. UNFORGETABLE. ps : great article, brought it all back
During the pep talk to the partisipants, the door pushed open and a Stig lookalike poked his head in the door and said, "anyone fancy a few laps in the D type while I warm her up"? !!
A whole millisecond passed and I was out that door like a rat up a drain pipe !!
by this time it was lightly snowing and bitter breeze from the east.
The noise as we came out of each bend was biblical and the long bonnet rose and fell to the intense application of either fuel or brake fluid.
Suffice to say, I think my face has since thawed out and seems to be fully functioning. But the grin is permanent. UNFORGETABLE. ps : great article, brought it all back
I just accidentally rated this article '5' on the P H ometer when I was actually thinking '11'
A wonderful read, thank you. My brother and I were driving across northern France some years ago in a convoy of Ferraris TVRs and Lotus' en route to Le Mans. We were 'pressing on' when we were overtaken by a D Type that made us feel like we were parked. I think if you could distill the love of sports cars it would look and smell something like this car.
A wonderful read, thank you. My brother and I were driving across northern France some years ago in a convoy of Ferraris TVRs and Lotus' en route to Le Mans. We were 'pressing on' when we were overtaken by a D Type that made us feel like we were parked. I think if you could distill the love of sports cars it would look and smell something like this car.
Having been for a few rides in fast noisy opentop cars over the years the best thing ever is helmet intercom. Open faced helmets dont give you the closed in feel but the abililty to converse as you go makes the journey even better. I dont have dymo labels on my Cobra speedo but I know when I reach 100 mph as my wife gives me a jab in the ribs.
Fantastic article and some great stories in the posts, reminds me of the Aston DBR1 with a passenger seat full of spare wheels that came flying past us outside of Rouen in the pouring rain on the way to Le Mans in 2005. It was the last year before speeding in Europe marked your UK licence and he was certainly making the most of that freedom. Incredible made my trip that year.
I concur with the excellent write up replies.
I also love everyone having there own D-type/Jaguar in general stories, so time for mine.
I've recently started work at a classic Jaguar engine builders building road and race engines. Doing your work and listening to the growls and shouts of a 3.8 in race trim and straight pipes is just wonderful. I love my job
I also love everyone having there own D-type/Jaguar in general stories, so time for mine.
I've recently started work at a classic Jaguar engine builders building road and race engines. Doing your work and listening to the growls and shouts of a 3.8 in race trim and straight pipes is just wonderful. I love my job
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