Jaguar R3 F1 car : You Know You Want To

A memento from Jaguar's infamous F1 campaign surfaces in the PH classifieds

Jaguar has done an admirable job recently of improving its public image. The cars are desirable, the brand is becoming cool again and sales are good. XE The Musical can't be overlooked but, on the whole, Jaguar continues to be on the up.

Beer and banks. How very 2000s

Cast your mind back just over a decade though and the picture is far less rosy. The X-Type hasn't been received that well publicly, the S-Type isn't ageing well and the XK has been around since the mid-90s. Then there's the F1 team. Oh yes, Jaguar Racing...

From 2000-2004, the F1 car previously known as a Stewart Ford was a Jaguar. Interestingly it became a Red Bull for 2005 but those four years are probably ones those involved would rather forget. A lot of cash was pumped into the operation with little to show for it terms of results. 2003 and 2004 produced more consistent results but the simple fact is the Jaguar F1 team never lived up to expectations. The same of course happened with Toyota too.

So how to view the opportunity to buy one of the old F1 cars? This is a 2002 R3, chassis number #0306 and driven by Eddie Irvine. That season actually saw Jaguar's best result, a third at the Italian Grand Prix with Irvine driving, but it's not clear whether this car was used then.

Was Irvine's steed. If F1 cars could talk...

Immediately there's huge excitement at having a V10 F1 car. The new hybrid turbos have revealed we were spoilt by so many years of yowling V10s and latterly V8s, the shriek instantly recognisable and totally unforgettable. Remember how F1 cars sometimes hurt your ears?

Apparently this is also "one of only a handful of late F1 that are possible to run without factory assistance." Presumably it will still require a huge effort to maintain and use but being able to do so independently must be a benefit for anyone seriously considering it.

Is there something quite appealing too about an underdog? The Jag F1 saga is a time motorsport fans love to discuss and it arguably makes this car even more interesting than other contemporary cars. Y'know, if you're having to choose between them as track toys. It's a cool livery also...

Lord knows what you would actually do with an 2002 Jaguar F1 car. Could it be accommodated at a test day? Perhaps used on public displays? Cars get awfully lonely cooped up in storage. Apparently. The ad states it will be a "collectors piece for the future" and it will inevitably end up in an automotive portfolio somewhere. And imagine where it's value will go if Jaguar does return to motorsport, say with an F-Type GT3...

JAGUAR R3 F1 CAR
Price: POA
Why you should: It's a V10 F1 car and you can buy it!
Why you shouldn't: Using it. Not exactly a car or team covered in glory either.

See the original ad here.