Estates That Never Were.....
Discussion
Some words about the various Jaguar shooting brakes:
This one off Jaguar XJ12 Estate made on order for Mister Williams, Chairman of the Jaguar dealers group Hatfields of Sheffield. It was ordered to an English designer, Chris Humberstone, and was delivered ready-to-use at Hatfields in 1984.
Both shots in Paris in January 2010
Chris Humberstone is the designer of the Jaguar Owen Sedanca, the XJ12 Rapport Forté, the Triplex Ten Twenty Special show car, and many others. He managed his own company, Chris Humberstone Design Ltd, specialized in one-off conversion for rich and famous. In the 80’s he worked as a freelancer for several years, notably as a consultant to several Formula 1 teams, including McLaren and Benetton. In 1989, he decided to capitalize on the resurgence of interest in the Mini by reviving the Harold Radford name. In 1992 he designed the innovative Allard J2X Group C Le Mans racer. He later became managing director of Spice Racing Cars in Australia. His career was cut short by his untimely death a few years later.
Conversion of this red XJ12 Estate was made on basis of a XJ12 HE saloon car from 1981. There’s no evidence of the coachwork that did the job. The roof was removed from B pillar, the rear doors were modified with new window frames to suit the roof line, and the complete rear of the car from C pillar was widened. More than 20 cm were added between the reshaped rear wings to allow the use of a straighter roof and larger tailgate. The 2 gas tanks are still located in the rear wings with new fuel cap doors (they are originally fitted in the rear wings but in a different way). The complete job was made of metal, no fiber glass was used. The hatch window (and the superior hatch structure) is a factory part from some Volvo 340 . The hatch is custom build as were the flat rear glasses. A sporty gimmick was added during the conversion in the form of a retractable wing placed on the roof at the junction with the hatch. It can be operated manually from a switch on the dashboard combined with the electrical opening of the RH and LH fuel doors. The rear seats fold 2/3. The trimming of the rear seats and of the luggage area suits the original trimming. The car was originally red and was fitted with the XJS wider wheels painted red from the conversion. It was presented at Jaguar by Mr Williams with the hope to see the factory taking back the project to put it in production.
Mister Williams used it as a personal car until 1988. Between 1984 and 1988 it was regularly displayed in the showroom of Hatfields and it was occasionally displayed on local motor shows. At one time it was fitted with a full body kit. It was re sprayed in 1988 in the same red color after the body kit was removed. It was sold in 1988 to a London enthusiast and was accurately maintained but was nearly never used. From 1988 to 2009 it was well hidden by the owner, being used only once a year to go to the MOT. Nobody heard about it anymore and no article in specialized newspaper was written about it. The only trace I found in newspapers was a picture published by Jaguar Enthusiast in 1992 asking readers to tell if they knew it or if anyone saw it. The same picture was used in 2002 in the same newspaper as an illustration of a special Jaguar estate car. I bought it in auction in 2009 with only 18.000 documented Miles on the clock, having been driven for as less as 1000 Miles in the past 20 years. During the summer of 2009 it was recommissioned and extensively use, showing now nearly 30.000 Miles on the clock.
Jaguar Enthusiast May 1992
Estates Jaguars were very rare until the factory X-Type Estate was put in production. Here are some info's I know about Jaguar family cars, not about the numerous hearse based on Jaguars:
Some Mark VII estates are known, some should still be in existence.
Sorry, no pictures.
3 Mark IX were made, one from an unknown maker is still in existence waiting to be restored by the Jaguar Enthusiast’s Club and 2 were made by Appleyards (one was scrapped, the other one is currently for sale, needing a complete rebuild).
The one owned by the JEC
The remaining one from Appleyards for sale for years
Two XK 150 were converted to shooting brakes. One is known as the XK150 Tow Car (now in Switzerland), the other one as the Fox Bat (presumably hold in France or in UK)
XK150 Tow Car
XK150 Fox Bat
1 Mk2 was converted by Jones Brothers following an idea of Mike Hawtorn the famous English racer. The project was cancelled after the tragic death of Mike Hawthorn but it was continued by the factory. The car was called the Mk2 County. It was used as a fast assistance car for works Mk2 in rally. It is now part of a collection in The Netherlands with others one-off estates.
Mk2 County
1 XJ6 Daimler Serie 1 was converted by an unknown coachworker, it was in very poor condition when it was published in 2004 in Jaguar Enthusiast issue of October. Does it still exist, I don’t know.
Daimler XJ6 Serie 1 Estate
Ladbroke Avon launched a XJ Serie 3 Estate conversion at the 1980 British Motor Show. It was designed by Anthony Stevens. They expected to sold 250 but only 20 or so were made either with V12’s or straight 6. Many are still in existence, some are for sale from time to time.
XJ12 Avon
Around 1983 Chris Humberstone (the same again) designed and built a one-off estate conversion called XJ12 PMG Rapport Forté Estate (PMG is for Patrick Motor Group, a main dealer in UK involved with Lynx in the Eventer project) based on his own project XJ12 Rapport Forte Convertible. This car does still exist, probably in UK. It was sold some years ago in auction.
PMG Rapport Forté Estate on www.ARonline.co.uk
In 1988, Chris Humberstone (one more time) designed and built 2 XJ40 Estates for Hatfields of Sheffields that were used as personal cars by Mr and Mrs Williams to replace their red XJ12 Serie 3. One of these is in the same collection as the Mk2 County. Humberstone is supposed to have built at least a third one XJ40 Estate for an American customer, this one is still in the US and was seen in some exhibition’s and club meetings.
XJ40 Estate in Jaguar Enthusiast October 1992
In the late 80's, the Jaguar Board ordered his own staff to design an XJ40 Estate. A useable car was build and is now part of the JDHT collection.
Factory XJ40 Estate prototype
One XJR308 was converted by an Italian coachwork, it’s now used as daily driver in Paris.
XJR 308 Estate
Should I have forgotten some, please let me know… Oh yes there are some XJS conversions to shooting brake but that’s another story to feed another thread !
To know more about XJS shooting brakes look at http://www.LynxEventer.com
This one off Jaguar XJ12 Estate made on order for Mister Williams, Chairman of the Jaguar dealers group Hatfields of Sheffield. It was ordered to an English designer, Chris Humberstone, and was delivered ready-to-use at Hatfields in 1984.
Both shots in Paris in January 2010
Chris Humberstone is the designer of the Jaguar Owen Sedanca, the XJ12 Rapport Forté, the Triplex Ten Twenty Special show car, and many others. He managed his own company, Chris Humberstone Design Ltd, specialized in one-off conversion for rich and famous. In the 80’s he worked as a freelancer for several years, notably as a consultant to several Formula 1 teams, including McLaren and Benetton. In 1989, he decided to capitalize on the resurgence of interest in the Mini by reviving the Harold Radford name. In 1992 he designed the innovative Allard J2X Group C Le Mans racer. He later became managing director of Spice Racing Cars in Australia. His career was cut short by his untimely death a few years later.
Conversion of this red XJ12 Estate was made on basis of a XJ12 HE saloon car from 1981. There’s no evidence of the coachwork that did the job. The roof was removed from B pillar, the rear doors were modified with new window frames to suit the roof line, and the complete rear of the car from C pillar was widened. More than 20 cm were added between the reshaped rear wings to allow the use of a straighter roof and larger tailgate. The 2 gas tanks are still located in the rear wings with new fuel cap doors (they are originally fitted in the rear wings but in a different way). The complete job was made of metal, no fiber glass was used. The hatch window (and the superior hatch structure) is a factory part from some Volvo 340 . The hatch is custom build as were the flat rear glasses. A sporty gimmick was added during the conversion in the form of a retractable wing placed on the roof at the junction with the hatch. It can be operated manually from a switch on the dashboard combined with the electrical opening of the RH and LH fuel doors. The rear seats fold 2/3. The trimming of the rear seats and of the luggage area suits the original trimming. The car was originally red and was fitted with the XJS wider wheels painted red from the conversion. It was presented at Jaguar by Mr Williams with the hope to see the factory taking back the project to put it in production.
Mister Williams used it as a personal car until 1988. Between 1984 and 1988 it was regularly displayed in the showroom of Hatfields and it was occasionally displayed on local motor shows. At one time it was fitted with a full body kit. It was re sprayed in 1988 in the same red color after the body kit was removed. It was sold in 1988 to a London enthusiast and was accurately maintained but was nearly never used. From 1988 to 2009 it was well hidden by the owner, being used only once a year to go to the MOT. Nobody heard about it anymore and no article in specialized newspaper was written about it. The only trace I found in newspapers was a picture published by Jaguar Enthusiast in 1992 asking readers to tell if they knew it or if anyone saw it. The same picture was used in 2002 in the same newspaper as an illustration of a special Jaguar estate car. I bought it in auction in 2009 with only 18.000 documented Miles on the clock, having been driven for as less as 1000 Miles in the past 20 years. During the summer of 2009 it was recommissioned and extensively use, showing now nearly 30.000 Miles on the clock.
Jaguar Enthusiast May 1992
Estates Jaguars were very rare until the factory X-Type Estate was put in production. Here are some info's I know about Jaguar family cars, not about the numerous hearse based on Jaguars:
Some Mark VII estates are known, some should still be in existence.
Sorry, no pictures.
3 Mark IX were made, one from an unknown maker is still in existence waiting to be restored by the Jaguar Enthusiast’s Club and 2 were made by Appleyards (one was scrapped, the other one is currently for sale, needing a complete rebuild).
The one owned by the JEC
The remaining one from Appleyards for sale for years
Two XK 150 were converted to shooting brakes. One is known as the XK150 Tow Car (now in Switzerland), the other one as the Fox Bat (presumably hold in France or in UK)
XK150 Tow Car
XK150 Fox Bat
1 Mk2 was converted by Jones Brothers following an idea of Mike Hawtorn the famous English racer. The project was cancelled after the tragic death of Mike Hawthorn but it was continued by the factory. The car was called the Mk2 County. It was used as a fast assistance car for works Mk2 in rally. It is now part of a collection in The Netherlands with others one-off estates.
Mk2 County
1 XJ6 Daimler Serie 1 was converted by an unknown coachworker, it was in very poor condition when it was published in 2004 in Jaguar Enthusiast issue of October. Does it still exist, I don’t know.
Daimler XJ6 Serie 1 Estate
Ladbroke Avon launched a XJ Serie 3 Estate conversion at the 1980 British Motor Show. It was designed by Anthony Stevens. They expected to sold 250 but only 20 or so were made either with V12’s or straight 6. Many are still in existence, some are for sale from time to time.
XJ12 Avon
Around 1983 Chris Humberstone (the same again) designed and built a one-off estate conversion called XJ12 PMG Rapport Forté Estate (PMG is for Patrick Motor Group, a main dealer in UK involved with Lynx in the Eventer project) based on his own project XJ12 Rapport Forte Convertible. This car does still exist, probably in UK. It was sold some years ago in auction.
PMG Rapport Forté Estate on www.ARonline.co.uk
In 1988, Chris Humberstone (one more time) designed and built 2 XJ40 Estates for Hatfields of Sheffields that were used as personal cars by Mr and Mrs Williams to replace their red XJ12 Serie 3. One of these is in the same collection as the Mk2 County. Humberstone is supposed to have built at least a third one XJ40 Estate for an American customer, this one is still in the US and was seen in some exhibition’s and club meetings.
XJ40 Estate in Jaguar Enthusiast October 1992
In the late 80's, the Jaguar Board ordered his own staff to design an XJ40 Estate. A useable car was build and is now part of the JDHT collection.
Factory XJ40 Estate prototype
One XJR308 was converted by an Italian coachwork, it’s now used as daily driver in Paris.
XJR 308 Estate
Should I have forgotten some, please let me know… Oh yes there are some XJS conversions to shooting brake but that’s another story to feed another thread !
To know more about XJS shooting brakes look at http://www.LynxEventer.com
Edited by BDF! on Tuesday 11th January 10:03
tog said:
Trommel said:
I think that's an SGS conversion, no Renault bits. The Avon XJ6 had half a Renault 5 tailgate.
I've no idea who did it, but I want one. I'd be surprised if an R5 tailgate was wide enough.
I've realised I don't like shooting brakes at all though.
jonnylayze said:
One of the German tuning firms (Hartge I think) produced a 3 door BMW E30 estate (based on a 2 door saloon) which predated the Touring. A picture was published in Motor Sport in the mid 80s but Google has not turned anything up. Does anyone have a pic?
I have vague recolections of a picture appraring in car too, I'll have a look round when I get home and see if I can find it.vixen1700 said:
Mk.II County.
ked in holland I believe. County were taxi cab body builder who built a few special limosines aswell. I owned what I think is the only County Ford V8 Pilot 8 seater many years ago.A very pretty design simular to the Humber super snipe pre war,all on a commercial chassis.Mike Hawthorn and Duncan Hamilton had taken a Mk1 jaguar saloon over to County for an estate body extension as part of their new business venture together.
I don`t believe any drawings exist though. When Mike was killed the project was shelved, until jaguar picked it up again with the Mk2. The County Mk2 is a very important car which needed preserving, sadly it was hacked about by someone with not enough regard for its` heritage, just because he could.
jonnylayze said:
One of the German tuning firms (Hartge I think) produced a 3 door BMW E30 estate (based on a 2 door saloon) which predated the Touring. A picture was published in Motor Sport in the mid 80s but Google has not turned anything up. Does anyone have a pic?
This one?
Another 735i
Edited by mgtony on Tuesday 11th January 13:37
mgtony said:
jonnylayze said:
One of the German tuning firms (Hartge I think) produced a 3 door BMW E30 estate (based on a 2 door saloon) which predated the Touring. A picture was published in Motor Sport in the mid 80s but Google has not turned anything up. Does anyone have a pic?
This one?Another 735i
Edited by mgtony on Tuesday 11th January 13:37
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