The Award Winning Newsletter of

THE JAGUAR CAR CLUB OF VICTORIA Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

Issue #65 April 2009

INSIDE

• VICTORIA’S SECRET • MY BIG-CAT IS GETTING A MAKEOVER • AN ITALIAN JAGUAR

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THE JAGUAR CAR CLUB OF VICTORIA 2017 Cadboro Bay Road, Box 112

Victoria BC Canada V8R 5G4 www.jaguarcarclub.ca

jaguarcarclub@shaw.ca founded 2003

The Island Growler is published monthly, and is distrib-uted by mail and digital file to members of JCCV.

Submissions are encouraged. Copy deadline is the first of each month.

All back issues are available by digital file.

All information and advice is presented in good faith, and no liability whatsoever will be assumed by JCCV.

Opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of JCCV, the Directors of JCCV, or of the Editor.

Layout Editor: John Gordon 250-477-4695 john_gordon@shaw.ca Events Editor: John Fitzgeorge-Parker

250-598-4626 johnjag@shaw.ca Members’ Stories Editor: Peter Williamson 250-658-3380 taliezin123@hotmail.com

We are affiliated with The Jaguar Clubs of North America

www.jcna.com

JCCV meetings take place on the fourth Tuesday of each month, except December, at 7:30 pm in the Chiefs & Petty Officers Mess, CFB Esquimalt, at 1575 Lyall Street in Victoria. Our AGM is held with the November meeting.

MEETINGS

Membership in JCCV is open to anyone interested in and enthusiastic about Jaguar automobiles. There is no need to own one of these fine cars to be a member.

For information, email us at jaguarcarclub@shaw.ca or drop us a note in the mail. We’ll send complete details.

If you believe that a Jaguar is more than just a car, you are one of us!

JCNA Chief Judge: Gregory Andrachuk 250-595-7453 v12-vdp@shaw.ca

JCNA Representative: Doug Ingram 250-370-2820 dougi@shaw.ca

2008 DIRECTORS

This is Merritt & Bennie Chisholm’s latest Jaguar, an XK Coupe. They bought a 2005 XKR last summer and took it on the Oregon Trails Tour. Unfortunately, an expensive problem was identified and, after discussions with Jaguar Victoria, they owned a 2007 model, in a gorgeous emer-ald green. It turned out that they were “not truly comfort-able” with this car either, so they have opted for another XK (without the R). Merritt reports that they are “very happy” with this one.

It is described in the literature as “Flowing lines, echoed lineage, distinctive design touches, all sculpted in light-weight aluminum - an amalgam of power, dramatic styl-ing, relevant technology and pure luxury”. It has a 300 horsepower, 4.2L engine and all sorts of other “goodies”.

They also own 2 other “Jags”, a 1965 S-Type and a 1970 E-Type OTS

Photo by Nic Harvey

COVER PHOTO

Display advertising of interest to Jaguar enthusiasts is accepted. For rates and other information, please contact the Secretary-Treasurer.

Classified advertisements can be placed at no cost, and will run for a minimum of three issues. Please send de-tails to the Layout Editor.

ADVERTISING

President: Ian Cameron 250-652-1260 ianc@uvic.ca

Vice-President: Isabel Weeks-Lambert 250-383-1928 isabel@weekslambert.com

Secretary-Treasurer: Doug Ingram 250-370-2820 dougi@shaw.ca

Director: Steve Koerner 250-384-3367 st_koerner@hotmail.com

Director: Mark Mayo 250-477-0335 mark_mayo@shaw.ca

Director: Graham How 250-383-9473 how9473@shaw.ca

Director: John Gordon 250-477-4695 john_gordon@shaw.ca

Adjunct Director: Tim Leslie-Spinks 250-217-5899 tlesliespinks@shaw.ca

Past President: Howard Liptrot 250-389-0755 lizandhoward@shaw.ca

2009 DIRECTORS

APPOINTED POSITIONS

MEMBERSHIP

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I waited to send this in until the last possible minute, hop-ing to describe the wonderful drives I have done in the E-Type. Well, it was sunny enough for one drive, but it’s pouring as I write, so I suspect I won’t be out again until I’m back from New Zealand, where I’m off to play rugby with the Ebb Tide, Victoria’s over-40 team (In my case, a lot over). I hope the forecast, which says it’s going to warm up over the weekend of the 4/5th, is correct, and all you convertible owners get to put your tops down.

I’ve had a couple of members ask me what I think of cars on eBay and I thought I’d write about that. I’ve bought parts for the Jag on eBay and several instruments (musical, not car) and had good luck. I wouldn’t buy a car without having it inspected by someone who knows what he’s looking for, which leads me to one of these pieces I wrote about the Jag Lover’s Bulletin Board. If you’re think-ing of buying a car through the Internet, eBay or other-wise, by all means join the Board, go to the Forum of the car you’re thinking of buying, and ask someone who lives near the car to have a look. Jag people are, as you know, friendly and accommodating, and you’ll find someone who will help. The Board also has classified ads for cars for sale. To finish off, if you’re thinking of buying a Jag locally, don’t hesitate to give one of the mechanically minded members a call, to have a look at it: me, for one.

I suppose I have to say a few words about the bail-out of the American car makers. I guess it’s a good thing that Ford and Jaguar parted ways, as I’m pretty sure that nei-ther the U.S. nor the Canadian government would have wanted to put up money for Jaguar, although stranger things have happened. On the other hand, Ford is pro-posing a buyer-assistance plan as one of its restructuring points, and that might have been interesting. Think of the government giving you an interest-free loan to buy a new Jag.

Well, I’m off. See you next month. I’m taking the laptop to NZ, so drop a line, especially if you know anyone in NZ who makes wine or races sailboats. I promise to answer, however briefly.

WORDS FROM THE PRESIDENT

Ian Cameron

It is always interesting, but not necessarily flattering, to see ourselves “as others see us” and the view from Vir-ginia seems somewhat distant and maybe just a little too quaint. David Harrison, president of the Virginia Jaguar Club, gives us that view in the first part of “Victoria’s Se-cret” (page 5), which was written for his own membership. The second part, written by Gregory Andrachuk, is a his-tory of the XJ Series III V12’s; an interesting story, espe-cialy in that it tells of a car that we got and the U.S. didn’t.

On page 7, Malcolm Smith tells how he acquired a very original Mark IX saloon; but it hasn’t been run for 18 years. He has a plan to get it cleaned up and running with the help of his son and friends. Simon Scutt has prepared a checklist. This is the “Before” of what is, hopefully, a “Before & After” set of stories. We want to do “After” this summer and, ideally, see the “Big-Cat” on the field at JOTI. Malcolm is open to comments and advice (see story). We are rooting for him!

On page 11 we have the reports of the February Prowl and Coffee Klatch. These are both monthly events which are great opportunities to get to know your fellow mem-bers better. Some of our members have turned out faith-fully all through the winter, rain or shine. Now that the weather is getting better (we hope!), we expect more of you to come out and socialize.

In his Jaguar Jottings column (page 13), Peter Williamson gives us an interesting comparison of the famous Jaguar SS 100 roadster and the 1975 Panther, which is generally considered to be a “modernized” replica of the SS 100. There is little doubt as to Peter’s preference.

Also on page 13, from Sports Car Market, is a listing of the earliest Jags, up to the Mark V, from their 2009 Price Guide. I will be printing Price Guide lists for later Jags in future issues, space permitting. Unfortunately, SCM does not track prices for XJS cars or XJ and later saloons.

On page 15, we have, from the internet, news stories about Jaguar’s new reliability rating (top of the heap) and Tata’s introduction of the Nano. The latter writer seems shocked by Tata’s loss of $54 million in the last quarter of 2008. I would point out that that figure is less than 1% of their annual gross sales; a statistic that, for that particular calendar quarter, would be the envy of most other auto companies. And Ratan Tata, a name I’d not heard of 2 years ago, suddenly has a public profile that rivals any other business personality.

On page 17, also from Sports Car Market, we have an auction report covering 2 Series I E-Types sold at the same auction; yet one car went for more than double the price paid for the other. It is interesting to read the re-porter’s comments, explaining the differences in the cars, and to see the extent of the effect of those differences on the prices.

EDITOR’S NOTES

John Gordon

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PLEASE SUPPORT OUR ADVERTISERS

We have had strong membership renewals this year, which is gratifying as it indicates that the programs and events that the Club offers are generally well met and supported. We currently have 239 members from 135 households, which is a bit of an increase from one year ago. New members who have joined us since the first of the year are Claude Morin of Victoria, who has a 1985 XJS Coupe and a 1991 XJS Convertible; Jesus & Terry Gonzales of Oxnard Shores CA, 2007 XKR Convertible; John & Cora Thomson of Victoria, 1986 XJS; Geoff & Nicky Cramb of Victoria, 1962 Mark 2 3.4 litre; Jim & Kathleen McNair of Victoria, 1989 XJS Convertible; Peter Lewis of Lansdowne ON, 1958 XK140 Drop Head Coupe; and Dennis & Carol Brammer of Victoria, 2001 S-Type and 1961 Daimler SP250. Welcome all!

One of the great advantages of belonging to our Club is the expertise that exists among our members. It’s rare to encounter a member who is not willing to share that knowledge with a fellow member: it’s much more common for it to be offered eagerly. If you come across a problem with your Jaguar, are uncertain where to go for service or parts, or perhaps need some direction with cosmetic im-provements, don’t hesitate to ask. You’ll find that some-one in the Club will know the answer and be able to help. It’s all a part of why we belong.

Last item this month is the continuing need we have for someone to take over the sales and management of the display advertisements in this newsletter. This is a perfect way for a retired salesperson to make a contribution to the Club, and one without a great demand for time. It takes an outgoing nature, a bit of creativity, and some organizational ability. This is an important function for the Club’s financial health, and it’s not very fair to expect the person who has been doing this job for six years to con-tinue indefinitely. We know you are out there, so please step forward and volunteer.

MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTORS

keeping you informed

The next meeting of the

JAGUAR CAR CLUB OF VICTORIA is on

Tuesday, April 28th at 7:30 pm

at the Chief & Petty Officers Mess CFB Esquimalt,

1575 Lyall Street, Victoria

Our guest presentation will be from Peter Mercanti, the parts manager at Jaguar Victoria. Peter will talk

about the Jaguar parts system, and we can learn how it impacts us as our Jaguars age. Peter is a great

supporter of our Club, and you’ll enjoy his enthusiasm and positive approach.

Come and enjoy the evening with fellow members. As usual, the cash bar service will be available along with

complimentary coffee.

SEE YOU THERE!

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100." I agree with his conclusion that the 1992 V12 VDP is the ultimate SIII Jaguar. In my view, it is far more aesthetic than the boxy XJ40 that we Yanks got. As this model is almost unknown in the U.S., I feel entitled to

describe it as "Victoria's Secret". ________________

The Jaguar Series III XJ was built from mid-1979 to the end of 1992 inclusively. This design was a refinement by Pininfarina of the original Lyons design for the XJ and it was termed by the press "the most beautiful saloon ever produced"... and it still is. Originally designed to carry the 6 cylinder XK engine with the Borg Warner 65/66 trans-mission, known as the XJ6 AND also the V12 engine with the GM400 transmission, known as the XJ12, the cars were otherwise identical in every respect apart from badg-ing. In other words, the only difference between them was mechanical. But while Jaguar fully intended to market the V12 version in the U.S. (and had already produced bro-chures and manuals for it), the existing CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) requirements would have been financially punitive if the V12 was figured into the mix of Jaguar models. So the Series III XJ12 was immediately pulled from the U.S. market after only 6 of the cars had been imported.

In contrast, the Canadian market had no such restrictions and the Series III V12 equipped cars were sold continu-ously here right into 1993 - my own be-ing sold new in Van-couver in May, 1993. In 1982 Jag-uar decided to move its cars “upmarket”. The baseline XJ12 was dropped from production. From that time forward, the V12 engined cars were now available only with higher trim and equip-ment levels: they were either “V12 Sovereigns”, if badged as Jaguars, or “Daimler Double Sixes”. The cars were mechanically identical but the Daimlers had an even higher level of trim and equipment. Production of the Se-ries III XJ6 finished in April 1987. As a result, many in the U.S. believe (never having seen a V12 version) that this was the last year of Series III production. Not so. For other markets, such as the UK, Germany, Japan and Canada, the V12 Series III cars continued to be built and

(Continued on page 6)

Editor’s note: David Harrison, president of the Virginia Jaguar Club, met with our Gregory Andrachuk in January of this year. One result of that encounter was the article below, which appeared in the Virginia Club’s on-line newsletter “Lyonstales.com” in late February. We have David’s permission to reprint it here. In the course of downloading the story, I did edit it somewhat. As a recov-ering tax accountant, I was a little slow to recognise “IRS” as a shortform for “independent rear suspension”. (JG)

I recently visited my brother in the city of Victoria, on Van-couver Island, in the province of British Columbia. Van-couver Island is almost the size of England, but with a lot less traffic and rain. It has great natural beauty even in winter; you can look across the Strait to the majestic cone of Mt Baker and the snow-covered mountains in Washing-ton State. Victoria, and in particular the community of Oak Bay where my brother lives, is much like the England of the 1950's. It has old pubs and the local butcher and baker's shops that have been Wal-Marted out of exis-tence in the U.S. Oak Bay is home to many ex-pat Brits and abounds with British cars actually being driven. I saw several '50s MGs, '60s TRs, Morris Minors and, of course, Jaguars.

The Jaguar blokes hang out on Sunday mornings at the local marina, to drink coffee and kick tires. On a brisk but sunny day, I met Merritt Chisholm sitting in his beautifully restored 1965 S-Type saloon. I had forgotten how nice these cars can be; they are technically more advanced than the Mark 2 saloons. Two of the Mark 2’s weak-nesses were the solid rear axle, which made it hard to put the power down, and the lack of luggage space. Lyons restyled the rear, to accommodate the independent rear suspension from the E-Type, and squared off the boot. The result was functional, but somewhat less aesthetic, and the S-Type has suffered as a result, S-Type values being 50% or less than the Mark 2. I found this out to my cost after discovering a RHD 1966 S-Type with 4 speed and O/D in a Richmond garage after 25 years off the road. The car was solid and the engine started up after I replaced the seized water pump. It was original and re-markably rust free, with the exception of the crow’s foot at the front. With the help of friend Jim Cox the car was soon driveable. I rashly put it on e-Bay, instead of using the JCNA website and the Jaguar fraternity network, and it went to Georgia for a measly $2,250.

Well, back to Oak Bay; Merritt gave me a nice drive in the S-Type, around the scenic neighbourhood; the car drove as well as it looked. Truly a classic! Merritt arranged for me to meet the Victoria Jaguar Club Concours Chief Judge, Dr Gregory Andrachuk. Dr G is the proud owner of what must be the most rare of all Jaguar Series III XJ variants, a 1992 V12 Vanden Plas. At this point I will let Dr Andrachuk describe his Jaguar, car #93 of the "Last

VICTORIA’S SECRET A Seldom Seen (in the U.S.) Saloon

by David Harrison & Gregory Andrachuk

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VICTORIA’S SECRET, continued

it was, in fact, the lobbying of the Jaguar executives in these countries that kept the Series III V12 in production after the introduction of the XJ40.

Among the V12 engined cars, the V12 Vanden Plas was a model produced for Canada ONLY, and in very small numbers; the largest number being some 626 in 1986 and the estimated TOTAL production over the period 1982 to 1992 being just 2,953 cars. And this requires an explana-tion: the V12 Vanden Plas was a specialty production and Jaguar kept no separate figures for this car. The only cal-culation of the number built is derived from the number of V12 cars which Jaguar Cars Ltd. sold to Jaguar Canada Inc. in “a given calendar year”, not model year. The only year for which there is a "model year" figure is the last year, 1992. The Canadian market cars were always badged as Jaguars because the Daimler name was not used here. The cars figure in the factory build records as part of the normal Daimler or Jaguar production, and this requires some explanation.

The Canadian V12 Vanden Plas (the Vanden Plas was always a V12 car here during the Series III era) was taken directly from the Daimler production in the period mid-1982 to 1987 inclusively. The cars are identical in every respect, except badging, to the Daimler Double Six; that means full leather interiors, all options fitted, and so on. Only the grille, boot plinth and badging were different, being of the Jaguar sort. For the period 1988 to 1991 the cars were taken from the V12 Sovereign line (and are listed as such in the factory records) with certain up-grades specific to the Canadian cars: the Daimler door panels were used, Daimler wood (which is of a higher quality burl) and a stitched leather centre armrest among other items. But the seats were straight Jaguar Sovereign seats.

Now to the cars in question: the 1992 cars. Production of the Series III Jaguar V12 Sovereign variant ended in 1991. Only the Daimler Double Six remained in produc-tion through 1992. Jaguar Canada, faced with the demise of its flagship model, commissioned for 1992 a run of just “100 individually numbered cars”, specially trimmed and equipped (of these, 70 were actually built during the 1992 calendar year). These cars are the very last Jaguar V12 Vanden Plas cars produced and are known collectively as

the “Last 100”; each carries a special plaque, mounted usu-ally on the console wood between the ra-dio and the transmis-sion shifter, which gives the number of the specific vehicle out of the last 100. My car is # 92. But I have

owned 8 of these cars in total, the very last one, #100 which came to me, rusted, from Montreal, as well as a .pre-release car not numbered among the 100. This

(Continued from page 5) pre-release car was built two days before car #001, as far as I have been able to determine, as a test car for the colour and trim combination and is identical in every re-spect with the other 100. All of them are in fact fully-optioned 1992 Daimler Double Sixes with the exception of the grille, rear plinth and badging.

So why are these cars special? Apart from the fact that they are the last 100 of a particular model of Jaguar's ar-guably most beautiful sa-loon, these cars were de-signed by Jaguar Canada to be collector cars. In an interview with the Toronto Globe and Mail, at the be-ginning of January 1992, a spokesman for Jaguar Canada stated that most of them were now allo-cated to buyers and that these last V12 Vanden Plas cars would command a premium price, as a collector's item, in about 20 years.. In fact, premium quality 1992 cars have commanded such prices for a long time now (up to $45,000), although a very few rusted and badly-cared for cars have been sold at ordinary prices.

The cars were commissioned in just two special colours: Black Cherry, which was not available on any other Se-ries III car, and Oyster, neither colour being seen on any other V12 Vanden Plas. Canada's largest dealer, Jaguar-on-Bay, Toronto, was permitted to place several special paint orders for specific customers: car #006 is Jaguar Black, cars #14 and #24 are Regency Red, and car #40 is in Jaguar Racing Green, but the vast majority are in the Black Cherry and Oyster colours, the first being predomi-nant. Black Cherry is almost identical to the 1994 colour Morocco Red, while Oyster is similar to the earlier Silver Birch, both very beautiful on the Series III body. The inte-riors are all identical: all are full leather in Doeskin piped in Buckskin; all have the full Daimler Double Six trim: pre-mium burl walnut inlaid with Peruvian boxwood, fleece overmats and so on. They all have a Bosch ABS braking system and an Alpine radio/cassette/CD system with a 6 stack CD unit installed in the boot. The cars, being Daim-lers, were normally fitted with the Kent alloy wheels but the popular Ogle “pepperpot” wheels could be specified as a no-cost alternative.

Interesting facts: because the Series III production was coming to an end, Jaguar was in fact exhausting supplies of certain items. At about the midway point of production of these “last 100”, which were not produced consecu-tively but spaced through the last year's production, Jag-uar ran out of certain items, the most notable being the traditional chrome twin-stalk mirror controls. What to do? They sourced a single knob multi-function control from a European Ford, the only part on the car that carries Ford identification! Other items sporadically were unavailable; I have visions of desperate searches in the warehouse for certain items. My car, # 92, for example, carries a Daimler driver's floor mat and Daimler badges on the engine; this car also has the gold/gold grille badge used on the very

(Continued on page 17)

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MY BIG-CAT IS GETTING A MAKEOVER An Original Mark IX Joins the Club

by Malcolm Smith, photos by John F-P

During the early fifties and sixties in England, car watch-ing, or spotting, became a popular event and pastime. What was it about those years, with so many cars with distinctive shapes, styles and sizes, which made car spotting so very popular amongst both youth and adults? I have come to the conclusion that the majority of those car fanatics were due to their observations of the many displays of the developments of unique, dynamic features and, of course, modified engines that resulted in the cars considered to be vintage, rare and exotic today. Not every family owned a car during the fifties and early six-ties; it was only a small percentage of the population. “What made me buy a Mark IX” I ask myself? I think back to when I was, at the age of 14, helping the brother of my close friend take apart his “Alvis” or his next “Lancia” or a “Riley”. I remember how pro Jaguar I was, always com-paring them to a “Rolls Royce” or a “Bentley”. I could never understand why the “Bentley” cost 3 times the price of the Jaguar when, to me, it did not seem to have the same refined features and graceful lines.

It was when the stock market seemed bad in 2007 that I decided to invest in speculative housing. While building a house on Montgomery, in the Rockland’s, for one year of my retirement, I would chat with many neighbors who showed an interest in the lovely home and I soon realized what an interesting neighborhood it was. I came across a gentleman who spoke to me about the construction and then chatted about England when he was in the Air Force, location, etc. He noticed that I had my XJ X300 VDP parked in the driveway. From that point on the con-versation evolved into a long discussion about English cars. I was unaware that he owned a Mark IX, but I soon found out and he asked “would you like to see it some-time?” I immediately responded and of course the answer was “yes”.

Later, we went to this condominium and the underground parking lot where it had been stored for the last 18 years of its life, un-touched and tucked away. Although the car had no cover, it was mainly covered in a quarter inch of dust. The chrome looked very dull, the tires’ walls were cracked, it looked sad and it gave me a sad feeling that such a spectacular car was in this sort of shape. I was told it would polish up very nicely, but I wondered and, after hearing the price, said I would wait until I sold the house; thinking that the price was not entirely in my realistic range. One year later the house was finished and the owner drove by telling me that the price was reduced. I had a birthday coming up and my wife and I decided to buy it. She went to examine

it first, not knowing quite what to expect, and she fell in love with it. I had seen it only once, the previous year, but it was pur-chased and it was to stay untouched for four months until my big day. On the day, I

drove to the storage area and took a long look at my in-vestment. I said to myself “What on earth have I done! Where do I start?” When I did start washing and polishing the exterior and interior and had used up my third bottle of rejuvenator oil on the leather, I discovered that it was in better condition than I thought. The mice had made their home under the back seat and they had used the felt sound proofing to make their nest. However, with the mileage at only 68,000 since manufacture, I decided that I would forgive the mice.

Just a few technical points:

• The Mark IX had the new XK engine capacity of 3.8 L • Its interior was inspired by “Hoopers” work on the

Queen Mother’s Mark VII. • It was the first Jaguar with the Leaper as standard. • First British car with all round disc brakes included in its

specifications. • Large twelve inch discs were used. • Air conditioning was an option. • Power steering was standard. • The option of manual shift or automatic was offered. • The Mark IX chassis was changed very little from the

original Mark V chassis.

• 10,005 units were built during 1959 - 1962.

• The Mark X that followed, in 1962, was a unitary con-struction.

• These production cars enabled Jaguar to continue with extensive research and racing.

In early March, Simon Scutt and John Fitzgeorge-Parker came with me to view my acquisition. Simon has since presented me with a detailed list of all the things that have to be checked out; spark plugs, all hoses and fluids, igni-tion, bearings, transmission, power steering, brakes, sus-pension, rubber, electrical, etc., etc. Assuming that, as we work through Simon’s checklist, we encounter nothing too, too difficult, I would like to do a follow-up report when

(Continued on page 17)

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Ten cars arrived at the CIBC parking lot in Central Saanich to embark on the Prowl. Everyone was given a

Kitkat for sustenance be-fore the run. The starting point was chosen because of its proximity to a house on Doney Road with a gal-lery of wooden cats on the fence and walls. The par-ticipants prowled their way on to Wallace Drive and then on to West Saanich

Road to observe where cats might pray (Lion of Judah Church). Then it was on to Sparton Road where a Spoiled Cat resides. On Old West Saanich Road a cat might prey on a Starling and sip Catawbe at the vine-yard. Back on to West Saanich Road past the 4 Cats Art Studio and the Lions Hall where the JCCV used to meet. Then we were on to Glanford, Carey Road, Tilli-cum and Burnside, past the SPCA. On Douglas Street sharp eyes found Kitty’s Hideaway and Queens Avenue (female cats are queens). On Caledonia we drove by the Victoria Police Station where a Cateran (robber) may have been. The pink heritage building on Vancouver houses a Cat Clinic. Lions guard the entrance to Chinatown. On Bay Street we crossed the bridge on to Tyee and Skinner where we crossed Catherine Street. On the Island Highway we

drove past Lions Cove, where retired felines might live, and by Caton Place to-ward Highway #1. The trek then took us up to Ocean Boulevard past the Esquimalt Lagoon and up to Metchosin Road.

Our apologies to the people who did not find Latoria Road because of the missing sign; it was there once! On Latoria we found the Olympic View Golf Club where a delicious meal awaited the 18 people who arrived there.

Along the way participants had to answer some obscure questions about cat trivia such as what was T.S. Eliot’s first name – Thomas. Eve-ryone knew who wrote “The Cat in the Hat”, but only one came close to the date of publication (1957). Congratu-lations to Phil and Lois Smith for an impressive 33 out of 40 points. They won a vase of yellow daffodils and some catkins for their efforts. Thank you to all for participating.

Everything seemed quite normal cruising down the Pat Bay from Sidney on Sunday morning, until we turned into the parking lot at Turkey Head. The sea was a churning mass of whitecaps. Spray, from waves smashing against the shore, streaked across the parking lot almost horizon-tally, and not a gull or pigeon was in sight. Alighting from Carol's X-Type we scurried toward the coffee shop, has-tened by a screaming ''Sou Easterly'', while sailboat hal-yards clanked nervously in the background.

Finding one of the larger tables in the corner, we settled into coffee and the usual doom and gloom from the local newspaper, not expecting to see any familiar faces. Shortly however, Simon S. arrived, along with a kind invi-tation from John F-P to join him at his home a few blocks away. John, wisely, was at home recovering from his knee operation. We had no sooner finished our coffee and were about to leave for John's, thinking anyone in their right mind would still be comfortably tucked in their bunks, when Terry S. sat down beside us. He had been attaching extra fenders to his sailboat, which was being slammed hard against the dock. By the time Carol and I departed, nine mem-bers had arrived at differ-ent times and some were still chatting well toward noon.

Some of the gossip over-head: Merritt C., who has long been determined to part with his wife's Smart car, traded it in on a new four door Kia while Bennie was at the hairdresser. Some details re JOTI were discussed and all seems to be proceeding nicely, as is, apparently, registration for Oregon Trails V. Carol and I have signed up for this run; however, we have an away from home limit of three nights, so will leave the group at Osoyoos and return to the Island via the Interior and Fraser can-yon. Anyone who is also on a limited time frame and inter-ested in returning with us, please call Doug I, or myself. Several members brought books to swap; however, we postponed the exchange until the next Klatch, hoping the weather will be more friendly.

Next Coffee Klatch is April 19th, 9-noon. Bring your sto-ries to tell and stuff to sell.

THE MARCH CAT PROWL by Valerie and Roger Barrie, photos by Roger

TURKEY HEAD COFFEE KLATCH report by Marke Simmons, photo by Carol Bird

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1939 JAGUAR SS 100 versus 1975 PANTHER Any improvement?

Logic tells us that a re-creation of the 1939 SS 100, using a modern engine and running gear, should produce a much better car, right? But somehow, logic went astray in 1975 and the “replicar” lost the lean and hungry, classic look that William Lyons had developed almost 40 years previously. We’ll take a look at both cars to see what was lost or gained.

After a series of Swallow-bodied small cars, Lyons turned to bigger vehicles, with long bonnets suggesting power and menace. His policy led to the SS I & II cars, culminat-ing in the 1935-39 sports cars, the most potent being, of course, the SS 100. This superb design, possibly influ-enced by the Alfa Romeos of the time, had a long, lou-vered bonnet, swept wings over wire wheels and chopped off back end which presented a remarkable image maker at a fraction of the price of competitors, like the Squire, A.C. and Aston Martin.

In the warm light of nostalgia, the Jaguar SS 100 is one of the most exciting, most attractive, sports cars ever. Unfor-tunately, however, we have to accept that cars since then have improved exponentially; even today’s economy cars equal or exceed its performance, and greatly exceed it in comfort and handling. With its solid axles and cable-operated brakes, the SS 100 becomes a real handful when driven hard and impossible on a rough road. Of course, they are so valuable nowadays that it would be crass and even risky to drive them with the reckless, if skilled, abandon which won them sporting acclaim in the thirties.

Putting aside the perhaps jaded standards of modernity, let’s view the SS 100 in context, and look at the replicar later. Between 1936 and 1940, 308 SS sports cars were built, 190 with the 2.5 litre engine and 118 with the 3.5 litre unit. The bigger engine produced about 125 bhp at just over 4,000 rpm, permitting the 2,500 lb car to reach 60 mph in about 10 seconds, excellent for its day. At rest, the SS 100 arouses immediate admiration, with that men-acing bonnet, flanked by sweeping wings merging into rear mudguards, neatly framing the functional back end and spare wheel. The narrow-tyred 18” rims somehow look just right on this 1930s car, as does the small cock-pit, its huge, four-spoke wheel demanding bent arms, el-bows extended, the right one into the breeze. (The so-called “Italian straight armed” approach would be adopted 15 or 20 years later.)

The July 1975 Road & Track compared the SS 100 with a supposed “replica”, the British Panther J72. The latter was undoubtedly inspired by the Jaguar and, to the aver-age observer, might seem convincing. However, anyone knowing the SS 100, or any 1930s thoroughbred, will im-mediately notice great differences. The Panther is longer, lower and wider and, with its fatter tyres, simply lacks the

tautness of the original. The long bonnet offends, with its insensitive flatness and unsightly side bulge; even its large headlights jar, with their smaller modern inserts awkwardly framed. Mind you, the Panther does have a modern Jaguar engine, gearbox and running gear, awk-wardly combined with the old-fashioned suspension and solid axles, front and rear. Ironically, for all its smooth, modern 4.2 L power, its acceleration to 60mph is no faster than that of the SS 100 of 1939. Road &Track con-cludes that the Panther could be great fun for boulevard cruising and image promotion, but not for serious highway driving. Both demand smooth roads and both display dis-turbing shakes and rattles, but both could be enjoyed on a fine day; that is, with the claustrophobic top down.

Putting aside cold objectivity and basking in the magic light of nostalgia, both cars can be seen to bring back the fun of motoring in the old style. But while the Panther rep-licar might be more comfortable to drive, its flawed copy-ing of the SS100, missing the thirties lean and hungry look, might well embarrass the discerning Jaguar aficio-nado!

JAGUAR JOTTINGS

by Peter Williamson

1939 SS 100

1975 Panther

The above prices are in US$ and for cars in “#2 condition” (very good, club concours, some small flaws). An SS 100, as discussed in the above article, was sold in February, this year. Its condition was rated 2-. See photo & price on page 18

SCM© 2009 PRICE GUIDE

page 14 page 14

page 15

Jaguar, Buick Dethrone Lexus in Reliability Study

British luxury carmaker Jaguar surged to the top of J.D. Power and Associates' closely watched vehicle depend-ability study this year, tying Buick for the No. 1 spot and dethroning Lexus for the first time since the Japanese luxury brand has been a part of the survey. Lexus, Toyota Motor Corp.'s luxury brand, took second place in the study released Thursday, followed by Toyota's namesake brand, then Mercury, Infiniti and Acura. “Buick and Jaguar both lead the industry in nameplate performance,” said Neal Oddes, director of product research and analysis at J.D. Power. “In terms of individual model performance, Lexus and Toyota still do very, very well.”

The annual study measures problems experienced by the original owners of vehicles after three years. Suzuki own-ers reported the most problems among the 37 brands as-sessed by J.D. Power.

Despite losing its crown to Jaguar and Buick, Lexus still swept top awards in four segments, while Toyota's name-sake brand took five awards. General Motors Corp.'s Buick LaCrosse was J.D. Power's top midsize car, while Ford Motor Co.'s Lincoln brand took two awards. Chrysler LLC, which took no segment awards last year, won top honours for its Dodge Caravan in the van segment.

Jaguar's sudden jump to the top from its No. 10 spot in 2008 was notable for a study that is fairly consistent from year to year. Mr. Oddes said the brand has made signifi-cant improvements across many areas. “We see improve-ments all over the board with Jaguar,” Mr. Oddes said, citing fewer reported problems with vehicle exterior, sound system and the overall driving experience. “The improvement at a nameplate level is significant.” Still, Jaguar, which Indian car giant Tata Motors Ltd. bought from Ford in 2007, remains a relatively small-volume brand in the U.S. It sold just 14,000 vehicles here in 2008, while Buick sold 128,000.

Dan Strumpf, The Associated Press, March 19, 2009

India's Tata Motors Launches Super-cheap Nano Car

Tata Motors launched its low-cost Nano car in Mumbai on Monday in an effort to turn around its financial fortunes

while giving low-income consumers the chance to own a vehicle. The tiny car measures about 3.1 metres, has one windshield wiper and

is outfitted with a 624-cc rear engine. It will cost buyers about 100,000 rupees, or US$2,050.

"The Nano represents the spirit of breaking conventional barriers. From the drawing board to its commercial launch, the concept, development and production of the car has overcome several challenges," Tata chairman

Ratan N. Tata said at a news conference. "I hope it will provide safe, affordable, four-wheel transportation to families who 'til now have not been able to own a car. We are delighted in pre-senting the Tata Nano to India and the world."

In these tough economic times, the car offers the best mileage for any car in India, according to the Company's website. It boasts fuel efficiency of 23.6 km/litre, as certi-fied by the Automotive Research Association of India. And while the car may be a breeze to park, there is little trunk space and safety is not a selling feature: the vehicle is without airbags and anti-lock brakes. But speeding won't be an issue, as the car's top speed is 105 kilome-tres per hour. Air conditioning, a radio and power steering will cost buyers extra.

The car will arrive at Tata dealers in India on April 1. How-ever, demand is expected to exceed supply as a tempo-rary plant in Uttarakhand can only manufacture a limited quantity of vehicles. A plant in Gujarat, dedicated to as-sembling the Nano, is expected to begin operations in 2010 and will produce about 350,000 cars per year.

Tata Motors is India's largest car company. It generated revenues of about US$8.8 billion in the 2007-2008 fiscal year. However, the Company has been hard-hit by the global financial crisis, particularly in its commercial vehicle division, the core of its business. The Company posted a loss of 2.63 billion rupees (US$54 million) for the quarter from October to December. It is also having difficulty refi-nancing $2 billion of a $3 billion loan it secured to buy Jaguar and Land Rover from Ford last June. The Nano is only expected to boost the Company's revenues by a few per cent, and it may take a few years for the Company to break even on the investment, analysts say.

The car is generating a great deal of interest around the world. However, a European model, the Nano Europa, won't arrive in dealerships until 2011 and the Company has not announced plans for a North American version of the vehicle.

Mon. Mar. 23 2009, CTV.ca News Staff, with files from The Associated Press

JAGUAR NEWS

page 16

page 17

MY BIG-CAT IS GETTING A MAKEOVER, continued

the project is near completion, ideally, before Jaguars on the Island on the August holiday weekend.

If anyone out there would like to comment on my project, or offer advice, I would be very pleased to hear from them at malcolmsmith@shaw.ca. Wish me luck!

(Continued from page 7)

VICTORIA’S SECRET, continued

first Series III V12 cars, rather than the normal Series III gold/black badge. I have seen this gold badge on two other “Last 100” cars.

But what are these cars like in motion? In a word, sub-lime. The V12 and GM 400 combination is silky smooth with seemingly limitless power. The ride and comfort can-not be surpassed even by the latest Jaguars (and I say this as an owner of one of the current aluminium-bodied XJ8 cars); and the elegance? Well, there simply is noth-ing on the road more elegant than a Series III Jaguar, and the 1992 V12 Vanden Plas is the ultimate Series III car.

(Continued from page 6)

SCM© AUCTION REPORT Gooding & Company

Scottsdale, AZ - January 17, 2009

Our May Prowl Sunday, May 3rd Meet at 12 noon

outside Tim Hortons at the

Northerly end of the Saanich

Plaza

There will be some easy questions to answer en route and we will end up at a “pubish” place for lunch.

For more information call Peter or Hazel Bricknell (after their return on April 12 from their trip to Oz and NZ)

at 250-388-3135 or pete-hazel@shaw.ca

Meet outside

Tim Horton’s

Save-On-Foods

take part in

our May Prowl!

A MYSTERY RUN

page 18

JCCV Events are in bold print.

Sun, Apr 19th, Turkey Head (Oak Bay Marina parking lot) Coffee Klatch. We rendezvous again, anytime be-tween 9 and noon for coffee and socializing. See Mar story on page 11. Bring your Stories to tell and Stuff to sell and “LADIES” Books to swap. Please join us if you can. Info 250-656-3099.

Sun, Apr 26th, OECC Restoration Fair & Swap Meet at Heritage Acres. Details on page 14.

Tue, Apr 28th. JCCV Regular Monthly Meeting. Details on page 4.

Sun, May 3rd. JCCV Sunday Prowl, organized by Peter & Hazel Bricknell. Details on page 17. See Mar story on page 11.

Sat, May 16th. Vancouver All British Field Meet, Van Dusen Gardens, Vancouver BC. Information and the reg-istration form is available from john_gordon@shaw.ca.

Tue, May 27th. JCCV Regular Monthly Meeting. De-tails TBA.

Sat-Sun, Jun 5th-7th. Pacific Jaguar Enthusiasts Group Jaguar Show and Slalom, Pitt Meadows BC. Details TBA.

Sun, Jun 7th. JCCV Sunday Prowl. Details TBA.

Sun, Jun 21st Fathers Day British Car Picnic at Beacon Hill Park, Victoria BC. Details TBA.

Tue, Jun 23rd. JCCV Regular Monthly Meeting. De-tails TBA.

Wed, Jul 1st. Canada Day Picnic sponsored by the Gorge Tillicum Community Association with a collector car show on Gorge Road along the Gorge Waterway.

Sun, Jul 5th. JCCV Sunday Prowl, organized by Brian Evers & John Braybrooks. Details TBA.

Sat, Jul 18th. Jaguar Owners Club of Oregon Jaguar show, Troutdale OR. Details TBA.

Tue, Jul 28th. JCCV Regular Meeting. Details TBA.

Fri, Jul 31st to Sun, Aug 2nd. 5th Annual Jaguars on the Island—A Celebration of Jaguar Automobiles. Mark your calendars now and plan to take part and help to host the biggest and the best Jaguar event in North America! Friday evening reception, Saturday Concours / Show at Windsor Park and banquet in the evening, Sunday drive, slalom and luncheon.

Fri-Sun, Aug 7th-8th. Jaguar Drivers & Restorers Club Jaguar Show and Slalom, Redmond WA. Details TBA.

Aug 9th, Cowichan-Mill Bay Collector Car Picnic, Brent-wood College, Mill Bay.

Sun, Aug 16th. Blethering Place Collector Car Festival, Oak Bay Avenue.

Sun, Aug 23rd. Queen Alexandra Solarium European Car Picnic

Estate sale: 1992 Jaguar Sovereign XJ6 with 181,455 kilometres. This car has been well maintained and is in excellent condition. Asking price is $2,500. Please contact us at poneill1@shaw.ca or 250-572-1293. (4-9)

Wanted: for Series I E-Type 4.2 model; triangular fibreglass snorkel box for triple carburetor setup. Jeremy Why, Victoria, B.C. 250-590-5414 or jwhy@shaw.ca (4-9)

1984 XJ6, first registered in California, Solent Blue, off road for the past 3 years, sound exterior, but needs interior make over; asking $2,500. Contact Bob Ellis at 250-468-7078 or bobellis@telus.net (4-9)

For Sale: 2 very good condition rims for Series I XJ6 - $100; 1 good condition church window style rim for XJ40 - $40; Mike Skene phone: 250-592-1448 or e-mail mikeskene@telus.net (3-9)

1970 Series III E-Type Coupe. V12, silver with black interior, Serial No. P1S70014. I have owned this car for eighteen years and It has been improved steadily during that time with many JCNA North American Champion class awards, including two Fred Horner trophies. The car is located in the lower mainland and I can answer any questions and send photos to anyone interested. I am looking for offers to $30,000 Geoff 604-819-1191 (2-9)

Convertible top, for a Jaguar XK150, for sale, very good condition. bob.wright@viha.ca (2-9)

1985 Jaguar XJ6 VDP, 124,000 miles, very clean (interior and exterior). This was purchased about 3 years ago and has had very little use since then. It has a new starter motor and battery and has had a complete service (receipts for about $1,200 are available). The brakes were checked and serviced, the valves were set and the valve cover gaskets, plugs, etcetera were replaced. It fires up easily and runs well. Asking $5,000. Call Mike (250-877-1635) or Lynne (250-652-6620) (2-9)

1967 Jaguar Mark II 3.4 L. blue 4-door sedan, mechanically sound, air cared July 2008, disc wheels, 4-speed overdrive, left hand drive, power steering, power brakes, nice turn-key car. Detailed maintenance and service papers and pictures are available. Asking $25,000. Contact Margaret at 604-521-0055 or e-mail mg0055@telus.net. (2-9)

For Sale: Full tonneau cover (covers the folded top and the open seat area with a zipper down the middle) for Ser 1 E-Type OTS. This is new, never used or installed. I bought it a number of years ago. I believe it to be made by Robbins. Not easy to install. $325. Call Terry Sturgeon 250-370-2299 (2-9)

For sale by second owner: 1995 Jaguar XJ6 VDP Saloon. Champagne (topaz) in colour; 104,000 kms. Always maintained in excellent condition and has just been given a winter service. The car has proven very trou-ble-free and reliable. The prospect of moving to smaller quarters ne-cessitates its sale. $12,000. Don Stevens, 250-477-4160 or d.and.d@telus.net (1-9)

FOR SALE OR WANTED Advertisements run for three issues at no charge. Place your ad

with the editor at 250-477-4695 or jaguarcarclub@shaw.ca

COMING EVENTS here’s what's ahead

1939 Jaguar SS 100 3.5 Litre Roadster Sold February 7, 2009 for US$279,285

at Bonhams Auction, Paris