When I was a kid, the most influential car to me was a dirty, dingy jalopy that was stored at my babysitter’s house. Everyone saw it as this old relic in a dark corner of a country garage. I was 4 1/2 – the half is important at that age – and saw this dust…
by Ed & Kathleen Praxel It was a pre-destined encounter. A depleted looking E-Type Jaguar sat in a yard along the road where logging trucks and pickups were the norm. The Jag beckoned to me. I stopped and found that the owner didn’t want to know about the car anymore. It was a Series II,…
The E-type is an automotive masterpiece. Of course, Enzo Ferrari famously said that “the Jaguar E-Type is the most beautiful car ever made”. Honest words coming from Mr. Ferrari! Amusing too, at least for my dad and I – we love to joke that he must have turned to his Ferrari peers asking, “Why the…
The 1950s were halcyon days for Jaguar. With postwar demand for sports cars reaching record levels, Jaguar’s iconic XK120 two-seater quickly became a must-have amongst the American and European “sporty” car set. Alongside success in the showrooms, the decade also marked a period of near total domination by Jaguar in endurance racing, including 24 Hours…
2018 Central Coast British Car Club Mille Tour by Joel Justin Background and Trip Prep After last year’s successful Central Coast British Car Club Mille, there was no doubt about having another. In fact, Neal and I started our planning in August, shortly after returning. Wanting to avoid some of the route “issues” we had…
It never fails to surprise me how much real life is like high school. Back then we were typically identified with a group and that appellation likely stayed with us throughout our entire four years. Jock. Nerd. Slacker. Freak. Sometimes you were lucky enough to cut across such crass distinctions by creating a niche for…
“Of all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these, ‘It might have been.” – John Greenleaf Whittier The Swinging Sixties represented the high-water mark for the British automotive industry. The Jaguar E-Type – introduced in 1961 – was widely considered one of the best sports cars in the world and more affordable…
Last year we asked you to determine the greatest British sports car of all time and after spirited voting the Jaguar E-Type – not unexpectedly – emerged victorious ahead of the Austin-Healey 3000 and Triumph TR6. This time we changed the call of the question: name your favorite British sports car manufactured since the end…
Sir William Lyons was born in Blackpool in 1901, the namesake of an Irish father and an English mother. A bright boy, he was curious about machinery and good at school work. His family secured for him an engineering apprenticeship at Crossley Motors where he developed an intense interest in the burgeoning automotive industry. In…
