The Jaguar Enthusiast Podcast
Keeping the worldwide Jaguar community in touch
Episode 59: Kevin McCloud at the Summer Jaguar Festival
This week, the Jaguar Enthusiasts' Club Podcast looks back on our star interview from the Summer Jaguar Festival, held at Bicester Heritage on the 4th July. There, on the live stage, we were treated to 45 minutes with Kevin McCloud, star of Channel 4's Grand Designs. The last time he was on the podcast over a year ago, we talked to him about E-types and his life with cars and design, this time we found out more about the TV series and his gorgeous Swallow bodied Wolseley Hornet.
Richard West inducts Andy Wallace into the Motorsport Hall of Fame and Tom shares his race from a fortnight ago at Brands Hatch.
Episode 58: Marisca on Jaguars in Holland
This week, the Jaguar Enthusiasts' Club Podcast returns with a chat about Jaguars in Holland with the new leader of the Dutch region of the JEC, Marisca Urbanus-Van Den Honaard. Plus we pay tribute to Graham Robson, Motoring author and designer of the E-type exhaust system. Richard West inducts Gerry Marshall into the Motorsport Hall of Fame and Tom shares his preparations for last weekend's round of JEC racing at Brands Hatch.
Episode 57: How to drive Harewood Hillclimb
This week, with one month to go until we head with all of your Jaguars to Harewood Hillclimb, we are sharing some top tips on how to drive the hill climb in your car properly. Plus we examine some of the history of this incredible venue that we have been so lucky to secure for you all. To help us, we talk to a man who has competed at the venue since the mid -1960s, Jim Johnson.
Episode 56: David Marks LIVE at the Summer Jaguar Festival
This week, we look back another highlight from the Summer Jaguar Festival as we revisit our conversation on the live stage with JEC Technical Advisor, David Marks. In this conversation we gave a broad overview of the XJ40 series of the XJ6 and why they are such a good buy and future classic Jaguar.
Plus, we induct another motor racing hero into our Hall of Fame, this week it is a specially extended look at the life of Nigel Mansell, in honour of this weekend's British Grand Prix.
Episode 55: Sir John Egan LIVE at the Summer Jaguar Festival
Sir John Egan is widely credited with saving Jaguar during the 1980s. He trained as a petroleum engineer at the Imperial College London and worked for Shell in the Middle East before joining AC Delco. He joined British Leyland in 1971 and brought together the company’s parts under the single Unipart brand.
Sir John was chief executive and chairman of Jaguar Cars from 1980 to 1990 and during that time, invested heavily in motorsport, won Le Mans with TWR, separated Jaguar from British Leyland and launched the XJ40 before the business , despite his protests, was sold to Ford. When he took over, Jaguar was facing losses of £50million a year and so he set about improving the quality of the processes within the plants, starting with Browns Lane. Recorded live at the Summer Jaguar Festival, we interview Sir John Egan in front of a live audience to gain an insight into this amazing part of Jaguar's history.
Episode 54: Reviving a heritage brand - Ridgard Seats
Bob Ridgard was one of motor racing's innovators. A driver himself, racing MGs and even a Chevrolet Camaro, he moved to the UK from South Africa in the late - 60s and began developing seats for club racers. His seats went on to be used by the likes of Stirling Moss and works teams like the BMC / BL operation in Abingdon. Ridgard Seats were inextricably linked to the development of driver safety in motorsport through the decades. Bob sadly passed away, but now his business is in new hands. We meet the new lady at the helm, Sam Browne - a pretty handy racing driver in her own right.
Episode 53 - From F-type to Formula Woman
At our recent track day at Blyton Park, one car on track was driving with particular purpose. This was because it was being driven by Emma Price, an F-type owner and member of the JEC who has entered herself into Formula Woman. In this podcast, we get to meet her, talk Jaguars and find out more about what brought this engaging young lady into the world of Jaguars and Motorsport. It's an inspirational story with some positive encouragement for anyone wanting to follow in her footsteps.
Episode 52: How to build an XK180
The XK180 cost £1million a piece when Special Vehicle Operations created them for the 1998 Paris Motor Show. It was a concept car that celebrated the then 50th anniversary of the XK engine. Keith Helfet, who designed the XK180, also designed the Aston Martin DB7 and had the iconic outline of the D-types in mind. An inspirational concept car then and one that you can imagine Jaguar fans like us would like to own - Neal Mugglestone was one such enthusiasts and on this episode we find out how and why he built his!
Plus, we induct another motor racing hero into our Hall of Fame, this week it is Derek Warwick.
Tom Robinson explains how preparation is going for the next round of Jaguar Enthusiasts' Club Racing ahead of Castle Combe in a fortnight's time.
Episode 51: Esta - Jane from EJ Draws teaches us how to sketch the perfect Jag!
This week on the JEC Podcast, we talk to Esta - Jane from EJ Draws on Automotive Art and how she forged her own path into a career in Automotive engineering. In this interview she not only shares tips for other young women aspiring to enter the world of engineers but also teaches our podcast host Wayne Scott how to draw a Jaguar perfectly! (it doesn't go well)...
Plus, we induct another motor racing hero into our Hall of Fame, this week it is the design legend Tony Southgate.
Tom Robinson explains how preparation is going for the next round of Jaguar Enthusiasts' Club Racing and what he has discovered in the strip down after Donington.
Episode 50: Matthew Davis, MD of the Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust & Summer Jaguar Festival preview
This week on the JEC Podcast, we have a preview of this year's long-awaited Summer Jaguar Festival which is just a month away.
We speak to Matthew Davis, Managing Director of the Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust about his recent induction as a novice into racing with the JEC championship including how his first race ended before it had began - in a ball of flame! Plus he gives us the background to his own passion for Jaguar and what the Trust has in store for fans of Jaguar over the next year.
Episode 49: Did he make it? XJR economy challenge results
This week on the JEC Podcast, we announce a very special ex-works and ex- Ecurie Ecosse Jaguar D-type that you can see at the Summer Jaguar Festival.
Plus, we speak again, (one month on) to David Jenkin who has now completed the XJR economy run he undertook for charity. Did he make it? We hear how he got on and how much he raised for Great Ormond Street Hospital.
Episode 48: X300 Daily Drivers - why the 90s XJ6 is a brilliant classic car
The 90s Jaguar XJ6s are still an incredibly affordable whilst practical and luxurious route into Jaguar ownership. They represent an era of Jaguar when retro styling was all the rage, but previous quality concerns had been addressed by an injection of Ford derived cash. Today, online auction sites and classifieds are full of XJ6s looking for new homes - so why should you buy one? Motoring Journalist Sam Skelton joins us to explain and he should know - he has two of them!
Episode 47: Jaguar Police Cars with Mark Jones
On this week's podcast, we have a fascinating insight into a little known part of Jaguar's history as we hear from retired Chief Superintendent Mark Jones on Jaguars in the Police force. In this conversation we discover whether the legend of Mark 2s being used by Bank robbers was true or not, how the Police used to tail development drivers onto the motorway out of Browns Lane to make sure they were behaving, what models Jaguar supplied to the force and how they were chosen plus the relationship that Jaguar had with the Police force.
We also ask Mark about how he has seen crime on the roads and road safey change over the decades. This is a MUST listen for every Jaguar fan and keen motorist.
Episode 46 - Ralph Hosier talks Jaguar engineering
Ralph Hosier has been in print and on television for over 15 years. He previously worked on Special Vehicle Projects and Jaguar Land Rover and now runs his own engineering company alongside his many TV and media engagements. Ralph has a real passion for the engineering that underpins modern life. Here we discuss life at Jaguar, the future of engineering and how to encourage the next generation of craftspeople into the engineering sector. This is a fascinating interview with many great insights into the industry.
Episode 45: An economy run challenge with an XJR and reviewing racing at Silverstone
David Jenkin is taking on a Top Gear style challenge to raise money for Great Ormond St Hospital GOSH.
The plan is for David to drive from the BP garage in Banstead, Surrey to Inverness (586 miles) on a single tank of fuel in his 2007 Supercharged Jaguar XJR.
For those that don't know, the car is a 4.2 litre petrol V8 which is Supercharged to 400BHP and normally returns just 15.4mpg.
Episode 44: JEC Club Racing explained with Tom Robinson
This week, our very own Tom Robinson features for our main interview as we gear up in preparation for the opening round of the Jaguar Enthusiasts' Club Race Championship. Tom shares the story of how he got started in the club's race championship, what development the car - and indeed his driving skills - have needed over the years and how you can get involved too.
Episode 43: Kurt Uzbay and his Lynx D-type
We cross the Atlantic and talk to New York based Jaguar fanatic, Kurt Uzbay who has an absolute love obsession with the legends of motorsport and in particular British icons. He owns a substantial collection of cars including an XK120, but we are here to chat about his Lynx Replica D-type. Hear about the history of the company that produced this work of art, what they are like to live with and how Kurt's passion for Jaguar, Le Mans and motorsport history lead him to own it.
Episode 42: Jade Paveley in conversation on rallying an F-type!
This week we have an exciting guest - none other than Jade Paveley, who rallied a Jaguar F-Type on a special stage of the 2019 Welsh Rally GB to commemorate the forgotten successes of Jaguar's rallying past through cars like the XK120 NUB120 and others. Junior Welsh Tarmac Rally Champion Jade Paveley lets us know just what it was like to rally a Jaguar F-type, plus an insight into her career so far with some inspiration for encouraging Women's success in the sport.
Episode 41: Easter Touring Special
Following the success of our New Year's Touring special, we bring you an Easter update to share all the information you need to get back out there in your Jaguars. Pete Allen and Kieran Line from Scenic Car Tours bring us the latest developments on COVID restrictions, Brexit, European Travel and the tours, runs and events that the Jaguar Enthusiasts' Club has lined up over the next year and beyond!
Episode 40: Peter Leake - The XK8 Story and training Jaguar Dealers!
We have a real treat in the form of an interview with Peter Leake. Peter was the Dealer Training Manager for Jaguar Cars during the period of the XK8 launch and beyond. In this podcast he shares insider information and stories from those days training Jaguar dealers through the BL and Ford era. He also talks us through the XK8 story from behind the scenes to explain just how crucial the success of that car to the success of the Jaguar brand.
Richard West looks back with a tribute to Jaguar racing legend Johnny Dumfries, who died this week, aged 62.