Mar-Apr, 2011 - Jaguar Clubs of North America
Transcription
Mar-Apr, 2011 - Jaguar Clubs of North America
Mar-Apr, 2011 OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE JCOF Affiliated with The Jaguar Clubs of North America Inc. Inside this Issue: • • • • • • • • • • • • • 3 4 4 5 6 7 7 8 10 12 13 14 15 About Our Club President’s Message Editor’s Corner Club Calendar & Regalia Club Business Mission Inn Festival of Speed Breakfast Meet & Drive Amelia Island Concours Sebring 12-Hour Race JCNA Annual General Meeting XKExperience Walter Hill Collection - Part 2 Advertisements About our Club 2011 JCOF Steering Council CELEBRATING 34 YEARS! The Jaguar Club of Florida (JCOF) was founded in 1977 by a small group of enthusiasts who had in common the ownership and maintenance of the World's Most Beautiful Automobiles. JCOF is proudly affiliated with the Jaguar Clubs of North America, Inc. (JCNA), an organization comprised of more than sixty clubs throughout the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Membership in the JCOF includes a subscription to the JCOF newsletter, the JAGWire, and membership with the JCNA, and subscription to the Jaguar Journal, the official publication of the JCNA (both are published six times a year). Our award-winning JAGWire provides local club news and latest in events for club members, and news updates are provided to members by electronic mail periodically. Our website is a premiere reference on the internet to learn about our club and British motoring, and we also have active pages on www.JCNA.com and FaceBook. We encourage participation by the entire family and invite you to join us at one of our meetings or events. As a club member, you can participate fully in prestigious events such as JCNA-sanctioned Jaguar Concours d'Elegance shows, Rallies, Slaloms, and other exclusive shows, tours, and activities. Members also receive discounts on car purchases from Jaguar Cars and a 10% discount on parts at Jaguar of Orlando, deep discounts on JCNA Shoppe purchases and Jaguar Heritage Certificates, a 10% discount from supplier SNG Barratt, a 5% discount from Hagerty Insurance, and more! When you join JCOF, you will receive a membership card from JCNA for use when requesting discounts and when participating in JCNA-sanctioned events. If there are any questions regarding membership, please contact our Membership Chairman or call the JCNA hotline at 1-888-CLUBJAG (258-2524). Our website: www.catdriver.org (7.75x10.25) (7.5x6.6) (7.5x5.5) (3.875x10.25) (7.5x3.3) (3.875x5.125) $50.00 $40.00 $30.00 $25.00 $20.00 $10.00 $5.00 Contact editor for rate Classified Ads: Club Members Non-Members VICE PRESIDENT ASST. EDITOR, JAGWIRE & WEBSITES Johanna Rosser 314-369-0208 [email protected] TREASURER John Falco 407-810-7892 [email protected] MEMBERSHIP CHAIRMAN Lou Kairys 407-688-7032 or 407-687-1346 [email protected] SECRETARY/HISTORIAN CONCOURS & BRITISH CAR DAY CHAIR James W. Kuhlmann 407-330-9945 [email protected] TECHNICAL ADVISOR & CHIEF JUDGE Tom Curren, Coventry Classics 407-221-6007 or 407-298-1358 [email protected] Advertising Rates Display Ads: Full Page 2/3 Page Half Page Half Page (Column) Third Page Quarter Page Business Card Ads Color Ads PRESIDENT EDITOR, JAGWIRE & WEBSITES RALLY & SLALOM COORDINATOR Ginger Corda 863-646-5339 or 863-738-0434 [email protected] BADGE MASTER Paul Harder 407-312-6588 [email protected] JAGWIRE ART DIRECTOR & AD MANAGER Mark Robertson 321-439-5846 [email protected] Free $5.00 Terms: Payment due upon submission. Acceptance: At the discretion of the JAGWire editor. Contribute to JAGWire We invite members to contribute articles, items of interest and technical tips for publication. In the Award-winning JAGWire. Contact Editor for details. WEBMASTER Bill Wheeler 407-370-5732 [email protected] [email protected] JAGWire Disclaimer - The Jaguar Club of Florida (JCOF), its officers, editors, and contributors expressly disclaim any warranty or endorsement of any services or products contained in any advertisement or article. The opinions expressed by contributors are their own and not necessarily that of the JCOF, its officers, steering committee members, or the editors. Page 3 Editor’s Corner President’s Message Dear JAGWire readers, Dear Members, What a busy start for the year we’ve had! We had the Festivals of Speed at Howey-in-the-Hills, the auction and Concours weekend at Amelia Island, the 12 Hours of Sebring, club meetings, and the AGM at Richmond. I’ve hardly had a chance to take a breath, and it’s good thing. I LOVE it! I would much rather stay busy with fun events to attend rather than to wonder what there is to do. I’m glad to part of our organization, and especially to serve as Ginger’s Vice President, as nothing can match that girl’s energy level and drive and determination. I just hang on to her coat tails and enjoy the ride. Just wait until our Concours and you’ll see once again what I’m talking about! You will be impressed. Our club continues to grow due to a rightfully-earned reputation of being an active and fun-filled group of Jaguar people (with some great cars). We have had an extremely active springtime with an abundance of events to choose from. Our club Concours is set for Saturday, April 16th (with a Friday night reception if you’d care to join us the night before) and we’re hoping for a great turnout. I’m even planning on bringing one of my two Jaguars I now own, and being the bad girl that I am I have not pre-registered. Oh well, I’ll be manning the registration tent that Saturday morning so I’m sure I can get myself into order with the required paperwork then. The rest of you shouldn’t do what I do, so I hope more people are right now in the process of filling out the pre-registration paperwork. Event: 1st Place - Mac Ballard for his story, “The Call of the Island” Please remember that we do welcome ALL newsletter articles and submissions, so PLEASE send them to us!!! Many of you attend events outside of our club’s normal range, so I’d like to remind you that we all enjoy reading about your adventures on the road as well. Congratulations to the winners! Thank you 2011 is a special year for the Jaguar Clubs of North America, as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the E-type. Tom Curren and I are still planning to go to the 2011 Challenge Championship in July (at Columbus, Ohio) for the Rally, Concours etc. I hope to see many of you there, as it is surely going to be a FUN event. We appreciate the many contributors to this JAGWire : Mike Baker, Mac Ballard, Dr. Shirley Combee, Ginger Corda, Ian Crawford, Tom Curren, Jim Kuhlmann, Mark Robertson, (and me, of course!). Johanna at Sebring races (Photo by Tom Curren) Photos by Mike Baker: Mike on the XKExperience Rally (Photo by Ginger Corda) Photo: 1st Place - Ginger Corda for photo of “Amazing Grace” Technical: 3rd Place - Paul Harder for his helpful “how-to” entitled, “Displaying Your Club Badge” Travel: 1st Place - Johanna Rosser for her article on “Jaguars at Sebring” 2nd Place - Mac Ballard for taking us along on his “Tennessee Show & Mountain Travels” for your great contributions to the club and the JAGWire. The AGM weekend was more than just a meeting, and the Virginia Jaguar Club did a superb job of planning to attract participants from near and far. Jaguar Cars representatives as well as a number of suppliers and vendors were there to show their strong support and meet the members. The E-Types enjoyed a Saturday rally to a winery while we attended the meeting. The days were also filled with informative seminars and several special “moments,” including multiple book signings with Mr. Norman Dewis, who was as sharp, gracious and personable as ever. We celebrated the 50th anniversary of the E-Type with a true “XKExperience” of having Norman closely inspect each of our cars and choose his “favorite.” See more at https://www.facebook.com/notes/interactive-jaguar/agathering-of-e-types-at-the-jaguar-clubs-of-north-america-annual-generalmeeti/10150144514606262. …. But who knew it was going to snow that day?! After enduring the frozen flurries in Virginia, we came home in time for twisting tornados in central Florida! I now look forward to some sunnier skies. Don’t miss JCOF’s next big event -- we’re holding the club’s 24th Annual Concours d’Elegance in lovely Lake Mary on April 15 and 16. All Jaguar fans are invited to an enjoyable weekend and a great kick-off to the Concours season. Vroom-vroom, Johanna Rosser, VP & JAGWire Associate Editor A record number of JCOF members were in attendance at the JCNA AGM (Annual General Meeting) in Richmond, Virginia, at the end of March: Lou Kairys (Membership Chair, SE Director and proxy delegate), Johanna Rosser and me (JCOF delegates), Charles and Ruth Stieren (with E-Type), plus Mike Baker and Tom Curren (with E-Type). During the AGM banquet, our club members were further recognized for their efforts in the form of JCNA 2010 Newsletter Awards. We received a total of five (a “noticeable” quantity) awards! They are: Front Cover – Spring blossoms and E-Type on the XKExperience Rally to the winery in Richmond. Back Cover – Beautiful Maya, JCOF’s adopted Jaguar; who was rescued, loved, and cared for by Christin and Travis at the C.A.R.E. Foundation for nearly 17 years before her recent peaceful passing (1993-2011). As I prepared this for final print, I was shaken to receive the sad news that our adopted Jaguar, Maya, passed away peacefully yesterday (4-5-11) at the C.A.R.E. Foundation. She was already five years or so older than the expected lifetime of a Jaguar in the wild, so we were fortunate to know her as long as we have. Through her, we learned of that Jaguars deserve protection and respect, and were amazed by her beauty and strength. It was inspiring for all of us to see her and hear her powerful growl, and the Jaguar Club of Florida joins the staff at the sanctuary in mourning the passing of a very rare an special part of the family. She was our club’s one and only mascot … and we will miss our “big, fierce, Jag,” Maya (1993-2011). I hope you cherish her memory and appreciate all of the special Jaguar family members that come into your life. We are known for fun outings, so I look forward to ideas for a tour or rally date after our concours, to include a visit with our friends at the C.A.R.E. Foundation. PURRRRZ, Ginger Corda, President & JAGWire Editor Page 4 Ginger cherishing time with Norman (Photo by Mike Baker) Event Calendar Official Club activities indicated by * See online at www.catdriver.org JCOF 24th Annual Concours d’Elegance Join us at the lovely Marriott Orlando, 1501 International Parkway, Lake Mary, for our 2011 Concours d'Elegance. We'll have a Friday evening get-together at Friendly Confines Sports Bar (behind Marriott) 7025 County Rd. 46A, Suite 100, Lake Mary - Ph: 321-257-0536 (beginning at 5pm in hotel lobby). The show is Saturday (open for parking 8:00 am – 10:00 am). Cocktail Party at 6:30pm followed by Awards gala at 7:30pm. We’ll be celebrating the 50th anniversary of the E-Type! Details and registration form online at www.catdriver.org. Contact Concours Chairman, Jim Kuhlmann, for more info. [email protected] April 21* & May 19* Club Dinner Meeting 7:00pm Club Dinner Meeting at Cricketer’s Pub, 5250 N. I-Drive at Festival Bay, Orlando, FL 407-354-0686. (Unless otherwise announced). Bring a guest and enjoy an evening with your club. Sunday, May 28* Breakfast Meet & Drive Breakfast Meet & Drive with RR & Bentley Club. Meet at 9:00am - First Watch Restaurant, 7500 W. Sand Lake Road, Orlando, 32819. Open invitation to members of the Jaguar Club to come out and play with the Central Florida Region of the Rolls-Royce Owners' Club. RSVP to Simon: 321.436.7660 or [email protected] Thurs., June 16* Club Dinner Meeting 7:00pm Club Dinner Meeting at Cricketer’s Pub, 5250 N. I-Drive at Festival Bay, Orlando, FL 407-354-0686. (Unless otherwise announced). Bring a guest and enjoy an evening with your club. Sunday, June 26* Breakfast Meet & Drive Breakfast Meet & Drive with RR & Bentley Club. Meet at 9:00am - First Watch Restaurant, 7500 W. Sand Lake Road, Orlando, 32819. Open invitation to members of the Jaguar Club to come out and play with the Central Florida Region of the Rolls-Royce Owners' Club. RSVP to Simon: 321.436.7660 or [email protected] July 6-9 JCNA Challenge Championship Dublin, OH Hosted by the Jaguar Association of Central Ohio. JACO holds its annual concours in conjunction with the Arthritis Foundation Classic Auto Show and Cruise-in, one of the biggest shows in the Mid-West, and this year is no exception. However, this year we are expanding the show to four days for the Challenge Championship--celebrating the 50th anniversary of the introduction of the E-Type. Registration form at http://www.jcna.com/calendar/flyer/se12-288975452.pdf Contact Jim Baker or call 614-846-7032 August 13* ? Annual Club Pool Party Save the date - tentative- Jaguar Club of Florida’s annual Pool Party at the Curren residence. Chill out and grill out with the members! Enjoy great food, refreshments, the “Garage-Mahal” and have a splash! [Note: No regular club dinner meeting held during the month of the annual Pool Party] September 15* Club Dinner Meeting 7:00pm Club Dinner Meeting at Cricketer’s Pub, 5250 N. I-Drive at Festival Bay, Orlando, FL 407-354-0686. (Unless otherwise announced). Bring a guest and enjoy an evening with your club. October 1 Dan Ligas Memorial Jag Fest, St. Pete Sun Coast Jaguar Club annual Dan Ligas Memorial Jag Fest - St. Petersburg Yacht Club, Straub Park. Fun gettogether Friday night, show and banquet Saturday. Sure to be a wonderful event -- mark your calendars! More info. & registration coming soon. See Suncoast Jaguar Club or contact Carl Tack 727-938-5221. October 14-16 Lake Mirror Classic Lakeland, FL The Lake Mirror Classic is presented at beautiful Lake Mirror Park and throughout downtown Lakeland, FL. The show is growing each year and now includes a car auction. The event attracts over 500 cars and 25,000 spectators. Jaguar Group 44 Racing driver, Bob Tullius, is the Honorary Chairman for 2011. Events Fri-Sun. Jaguars figure prominently, including the E-Type 50th Anniversary. Apply at www.lakemirrorclassic.com October 20* Club Dinner Meeting 7:00pm Club Dinner Meeting at Cricketer’s Pub, 5250 N. I-Drive at Festival Bay, Orlando, FL 407-354-0686. (Unless otherwise announced). Bring a guest and enjoy an evening with your club. October 22 Legends on the Green, St. Augustine The Jaguar Car Club of North Florida presents the 7th annual Legends on the Green British Car Show. This year, the show will be back at beautiful World Golf Village near historic St. Augustine, Florida. The show features a sanctioned JCNA concours and benefits Shriner's Children's Hospitals. The show is open to all British cars. More details to follow shortly. Contact Bob McGarvey [email protected] November 12 & 13* Fantasy of Flight Roar n’ Soar 5th Annual Roar n’ Soar at Fantasy of Flight! 2-day Car Show and sanctioned Slalom during Veterans Day weekend. Location is Polk City (I-4 at Exit 44, between Tampa and Orlando ). Non-Jaguars also welcomed. Applications accepted online at http://fantasyofflight.com/roar-n-soar Conact Ginger at [email protected] April 15-16* Club Regalia Club Name Tags Available at no charge to members Grille Badges $15 members; $20 non-members Page 5 JCOF T-shirts Coming Soon! (Limited supply - get yours at the Concours) Contact our Badge Master: Paul Harder [email protected] (407) 312-6588 Allow 2 wks for delivery; Postage not included. Club Business JAGUAR CLUB OF FLORIDA - Minutes and Understandings of meeting held Thursday, February 17, 2011, at Cricketer’s Arms, 5250 International Drive, Orlando, Florida 32819 Officers in Attendance . President .......... Ginger Corda . Vice President…. Johanna Rosser . Secretary ........... James W. Kuhlmann Officer Absent: Treasurer .... John Falco Members & Guests in Attendance . Bruce Barnwell . Asa Fulton . Tom Curren . Steve Handler . Dan Middleton . Ray Pirino . Larry Heil . Frank Herbert . Jay Hixson . Ray Pannone . Paul Harder . Bill & Cecilia Wheeler . Lou & Barbara Kairys Ginger Corda opened the business meeting at approximately 7:30 PM by welcoming all members and guests. Old Business . Ginger asked for approval of the Minutes and Understandings from our January 8, 2011, meet at Ricks Classic Cars. A motion was made for approval by Tom Curren and seconded by Dan Middleton. There was no discussion. Motion passes. . Membership Chairman Lou Kairys emphasized the need for everyone to pay their 2011 dues in order to satisfy our commitment to JCNA. Lou stated that there are currently 96 JCOF members. . The Treasurer’s report (given by Johanna Rosser) stated that JCOF has $4,380.00 in the account. . Johanna Rosser reported on the C.A.R.E. Foundation rallye that we had last December. JCOF donated goods and funds and visited our adopted Jaguar named Maya. Starting out in Apopka, we had a great tour of the back roads in Central Florida, ending up at the Lakeridge Winery in Clermont. . Jim Kuhlmann talked about the Holiday Party that was held at Ricks Classic cars. We had 55 people in attendance. The important things were the election of our new V.P., Johanna Rosser, and thanking our past President, Ian Crawford, for his leadership as JCOF 2010 President. . Jim Kuhlmann announced the 2010 JCOF North American and Regional JCNA Concours winners as published in the Jan-Feb JAGWire issue. . Dan Middleton shared pictures that he took at the Cavillino Event where he won an award for his 1963 SI XKE. New Business . Jim Kuhlmann passed out registration fliers for the JCOF 2011 Concours d' Elegance and urged everyone to get their registration in early because registration on the day of the show will be limited. More information for this event can be found on our website, www.catdriver.org. . Ginger Corda talked about this year being the 50th birthday of the E-Type and all of the events that will be honoring Jaguar and the E-Type this year. Please see our web site for more details of these events. . Ginger also mentioned the passing of Walter Hill. Walter lived in Stuart, Florida, and had an unmatched collection of Jaguar automobiles ranging from XKs, C-, D- and E-Types, to XJR race cars. Walter allowed JCOF to visit his collection. It was truly a great time. He was a life member of JCOF and will be truly missed. . Tom Curren made a motion to have Ginger Corda and Johanna Rosser be our (JCOF) delegates to the JCNA AGM (Annual General Meeting), being held this year in Richmond, Virginia March 25-27. Lou Kairys made discussion that he, as SE Regional Director, would like to be a delegate. Because we are only authorized 2 delegates there was a vote taken by the members to limit the three aspirants to two. JCOF voted for Ginger Corda and Johanna Rosser. In arrears, Tom Curren asked to be a delegate but did not receive support votes needed. . Jim Kuhlmann showed the new JCOF "T" shirt and asked for a show of hands on those who would like to buy the shirt. Good response by show of hands. He also asked for someone interested in being liaison for the ordering of the shirt and Paul Harder was selected. Paul also accepted the Badge Master responsibilities. . Ginger Corda gave a list of all of the upcoming car shows and race events--too many to mention but they are all listed on the JCOF calendar. . A raffle was given, prize donated by Ginger Corda, and won by Ray Pirino. A total of $38.00 was collected by Barbara Kairys. . Johanna Rosser thanked everyone for her nomination as Vice President/President Elect for 2011 and promised her support. . A motion for adjournment was made by Bill Wheeler at approximately 9:00 PM. The motion was seconded by Jay Hixson. There was no discussion. Motion passes. X-KOOL-E on the legendary Respectfully Submitted, James W. Kuhlmann, Secretary Jaguar Club of Florida Sebring International Raceway. JAGUAR CLUB OF FLORIDA - Minutes and Understandings of meeting held March 16, 2011, at Cricketer’s Arms, 5250 International Drive, Orlando, Florida 32819 (Note: This month’s meeting was held one day early to not conflict with St. Patrick's Day.) Officers in Attendance Members in attendance . Steve Handler . President .......... Ginger Corda . Tom Curren & Jenna Rosser . Jay Hixson . Vice President…. Johanna Rosser . Paul Harder & Evelyn Duffner . Bruce Barnwell . Treasurer ............. John Falco . Ian Crawford . Justin Falco & Lydia Owens . Secretary ........... James W. Kuhlmann . Ginger Corda opened the meeting at approximately 7:36 PM by welcoming members and guests. A new member was present and she is Paul Harder's co-member (and daughter), Evelyn Duffner. . Note: During the meeting we saw a slide presentation, taken by Ginger Corda and Mike Baker, of the Amelia Island Concours d' Elegance. . Ginger told a cat joke, in keeping with the tradition set by Ian Crawford. Old Business: . Tom Curren made a motion for approval of the February 17th JCOF Minutes and Understandings. The motion was seconded by Steve Handler. There was no discussion. Motion passes. New Business: . John Falco gave his Treasurer’s Report and stated that JCOF has a total of $3,981.65 in the account. . Jim Kuhlmann talked about the JCOF Concours and announced that he is having a Concours Committee meeting at his house on Saturday April 9, at 12:30 PM. Refreshments will be served. This includes JCOF Officers, Concours Planners and Judges. . Jay Hixson talked about the Silent Auction for the JCOF Concours and welcomed donations from members. . John Falco is geared up for his trip to Sebring for the 12 hour race. Jaguar Cars is sponsoring a corral and hospitality tent at this event. . Ginger mentioned the upcoming AGM to be held in Richmond Virginia on March 25-27, 2011. She mentioned that JCOF will be getting four awards for JAGWire articles. This says a lot for the Editor and the essayist that contributed the articles. They are Robert Ballard, a first in "Event" and a second in "Travel". Paul Harder for "Tech" and Ginger Corda in "Photography.” (Editor’s Note: I kept it a secret that Johanna Rosser also won an award for an “Event” story, but wanted it to be a surprise at the AGM banquet - so, we actually had five winners!) . Johanna Rosser talked about the AGM agenda and what issues would concern JCOF. A consent poll was made. . A motion for adjournment was made by John Falco at approximately 8:45 PM. The Motion was seconded by Paul Harder. There was no discussion. Motion passes. Respectfully Submitted, James W. Kuhlmann, Secretary, Jaguar Club of Florida Page 6 Festival of Speed Story and Photos by Ian Crawford Mission Inn Sunday, Mar 6, 2011 -- I did not have high hopes. The sky was overcast and rain was forecast for the inaugural FOS meeting at Mission Inn, Howie-in-the-Hills, Florida. We were miles away from the nearest town – how on earth would the FerrariLamboMaserRollsBentley owners ever find their way here to gather on a fairway in the middle of the rolling “hills” of Lake County? Well, I was mistaken, their GPS systems worked. The cars kept rolling in, the sun came out, and the enthusiasts and their families invaded en mass. The new car dealers put on a great show. Jaguar, Aston Martin, Infinity, Lotus, Audi, Ferrari, Maserati, and Mercedes all brought a selection of gleaming toys, and a drive could be had with the minimum of arm-twisting. A wide selection of show cars of all ages, nationalities, and genres were present, together with an airplane tied together with what seemed like bits of string, a speedboat, and a high-power enclosed motorcycle with retractable training wheels! It was explained that it was necessary to deploy these when stopped, and tales were gleefully told of the unfortunates who had a memory lapse. “Watching over my lesser siblings” Jaguars on show included two Red XK120s, Jim Kuhlmann’s Willow Green XKE coupe, and a unique personally-built Jaguar race car. I drove my Monza Red XJ220 and got a trophy for my trouble. “People’s Choice” went to one of the red XK120s, and another award went to the race car. The event was MC’d by Monty Patterson, and it was a great start to a new FOS that is actually away from a major population center (unless we count squirrels and rabbits!) ◘ Story & Photo by Mac Ballard Sunday, March 27, 2011 - I had little interest in snapping photos of the group of Rolls-Royces and Jaguars that slowly arrived at the RR/Jag club breakfast this morning. I had seen lots over the last year, and as they slotted themselves in place (one after the next in the parking lot), this “grandmother” Rolls chattered and snuggled itself in between the group. It struck such an interest that I stopped to walk across the lot just to enjoy the aging two tones and crumbling lines. All the other vehicles were sweetened up with new paint and careful polish... much like society, add a piece or part here or there, ignoring the influence of aging and trying to look younger than one is. But she bore the beautiful lines of a car that has been run, worn, enjoyed, and weathered. The impact of time made me appreciate the vehicle more than the others, and I curiously polled the owner about his plans; he intended to enjoy her for her regal beauty. I smiled, reminded that nothing stops the process of getting older, more weathered, and a bit crotchety... and there are some who appreciate the beauty of that tender, sometimes painful process, for the wisdom and stability it brings. ♠ Page 7 Day 1 at Amelia Island --Morning was spent at the new Gooding auction, and afternoon at the Ritz Carlton. A nice 1949 Jaguar XK120 Alloy -SOLD- by fellow JCOF members, Tom & Liza Wright. Story by Johanna Rosser Photos & captions this page by Mac Ballard March 11-13, 2011 - The famous Amelia Island auction and concours, less than a three-hour drive from our doorstep, once again reminded me of how lucky we are to be living in central Florida. To have all these events within an easy drive is something we sometimes forget to appreciate. I hope that everyone who has the time and the means to attend these events does that and gets the most out of all that our area has to offer. Tom Curren, my daughter, Jenna, and I headed out mid-day on Friday and we arrived at the Omni hotel, the site of the Gooding auction, exactly at 3 p.m. (when the auction began). $75 got us both admission to the event, and it also bought us a catalog of the auction. I found it very interesting to attend this auction as well as the RM auction on the following day – it gave me a great opportunity to compare the two experiences as a non-bidder. The access level would, of course, be completely different to each event had I been there as a bidder. The majority of the crowd at each event was there to observe and not purchase, so my take on things should match the experience of most people out there. Once we had paid our entrance fee at the Gooding auction, we were free to prowl the staging area for the cars about to be auctioned, as well as the auction hall itself. Tom Wright’s award-winning light blue aluminum-bodied XK120 greeted us just inside the entrance as it happened to be parked right by the entry door at that moment, waiting for its turn in the auction. Lots of people milled around --some people just photographing the cars and some studying them very carefully, perhaps in preparation for purchasing one of them. Left: A purple Peugeot. Works if you are a fan of alliteration. Below: Last years’ hot car on the circuit., the legendary Lamborghini Miura. They have become common change at auctions of late. Above: A Brass-Rra Queen. (There is not a sole in the photo, just to eliminate the chance for confusion as to which I was referring to.) We spent some time following the action inside the main tent, and I found it very interesting to watch the process in person! I was impressed by the amounts that the cars were selling for and the occasional bidding frenzies that ensued for certain vehicles. After a while I lucked out and found a set of high quality, freshly vacated outdoor couches just outside the auction tent entrance. We were then able to listen to the auction in style, lounging in the comfort of the luxurious seating and with a glass of wine in my hand of course. I was feeling a part of the Amelia Island vibe at that time for sure! The auction proceeded at a nice pace, with the auctioneer clearly stating each bid increment and taking his time to ensure the vehicle being auctioned went to the person who wanted it the most. The massive stage’s background lights changed with each vehicle rolling in to highlight the color of the vehicle. The bid amount (in various currencies, from the Euro to the Yen) was shown and constantly updated on a very large screen display next to the stage. It was like being at the Oscars, with the TV cameras filming and swinging above the crowd on large booms and all the expensively dressed people around us. Tom Wright’s XK120 sold for $350,000. When we bumped into Tom shortly after his car was sold, he seemed happy about the amount and the process of how the auction was handled. I must say, it was strangely entertaining to witness the auction process in person after having watched so many of these events previously on TV. Continued next page… Left: I remarked that this car better have strong airconditioning. The young man standing next to me said, “But in space you don't need airconditioning. “ How True. Right: Yep, they don't make cars like they used to. The colors are carefully selected at the Ritz Carlton. I guess that is just a part of what you need do to acquire five diamonds. Page 8 Photos and captions this page by Mike Baker and Ginger Corda , cont. Jaguar Cars display featuring special E-Types from Dick Maury, Group 44, and Texas On Saturday morning, we arrived fairly early at the Ritz-Carlton where the rest of the weekend’s activities were held, and we found the golf course area already bustling with folks setting up for the next day’s Concours. It was interesting to see the amount of preparation needed to host such a large event. The immediate area around the Ritz was full of people and cars on display, and the auction was set to begin in just a few short hours. There was no need to pay any non-bidder entrance fees as both of the back outdoor parking lots of the hotel served as the staging area for the cars that were about to enter the auction stage. I later sat on the carefully manicured grass having a picnic lunch with Jenna while listening to the auction that was being continuously broadcast on the outside loudspeakers, and had the pleasure of a very interesting $4M Ferrari sale as my lunchtime entertainment. Amazing stuff! As for Jaguars, besides the Wrights’ XK120, a few E-Types and a Mark IV sold that weekend. Both Tom Curren and I thought their final bid prices went up to where they should have, hopefully making the sellers some very happy people. Mike O’Driscoll awarding Gary Bartlett’s D-Type Retired racing pro, Janet Guthrie judging a great Jaguar XK120 During our two days at the Amelia Island event, we saw a few familiar faces from our club there as well –Pete Betterman, Mac Ballard, Dan and Tim Middleton, and Tom Wright to name a few. We somehow managed to miss other club members who reportedly were at Amelia at the time (Jay Hixson, Ginger Corda and Mike Baker. Hmm, perhaps they were avoiding us.) We also recognized a few TV personalities at the auctions: Barry Maguire (from the TV show “Car Crazy” and Maguire’s car finishing products) was showing great interest in a 1901 steam powered vehicle before the vehicle auctioned (he spent about half an hour talking to Tom about cars and design while Jenna and I had our picnic), and we also saw Wayne Carrino (from “Chasing Classic Cars”) dashing around the place on both Friday and Saturday. XK120 and SS100 on the field The large and impressive field display of JAGUAR Cars! Jaguar’s team was kept busy giving test drives Page 9 Tom, Jenna, and I headed back home on Saturday evening, so the rest of the weekend’s report will be coming from other club members. For my part, the two auctions were amazingly interesting while the weekend felt somehow very relaxing and vacation-like. Perhaps next year more club members would like to go to this event and we could drive up together (and make it into a weekend outing with a group of us). Tom and I will definitely be going back! ☼ Story & Photos by Johanna Rosser MARCH 19, 2011 - Jaguar again sponsored tickets and car corral access for club members for the 12-hour endurance race at the Sebring raceway. So, as soon as Tom Curren and I heard this, we signed up immediately! Tom and I made plans to meet fellow members, John and Justin Falco, as well as John’s friend, Steve, and our club’s Bill McCormac at the Falco residence early on the day of the race. At 6 a.m. on Saturday, March 19, Tom and I got to John’s house right as planned, and we were soon on our way. I drove Tom’s 1952 XK120 to Sebring that morning (hey, he got to drive too! Tom drove back home in the evening, so it’s not like he’s ALWAYS on the passenger side of his car ). My motorcycle jacket and gloves came in handy as the temperature got quite cool that morning. We rolled down the seemingly never-ending Highway 27 toward Sebring and witnessed the most amazing sunrise over the sleepy Florida farmland. As John Falco led the way in his E-type (it says that right on the license plate! -- FALCOS E), Justin followed us in John’s other E-type (again, the plate tells you it’s the 2ND CAT). Can you picture it? Tom and I were in the middle of an E-type sandwich! We got quite a few looks on the way, as people first spotted John’s dark green E-type, then Tom’s bright red XK120, and then the second green E. You just don’t see cars grouped like that on the road very much. Getting to the race early the way we did is the best strategy in my opinion, as the entrance to the track isn’t yet too busy, the air is still cool, and the excitement as fans waiting for the race to start is almost palpable in the air. The Jaguar car corral was positioned at the exit of turn 17, so (from our vantage point) we got to witness the race cars fight out the corner of turn 17, and then thunder past us on the long straight in front of the pit lanes, heading into turn 1. The race track had a really good attendance level, and while there definitely were lots of people around, it never felt too crowded or uncomfortable. Sebring is a very large facility, and there certainly was room for everyone! After enjoying the morning food and drinks that the Jaguar hospitality tent had set up for us, we started our tour of Sebring by walking through the pits. This is one of the things that is so great about this race in particular– the crowd gets to observe all of the action up close. Prior to the race start, the audience gets to walk right on the race track itself, observing the pit lanes from the drivers’ perspective, as well as being able to get close to the race cars and the drivers posing on the grid. All through the day we were able to observe the pit lane action from the stands above the pits, and we could walk around the paddock and garage area, observing all the behind-the-scenes action. Tom and I kept returning to the Jaguar hospitality tent throughout the day for refreshments, clean private bathrooms, and to check up on our friends and on our cars. Jon Gross was at the tent later in the afternoon, and Fritz Ingram’s black E-type attracted admirers and photographers all day as it was parked next to the two Falco Etypes and Tom’s XK120. Our club members once again proved to be the people to exercise their cats and to provide the visual entertainment for the crowds. All through the day we saw people constantly stopping and photographing our Jaguars as the cars sunned themselves in front of the large Jaguar billboard at the Jaguar car corral. As Tom and I cruised the track perimeter and campground, we discovered some amazing sights around the campers (aka “The Zoo”). I couldn’t help but be impressed at the ingenuity and the sick sense of humor of some of the race fans, and let’s just say that now I know where the slightly damaged department store mannequins go! The day warmed up to lower eighties, which would have perhaps felt a bit hot, except for the absolutely perfect southerly breeze that kept on gently blowing all day, whisking away all race-track smells. All day long numerous helicopters kept thundering by overhead (flying very, very low to capture the race footage for the cameras), car manufacturers’ tents were constantly busy with people admiring the top-of-the-line cars that were on display (and I should mention that the new Jaguars at the Jaguar Cars display tent looked VERY sexy, fast, expensive, luxurious, and tempting…), and party tents like the Patron tequila bar looked like they were overflowing with people all day. Continued, next page… Page 10 Sebring, Cont. Jaguar had two XKRs entered into the competition, cars 98 and 99. One of these two Jaguars sadly exited the race track and headed to the paddock area (and was not to be seen again) at 51 minutes into the race, an instance which Tom even photo documented for the sad moment that it was by taking a picture of his cell phone clock at that very moment when we saw the Jaguar slowly disappear behind the rows of trucks and trailers at the garage/paddock area. The remaining Jaguar in the race held its own and seemed to be competitive amid the tough competition from all the other very well-designed and driven race cars. The two Corvettes once again were very distinguishable coming into each turn, as their approaching low rumbling engine noise couldn’t be mistaken for any of the other cars that day on the track. Below: Bye-bye 2nd race car! Below: Johanna with well-known and admired “car guy” and author, B. S. “Burt” Levy The prototypes were strangely quiet going by and they somehow looked like they weren’t even driving too hard and like they would have had a lot more to give, and the Porsches in contrast to the very loud race cars didn’t seem to make much noise at all. During all the cautions the Jaguar pace car seemed to just glide on the race track, smoothly and quietly in style looking absolutely flawless, while the motley crew of the dirty, rough riding, LOUDLY backfiring, back and forth weaving, misbehaving line of (now somewhat race-damaged) race cars followed. It was quite a sight, and it brought a smile onto my face every time the group went by! I even scored a celebrity meeting at the race – one of my favorite authors, B.S. Levy (probably best known as the author of “The Last Open Road”) was at Sebring selling his books and other assorted merchandise as well as signing autographs. Tom and I spent some time chatting with Burt and even helped him move his merchandise to his second location at the merchant lane. Once Burt mentioned flying back home the next day from Orlando I instantly invited Burt to meet me at my work for a simulator ride before his commercial flight home. It worked out just perfect, except Burt was in a hurry to catch his flight so we only did a quick tour of Austria and the Swiss Alps in the Citation XLS simulator. Burt’s comment in the e-mail he sent me the next day was that he would have wanted to loop and roll and fly into the mountain if he’d had more time. Typical race car driver comment. If any of you haven’t read “The Last Open Road,” you need to buy the book and read it, and you’ll then of course need to read the rest of the series. Once you read the beginning sentence of that book, you’ll know what I’m talking about, and you’ll be hooked just as I am. We made an early evening exit from the racetrack and headed home, again driving in formation with the two Falco E-types. Once at home and in air conditioning (Tom’s 120 actually does have air conditioning – it’s the two side vents that can be opened to scoop hot, dry air from over the hot, dry asphalt) we excitedly turned on the TV to watch the rest of the race. And then we found out that only the first few hours of the race were televised, and the rest was on a live webcast on the internet. We figured it out, and watched the rest of the race in style, in the comfort of my home, from the screen of my laptop. As I was about to nod off on my couch with mere minutes of the race remaining . I didn’t feel tired, hot, worn or sunburned as one might expect. Instead I felt strangely relaxed and rested. You see, Sebring is magical– sitting in the middle of old Florida, hours away from any large airports or cities, amidst quiet countryside and orange groves, the racetrack attracts drivers and teams from all over the world. For 59 years in a row, cars and drivers have tested their limits on the unapologetically rough and long (3.7 miles!) racetrack, starting the endurance race in the bright sunlight and the heat of a spring Florida day, and finishing in the cool temperatures and the total blackness of the Sebring track in the early hours of the night. Tom with one of the Jaguar race cars To me, the experience of going to the famous, mystical Sebring, and being a part of such an exciting race event is so different from my everyday life that it feels like being on vacation. The ambiance of this race is something I just feebly attempted to describe in this article – you’ll have to go to the race at Sebring next year to experience it for yourself! ◘ Page 11 Photos of AGM weekend by Mike Baker & Ginger Corda Richmond, Virginia Summary of JCNA Bylaw Changes By Johanna Rosser, JCOF VP & AGM Delegate Article III – Minimum number of members required to start a new club. Proposal was to axe the 20 member minimum required to start the club, instead to allow the Board of Directors to approve new clubs with lesser head counts. A point was made that many clubs start with more than 20, but then fall below that mark. Also, some clubs try to get started but fall just short of the 20, and never materialize as a club. It seemed like a great proposal and one to help our membership, but it was tabled until the next AGM so that more thought could be put into the wording. I was disappointed that this got tabled. Article IV – Notification of meetings. Proposal was to make the wording more specific and to allow the meeting notification to be posted online or otherwise (by current day technology) and not necessarily in the Jaguar Journal (due to the lead time required for the magazine). This made sense to me, and the motion did indeed pass. Article V – Review of administrator’s contract. Removed from the docket, we didn’t even discuss this. It was in our preliminary meeting packet but then was removed before the meeting start. Article IV – Meetings etc. Proposal to simplify and change all meeting notification deadlines to 60 days across the board. This made sense, and the motion passed. Article VI – Directors. Proposal for wording update to help provide unbiased election results and to use current-day technology for elections as agreed upon. Again, this made sense, and the motion passed. NB 2.1 – New membership category. Dick Maury had proposed a new “no frills” membership category. This got a LOT of discussion and interesting points were made. Proposal was made into a discussion item, so no voting or deciding was done on this. NB 2.2 – Proposal to change the event name. Proposal was to change the name for Challenge Championship and Western States to something more meaningful. Strong resistance – this was made into a discussion item and was not voted on. NB 2.3 – JCNA financial support for Challenge Championship, Western States and AGM. Also made into a discussion item and not voted on. NB 2.4 – Lots of informational stuff, nothing to vote on. Membership can be paid for via PayPal if the local club signs up, the new tech support phone line is in service, etc. NB 3 – Proposal to create a new JCNA region for Mexico so they could be separate from the South Central (read: Texas) region. Lots of discussion, but made into a discussion item and not voted on. NB 4 – Judging. Four separate proposals under this one. Motion passed for requirement for clubs to have a designated chief judge, five or more certified judges and an active judge training program in order for club to receive a Concours sanction. Motion passed for clarification that tire speed rating applies also to the driven division. I spoke strongly on this, but got voted down on my opposition to the amendment. Motion passed to the clarification on the allowed electronic accessories, but it’ll at least only apply starting in 2012. Motion passed on reduction of points deduction for “clear bras.” NB-11 (all others in between were informational, or line holders in the agenda that ended up having no content so there was nothing to discuss, hence the jump from NB 4 to NB11): Location of 2012 AGM. Phoenix wanted the 2012, they lobbied for it, and we all gladly voted for the motion to pass for Phoenix to host the next AGM. We also voted for the Mexico City club to host the 2013 AGM, so the next two years are set! ☺ Johanna, Ginger & Lou at the AGM Norman is truly a Nice Guy Page 12 Current JCNA Officers & Directors Several E-Types rallied to a Winery on Saturday. “A highlight for me was when Norman autographed my 1966 E-Type just before he departed for the airport! He chose to sign the passenger door interior panel” - Ginger Norman inspected all Es as part of the “XKExperience.” Page 13 The Walter Hill Collection - Part 2 [Editor’s note: Part 1 appeared in our Jan-Feb, 2010, JAGWire. Sorry, no photos accompany this printing.] Story by Tony Brown, Le Mans (from his 1992 visit to Walter Hill’s Florida home) Letter from Le Mans 74 - Walter Clay Hill 1920 - 2011 It seems that recently several friend have shuffled off their mortal coil, but I was deeply shocked and saddened to hear of the death of Walter, whom I had the pleasure of meeting and interviewing in 1992 at his ranch at Sewall’s Point, Florida and with whom I kept in touch over the years. He was particularly interested in the C-type project, and was most encouraging on the matter. I make no apologies for reprinting the article I wrote at the time, a history of a deep devotion to our marque which led to a collection sans pareil, one that today would take very deep pockets and many years to reassemble. So the story continues; Walter is such a fascinating man but at the same time a self effacing one; on my tapes he is clearly asked when he will be writing his biography, and Walter is most emphatic that this would never happen. I hope that these two articles, while not being a biography, will at least commit to history some of the life of this most likeable man who was the foremost Jaguar collector in the world. In his professional life Walter was a test pilot, a job of not inconsiderable danger and importance in itself, but when he was buying his collection he was expressly forbidden by Eastern Airlines to take part in racing. Their explication was that they paid him to take risks in the air, not on the ground! So Walter said to himself that buying a “sports car” was permissible, hence the acquisition of an XKSS. Well, I have recounted part of the history of the first XKSS that Walter possessed but not all and this car as you will see is now a replica D type complete with Lucas fuel injection. Walter had however carefully stored the original body of the XKSS and all relevant parts since this project was one he wanted to undertake without destroying the original car. As a side note it is interesting that Walter was the tenth owner of this car when he purchased it in 1969, 12 years after it was built, and there is a historical reason for this; When the XKSS was envisaged it was to run as a racer in the C class and as such 50 needed to be built, a simple matter for Jaguar to do until the fire swept away all such thoughts in February 1957, as a result of which the XKSS had to run in the C modified class which was another kettle of fish entirely. Originally he changed it to a short nosed D type but then he had the long nose D type body shell made by RS Panels in England and it was then painted in the Briggs Cunningham colours exactly as it raced at Sebring in 1957; but to me the most fascinating part of the history of this car is the fuel injection system. Well, you might say, fuel injection is pretty well known in Jaguar circles, but not the original fuel injection on the 1956/7 D types which until then I had thought was the same system that the later E types sported, but no, this is not the case. The original system was made as a one off with, according to Walter, only eight systems being fabricated and which remained the property of Lucas at all times, so much so that when the cars were sold on they were returned to Webers and the injection system returned to Lucas as owners. The 1957 Ecurie Ecosse D type is one such car, winning the Le Mans 24 hours with fuel injection but being converted to Webers before sale. One day in the early 1970’s Walter was at Donington Park with Tom Wheatcroft, the owner, and saw on the wall of his museum a cutaway copy of the original 1956/7 injection system which was made for display purposes only. After some time and some discussion Tom allowed Walter to take away the cutaway show model and Walter, through his Aircraft connections he had made a complete early injection system which the car still sported when we saw it. Walter recounted that these engineers worked to tolerances in the millionths of an inch range, far beyond our normal range as car people, and believes that this is the only early system remaining in existence, although I am not able to verify this myself. The car ran reasonably well with the system but either in the upper range or the lower and since I was there they spent several years getting the car to run correctly throughout the rev range. This car was sold recently and – happy news – is back in the south of England with all relevant pieces and is being rebuilt as an XKSS again. Photos of this car will be appearing later in the year. The acquisition of the second, red, XKSS is a trifle bizarre in that the owner said he would sell it to Walter on the condition that he found him an Austin Princess! Walter hadn’t a clue what that was but worked on it, found one, phoned the XKSS owner who then said he had changed his mind and wanted a London taxi! To cut a convoluted story short he ended up with neither but was aware that he had put Walter to a lot of effort and sold it to him anyway. Walter’s original idea in purchasing this car was that it should be a spares car! Unfortunately the history of the acquisition of his C types is lost both on tape and in my memory which is a complete shame, as is that of the early E type and the commemorative (interesting number plate though – any one know of it?), but there are other stories still to relate. Walter is above all a sports car man but had at one time a well used E type coupe which he traded with a gentleman for the Mk7 shown here, his reasoning being that while the XK120 was the test bed for the XK engine it was for the new MK7 that it was designed. This car, as all his cars at the time, was in absolutely stunning condition. So let’s move on to his two group 44 cars, the XJR5’s. Group 44 was of course the Bob Tullius connection, but later in life Bob grew tired of cars and got more and more into aircraft. I seem to remember, and I hope this is correct, that Walter, passionate of aircraft as well as cars, owned a P51 Mustang fighter and that this formed part of the deal when he acquired the cars. I know for sure that Bob Tullius had a P51 and I took the opportunity when at Duxford recently to take this photo of one. The “04” car was originally the “Salad Bar” car, being a rolling chassis for demonstrating at launches etc. but without running gear, but Walter being Walter this is now a fully functional racing car. Only he would do this I reckon, already owning one! Since I was there a new acquisition came along which is both famous and somewhat infamous at the same time. Walter owned the “second“ XJ13; I hear a collective intake of breath here but please bear with me. When you own all of the above cars and want to complete your collection, what car is missing? The XJ13 of course so Walter commissioned Brian Wingfield to build a replica body shell, a task that was carried out so meticulously and which entailed Brian taking measurements of the original car at the JDHT so even the spacing of the rivets is correct. Well, there are many replicas of the XJ13 about, but this one is special for above all one very important reason – it sports the original V12 5 litre quad cam engine designed for the car, the precursor to the 5.3 litre twin cam E type engine. This 5 litre was produced for racing but due to regulation changes was still born and several engines remained on the shelf at Jaguar since the mid 1960’s when the car was built. However, how both spare engines came to leave Jaguar and one to be installed in the replica is a wonderful story but one I cannot relate for fear of making the slightest error in its recounting! Regrettably, space allows me to continue no more, but above you have the bones of the Walter Hill collection. Perhaps I’ll return to it from time to time and relate more on his other cars. Finally, this visit was capped by a visit to the Daytona 24 hour race, where Jaguar came 2nd due to a broken gearbox at 2am and which it only took 22 minutes to change. Here is an atmospheric photo of that moment plus a scoop photo of a Jaguar seen there which did not make production! The collection was sold if memory serves in 2007, a tale that was sad in itself because despite promises to the contrary by the buyer, it was immediately broken up and sold piecemeal. What a pity that Jaguar themselves did not have the funds to acquire it. Bonne route • Page 14 JAGUAR CLUB OF FLORIDA 2011 Membership Application Circle One: New / Renewal - JCNA #_______________ Name _________________________________________ Address_______________________________________ City____________________State_____ Zip__________ Phone (H)_________________ (W)_________________ Co-Member____________________________________ E-Mail_________________________________________ Jaguars I own: Year______Model_____________Color_____________ Year______Model_____________Color_____________ How did you learn of our club? _____________________________________________ Signature ____________________________________ Date _________________ 2011 Calendar Year Dues are $45. Co-Membership is an additional $10. In Loving Memory of Maya (1993 - 2011) P. O. Box 988 Maitland, FL 32751 TO: Please send your application and check payable to: JAGUAR CLUB OF FLORIDA c/o 4554 Misty Morn Circle, Orlando, FL 32812 Membership details Pg. 3, also at www.catdriver.org
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