Hyde Hall, August 2018

The Jaguar Drivers Club (Area 33) held their annual get together at Hyde Hall on Sunday 19th August. Other local clubs in attendance were Aston Martin, Bentley, Morgan, Austin 7, Essex TR Register, Triumph Eastern, Porsche, Singer, South Essex MG, JEC Essex & Suffolk Borders and of course, JEC Essex Thameside.

35 Jaguars turned up from Essex Thameside Region and we presented a great display with the Jaguar sports cars at the front and saloons at the rear.
The weather was dry and warm, although during the morning it was very windy. This culminated in the club having to dismantle the gazebo just after lunch. The wind caused the frame to drop on various corners and it became too much of a risk to keep it up.

The show was a complete success and I believe all attendees were impressed with the displays of cars from each club. The indication from Hyde Hall staff was that 3,800 visitors attended that day, up from 2,970 last year. It was good to see some new clubs join us at the show including Aston Martin and Bentley who provided a variety of cars from various eras. Although in attendance last year, the local Mercedes club were unable to display this year due to a conflicting event. Like all these shows, you can guarantee there is something else going on elsewhere during the summer season on the same day. Just up the road was the Battlesbridge Custom Culture Show which featured classic and custom cars, bikes & scooters.

On display, on the Aston Martin stand, was a lovely DB6.Steve Rider’s 2017/8 Vanquish shows how Aston Martins have evolved.

Other attendees from the TR Registry included a Triumph TR2, TR4A and TR6. The TR2 had a straight four-cylinder 1991cc engine and 2 x SU carburettors which gave it a top speed of 107mph. This compares with the TR4A which had a straight four-cylinder 2138cc engine with 2 x ST carburettors giving it a top speed of 109mph. Not a lot for a difference of 10 years between these models. However, the TR6 came along with a 2.5 litre straight 6 engine with a Lucas Indirect Fuel Injection system for UK markets giving it a top speed of around 119mph (Autocar test). In the US and other export markets a Twin Stromberg 175CD carburettors were fitted.

It was good to see Les Cowling’s early E-Type on display too. It was built in 1961 but wasn’t registered until 1962. It apparently spent some months at the Jaguar factory before being sent to a dealership in Harrogate – unusual because, at the time, there was a high demand for E-Types even if convertibles were the preferred choice.

For the car to have sat around in the factory for a few months does raise the question whether it had a special purpose. Les has established that the car had a different number plate to the registration it has now but is at a loss to find out what it was. Sadly, without the original number plate he may never know. Various enquiries of Jaguar Heritage and Jaguar themselves have failed to uncover much about this car. It has been established that it was first registered in February 1962, but in July 1962, a new engine was fitted. Oddly, a new identification plate with the current engine and Moss gearbox number was also fitted – by whom, he is not sure. Whether it was Jaguar or the dealership that sold it is not known.

This may remain one of life’s little mysteries.

Doug Warren