The beautiful Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire was graced by the spectacle of hundreds of classic and modern Jaguars on Sunday 12th May for the 2019 Summer Jaguar Festival.
Hosted by the Jaguar Enthusiasts’ Club and set in the stunning surroundings of Blenheim Palace courtyard, visitors were presented with the largest gathering of Jaguars from Film and TV ever seen.
The display included a full range of vehicles from James Bond films.
For the 20th EON James Bond film, Die Another Day, the Jaguar XKR was featured prominently as the vehicle of choice for the bejeweled henchman, Zao.
Used as a Bond Car in the hit 2015 James Bond Film, Spectre where Daniel Craig can be seen being chased by the CX75. The car boasts a Formula 1 inspired 1.6L engine that is both Turbocharged and Supercharged and produces over 800bhp and can sprint from 0-100mph in just 6 seconds.
Another ‘film’ car featured at Blenheim Palace was ‘M’s’ Jaguar XJ (X351 model) from the James Bond film ‘Skyfall’. This was featured in the film when actress Judi Dench was being taken to MI5’s building in London. She is seen leaving the 2011 Jaguar XJL Portfolio car after witnessing MI5 building being blown up on the South Bank. This car is up for sale at around £60k and being sold by Tennyson James of Wakefield.
There were cult classics such as the E-Type from the Italian Job,
and cars from TV dramas including the Mark 1 saloon from the ITV hit series ‘Endeavour’. The Jaguar on display is one of the Jaguars featured in the series, that was liveried up as a Police car. From my knowledge, I don’t think the police would have had a ‘sunroof’ in their patrol cars.
Fans of the 1970s show Minder were excited by Arthur Daley’s very own Jaguar XJ6 as used in the TV classic, a car that has rarely been seen since filming ceased.
The courtyard also featured appearances from the team behind the Jaguar F Type currently racing in the British GT championship. Visitors were captivated by the fascinating story behind the Invictus Games Racing team, who consist of two ex-military servicemen who have overcome horrific injuries to turn their lives around and compete at the top levels of motorsport.
This occasion was marked by a procession of over one hundred classic Jaguars from all eras around the usually closed roads of the Blenheim Palace parkland.
The event also offered a trade show, where businesses from the classic Jaguar industry showcase their products and services alongside cars for sale, arts, crafts and food stalls.
Interviews and commentary with visiting celebrities from the Jaguar world, car owners, racing drivers and other personalities were broadcast on a big screen throughout the day. Furthermore, the Spanish Grand Prix, the full F1 race, was shown live on a big screen, so that members didn’t have to rush off early afternoon to see it at home.
Here are a selection of Jaguars on display at this event. Also, there are a number of videos of the event on ‘You Tube’ – here are the links:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPQAbjsP9h8&t=37s
