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Xcar focuses on famed Jaguar test driver Norman Dewis

If you have any interest at all in motoring history, especially when it comes to European sports car racing from the '50s and '60s, do absolutely whatever you can to set aside 38 minutes for this interview with former Jaguar test driver Norman Dewis from XCar. Dewis had a hand in developing the British brand's vehicles from 1952 to 1985, and as expected over that time, he amassed some fantastic stories. Xcar did a great job of teasing a few of those great tales out of him here. From the very beginning, Dewis was gifted with a natural talent to read a car as a test driver. When he was just 16, he was taken out on his first chance to evaluate a vehicle and picked out even more intricacies than his instructor. Dewis eventually wound up at Jaguar, and that's where his career really took off. Among his many accomplishments there, he had a role in developing disc brakes both for racing and the road, set multiple world top speed records, and helped bring the E-Type to the world. Dewis even made the famous overnight drive in an XKE convertible from England to display it at the Geneva Motor Show. Dewis tells a first-hand account of being in the Jaguar paddock during the tragic accident during the 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans that took the lives of dozens of spectators. It's a story that we usually can only read about or watch in black-and-white films. Hearing Dewis' side really brings this history to life.

Jaguar's F-Sleigh replaces reindeer with jet power

'Tis the season for automakers to demonstrate how they would design Santa's famous (if fictitious) sleigh. The F-Sleigh concept is based on the F-Type convertible, but this one has skids instead of wheels, a pair of jet engines in place of the supercharged V8, the requisite red nose (embossed with the Growler emblem), and of course plenty of room for gifts. This is the second time we've seen a modern Jaguar design incorporating small turbines, and takes the idea of a 550-horse open sleigh to new heights. Jaguar rendered the design in an ice sculpture and is displaying it this holiday season at the London Edition hotel in the British capital. Joining the F-Sleigh on display are some of the more tempting items from the latest Jaguar and Land Rover merchandise collections, including a 1:8 scale model of a 1957 XKSS and a Defender pedal car. But it's the centerpiece that caught our attention, looking at least as cool as some of the designs we've seen from the likes of Ford, Honda, Lexus, Bentley, or even Jaguar Land Rover's previous concepts. Now if you'll excuse us, we have to rush down to the fireplace to replace the milk and cookies with a tanker full of jet fuel. Related Video: JAGUAR UNVEILS EXCLUSIVE CHRISTMAS 'F-SLEIGH' DESIGN TO CELEBRATE THE LAUNCH OF JAGUAR AND LAND ROVER 2016 MERCHANDISE COLLECTIONS - Jaguar unveils special Christmas-themed design study codenamed F-SLEIGH - Jaguar and Land Rover host exclusive launch of new 2016 branded collection in central London - Items from the new collections available to buy at Jaguar and Land Rover retailers and online stores: https://shop.jaguar.co.uk/ / https://shop.landrover.co.uk/ (The London Edition, London W1 - 14 December 2015): Jaguar and Land Rover showcased their latest collection of branded goods alongside licensed partners in central London today, to mark the launch of the brands' 2016 collections. A special ice-sculpture of a Christmas-inspired Jaguar design was exclusively revealed at the London Edition hotel to celebrate the merchandise and luxury goods launch. Codenamed 'F-SLEIGH', the Jaguar Christmas sleigh takes inspiration from the Jaguar F-TYPE convertible, but with skates in place of wheels, a generous open luggage compartment for gifts and jet power to generate Jaguar's renowned supercharged performance through the night sky. A Growler-embossed red nose completes the F-SLEIGH's Christmas theme.

40th Jaguar E-Type ever made sells at auction for lb88k

The 40th Jaguar E-Type ever built, a right-hand-drive 1961 model, hit the auction block and was bought by an anonymous British buyer for 88,000 pounds ($141,310), ITV reports. The Jaguar had been stored at the previous owner's estate, in dry storage, at a derelict farm in Le Mans, France since July 1974.
E-Type chassis No. 860040 was bought by the previous owner in 1969 and was originally gray. But it was driven home to France and painted it in its current aubergine in 1974, before it was put into storage. During that time it was considered missing by experts, but there it sat under a dust sheet car cover for most of its life, so the body is in good condition. The family mechanic said that the car was last started about five years ago, and the engine recently was turned over. Coys auction house describes the original interior, which is also preserved well, as a "time warp."
Chris Routledge of Coys before the auction said, "They're sort of a mythical beast for enthusiast, at the time they were all handmade on special order, so Jaguar collectors look at the first 100 cars in a different way," BBC News reports. He added, "We estimate it to be worth between 20,000 and 40,000 pounds (about $32,100 to $64,200) but our feedback from collectors and interest worldwide suggests it could sell for between 80,000 and 100,000 pounds (about $128,500 to $160,600)." Of course, his revised estimate was right on target.