In short we, at WinSpeed Motorsport of Guildford, know almost everything there is to know about Jaguar cars, particularly from 1948 – 2000 – and our workshops are well-able to span the decades.
Talk to us and our enthusiastic team about owning, driving and maintaining them and hopefully your visit to WinSpeed Motorsport will be a worthwhile, pleasant and enlightening experience….with a touch of History thrown in!
Classic Jaguar XKs 1948 – 1960
The start of it all…..and `The Glory Years`
The great boost to Jaguar`s history during this period was its phenomenal success in Sports-car racing, most notably winning the Le Mans 24 Hours events five times between 1951 and 1957. First: The C-Type (or XK120C as it was called) and then the fantastic D-Type. This history of Racing Improves the Breed culminated in one of the rarest and most coveted cars in the World: the XKSS – the road-going D-Type.
As road cars, Jaguar concentrated on their Sports-car range: The XK 120; XK 140 and XK 150
In all three of its guises over a 12 year production period the Classic Jaguar XK models epitomise the classic British sports-car. Whether it`s the dramatic and spartan Open Two Seater Roadsters with their fully disappearing hoods, the ultra civilised Drophead Coupes with lined hoods and wind-up windows or the svelte and more weatherproof Fixed Head Coupes – all models tick different boxes for different people. Above all, however, Classic Jaguar XKs possess a unique blend of pre and post war characteristics giving them the absolute ability to keep pace with modern traffic on to-day`s roads, whilst exuding classic elegance, charm and charisma.
WinSpeed has been intimately involved with every `XK` and Historic Competition derivative.
This racing heritage lives on to-day and can provide terrific value-for-money motor sport at both Club and FIA (Spa, Mille Miglia, Goodwood Revival) levels and beyond.
At WinSpeed we are dedicated to Classic Jaguar XKs; we have first-hand knowledge of owning them, driving them, racing them, restoring and maintaining them. Have a chat with us and hopefully we can point you in the right direction for thoroughly enjoyable ownership for both road and track. Our long experience has enabled us to find solutions to weaknesses without upsetting their original charm.
The E-Type 1961 – 1974 The Great 60’s Icon
It is hard to believe that in 2021 the Jaguar E-Type will celebrate its 60th Birthday. The Jaguar E-Type made a huge impact upon an unsuspecting public when it was launched in 1961 and it turns heads to-day even more than ever. In Roadster and Fixed Head Coupe form – in various evolutions of power plant and styling – the E-Type was born of race-proven design. It was – and still is – more than a match for its haughty, lower volume and hugely expensive rivals such as Aston Martin, Maserati and Ferrari. The same is true to-day and the price gap for good examples is narrowing rapidly.
The E-Type is a 20th Century motoring and styling icon destined for further greatness and appreciation.
At WinSpeed we keep and own an eclectic stock of such cars. With so many poorly restored, maintained, or presented `opportunistic` examples on the market to-day, we appreciate originality, good panel fit and integrity.
The E-Type is the back-bone of WinSpeed.
E-Types respond well to selected upgrades. The Jaguar E-Type can be used, even to-day, as daily transport and for long-distance Continental motoring.
The V12 Series Three was a different car from its 6-cylinder forebears – a Grand Tourer perhaps….WinSpeed KNOWS how to make the V12 E Type into a SPORTS-CAR.
But….Buyers (please) Beware! There is so much poor stock being presented in a hungry market that fingers can be very easily burned!
Our knowledge of E-Types is extensive …we only buy good examples …and make them even better. So talk to us about E-Types. We are happy to give you our time!
Mk1 and 2 Compact Saloons 1956 – 1968
“Grace, Space….Pace”
The Mk2 Saloon is a perennial and affordable classic Jaguar saloon, but with race-proven pedigree. Forever `aspirational` many of these fine cars have been poorly maintained and restored. So buy with caution. But, correctly restored and maintained – what great cars they are.
The preceding Mk1 however – or more correctly: The Compact Saloon – has now become a highly desirable possession after years of neglect. The purity of line makes them instantly recognisable. Not only that, but they are of lighter construction and are, now, much sought-after due to their rarity and exclusivity.
The S-Type that followed, with significant dynamic & ergonomic upgrades such independent rear suspension, is fast becoming a highly regarded car. Despite period criticism it paved the way for the all-new XJ Series that was to revolutionise the market of the late 1960s right through until 1992.
XJ Saloons 1968 – 1992
The car that saved Jaguar
When the XJ Saloon was launched in 1968 the motoring world was full of awe. A ground-breaking model that saved Jaguar. The elegant 6 & 12-cylinder XJ’s in Series One, Two or Three forms spanned twenty four years of production and evolution. In our opinion, the XJ 12 Series Three will always remain one of the finest saloon cars ever made; the early, iconic, Series 1 XJ6 already has solid Classic Status and the ultra-rare XJ12 Coupe was a styling masterpiece.
Developing during the 1990s into the X-300 and finally the V8 X-308, these saloons represent huge value for money, offering distinctive style and elegance, combined with their legendary sporting touch.
At WinSpeed Motorsport you can be assured that these future classics can be expertly maintained to ensure their classic status and enjoyment.
XJS 1975 – 1996
Breaking the Mould
The Jaguar XJS is a rising Classic. Once considered to be a bit quirky, but evolving over a 20 years period, the XJS has stood the test of time. Good examples of these cars, in their 6 and 12-cylinder forms – Coupes and Convertibles – have now become highly sought-after offering great performance, complete usability and distinctive styling. We have maintained and owned all models of XJS over the years. We know all their foibles and we know exactly where they fail and how to rectify their faults thereby instilling confidence in their owners. Their weaknesses can be expensive to resolve but their excellence and Classic Status has now, at last, been recognised.
