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Racing E-types To Promote Jaguar Select Edition Program

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Two thundering, 400-horsepower vintage Jaguar E-Type racecars are taking to the track as high-speed billboards for Jaguar’s award-winning Select Edition Certified Pre-Owned vehicle program.

Jaguar North America has teamed up with renowned vintage Jaguar specialists, Massachusetts-based Donovan Motorcar Services, to campaign the Select Edition Racing E-Types at key historic racing events throughout the 2003 season.

The team makes its debut at this weekend’s (April 24-27) annual Walter Mitty historic sports car races at the famous Road Atlanta circuit, near Braselton, Georgia.

“When you have a rich racing pedigree and an award-winning certified pre-owned program such as ours, putting the two together creates a unique and exciting way of reaching new customers,” said Steve McKnight, vice president, Remarketing and Distribution, Aston Martin Jaguar Land Rover North America.

“And what better car to feature than one of the most desirable, most sought-after, pre-owned cars in the world today – the legendary Jaguar E-Type,” McKnight adds.

Both Select Edition Racing E-Types already have a proven track record. The #61 car is a 1967 E-Type open roadster, prepared from new as a racecar by famed U.S. Jaguar tuner, Huffaker Engineering. Acquired by Donovan Motor Services in 1990, and driven by top vintage racer Bob Hebert, the car has been largely undefeated in its class ever since.


The second Select Edition Racing E-Type, #62, is an early 1961 hardtop roadster that was converted to race spec in 1984 and campaigned by DMS president, Brian Donovan. Used mostly for historic racing endurance events, the car has taken numerous overall and class victories in ultra-competitive Sports Vintage Racing Association (SVRA) and Historic Sportscar Racing (HSR) events.

“The E-Type makes the perfect vintage racecar. It has strong performance, dynamic handling, and a great power-to-weight ratio. And its performance is equaled only by its breathtaking looks,” explained Donovan.

Both Select Edition E-Types are powered by highly-tuned 4.2-liter straight-six engines, delivering close to 415-horsepower – enough to give standstill to 60 mph acceleration in 4.0 seconds and a top speed of 160 mph.

They also come equipped with modified suspension, upgraded front and rear brakes with vented rotors, a heavy-duty four-speed manual transmission, and Goodyear racing tires.

A special paint scheme was also created for the cars by Jaguar designer Joe Buck. The scheme features a silver body color with Jaguar Racing Green stripes, and striking red epaulettes across the front fenders.

The #61 Select Edition Racing E-Type will be driven by Monterrey, Massachusetts-based Bob Hebert, acknowledged as one of North America’s leading vintage racers. Recently voted SVRA Driver of the Year, Hebert has been competing since the late 1960s, when he raced factory-backed Lotus Formula cars. In the early ’90s he switched to GT and prototype racers, competing in the Daytona 24-hour classic no fewer than six times.

The second Select Edition racer, #62 will be campaigned by accomplished Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) pilot, Jack Busch, from Torrington, Connecticut. Busch, a former North East Driver of the Year, has been racing the E-Type for Donovan Motor Services for the past two seasons.

At a number of races throughout the year, special guest drivers selected by Jaguar North America will be offered the chance to get behind the wheel and compete in the #62 E-Type.

“We see our involvement with historic racing as not only increasing awareness of Jaguar’s Select Edition program, but as a means of building closer ties with the many Jaguar Owners Clubs and Jaguar enthusiasts across the country,” explained McKnight.

The race meetings will also be used by Jaguar as part of the launch platform for its all-new 2004 XJ flagship, due in showrooms early June. The ‘Born to Perform’ tour will give potential customers the opportunity to attend race day, watch the Select Edition Racing E-Types in action, and test drive the all-new 2004 XJ – even on the track.



The new XJ is the most technically advanced Jaguar ever built. It features a lightweight aluminum monocoque construction, with an industry-first use of rivet-bonded joining technology for the whole body structure. The result: a body that is significantly stiffer – by 60 percent – and lighter by 40 percent than its steel equivalent.

Both Select Edition E-Types echo the XJ’s use of aluminum to reduce weight. The #61 and #62 racecars, for example, feature an original Jaguar-supplied aluminum hood, doors and trunk lid, which help reduce the car’s weight to just 2,400 pounds. It even uses magnesium wheels, made of the same weight-saving material used in the XJ’s seat frames and dashboard cross-beam.

Even back in 1962, Jaguar understood the benefits of aluminum as a means of reducing weight. Like the new XJ, the famous ‘Lightweight’ E-Type racecars featured an aluminum monocoque chassis and aluminum body panels.

The Jaguar presence at the races will feature a line-up of Select Edition Certified Pre-Owned cars, supplied by local retailers, and displays of classic Jaguars from local Jaguar club members. Donovan Motor Services has prepared a third Select Edition E-Type – based on a 1963 roadster – which will be used for display at the race meetings and various retailer events.

Last year, for the third time in four years, Jaguar Select Edition was judged Best Certified Pre-Owned Vehicle Program in the luxury class segment by consumer information specialists, IntelliChoice, Inc. It was also judged Best Warranty four years in a row, as well as Best Inspection (tying with Volvo), again in the luxury class.

For buyers of pre-owned Jaguars, it means unrivaled peace of mind with each Select Edition Jaguar being backed by a 6-year/100,000 limited warranty.

Coverage begins with Jaguar’s new car 4-year/50,000 guarantee. The Select Edition warranty then provides an additional two years, or 50,000 miles coverage, for a total of six years, or 100,000 miles. Before qualifying as a Select Edition vehicle, each car has to go through a rigorous 140-point inspection.

Select Edition Racing is the third element in Jaguar’s motorsport strategy. In February, Jaguar North America announced it was supporting Michigan-based Rocketsports Racing in developing a 650-horsepower Jaguar AJ-V8 engine for its XKR-bodied Trans Am racecars. Globally, Jaguar’s motorsport effort continues to be with Jaguar Racing and Formula One.
 
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