Monday 3 August 2020 would have been the 100th birthday of the late Norman Dewis, the legendary test driver who played a pivotal role in establishing Jaguar as a leading global sports car brand. To mark the occasion, we're looking back at when we had the chance to hear about his experiences during a trip to the firm's Coventry HQ in 2018.
We’re standing in a group, chatting in the foyer of Jaguar Land Rover’s Classic Works, the company’s magnificent new Coventry home for old cars. We’re awaiting the arrival of Norman Dewis OBE, undoubtedly the greatest Jaguar classic of all.
The iconic former chief test engineer, who joined the company in 1952 with the brief of “signing off every competition and road-going Jaguar”, has just celebrated his 98th birthday as if it’s his 40th. He’s agreed to drop in to Classic for a bit of pre-Christmas cheer, and to take his first-ever drive in the new electric Jaguar I-Pace with Ian Callum, the man who designed it.
It’s a gathering of the usual Jaguar suspects: CEO Ralf Speth, whose determination put this magnificent place on the map; Mike Cross, who aims to make every new Jaguar a driving classic; Callum and his all-important I-Pace; and Tony O’Keeffe, Jaguar master historian who will walk us through the latest revived and recreated cars and show us JLR’s amazing James Hull car collection. Our host is Tim Hannig, who runs this place day to day. These men are the successors of Bill Heynes, Bill Lyons, Malcolm Sayer, Lofty England and Bob Knight, who made Jaguar great in the first place. Dewis was one of them.
Suddenly he’s with us. A diminutive figure – whose secret weapon was that, in an era when nobody cared about race driver comfort, he fitted every car – Dewis remains impressively mobile and ‘on the button’. He’s immaculately dressed, sporting his usual custom-made walking stick topped with a large chrome Jaguar ‘leaper’, and ready to go.
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Old Faithful
Rose tinted specs
A nice nostalgic article but defo one seen thru rose-tinted specs.
But it's always the same - 'Brexit', 'dieselgate' and 'China' always being mentioned in the same breath as Jaguar? China is a problem for all manufacturers and diesel - well as far as I can make out, the anti-diesel tale hasn't made it to luxury cars because the vast majority of this sector remains diesel powered. Indeed, most of the cars tested by motoring publications such as Autocar remain deisel powered. Diesel is certainly a concern but not to the extent that Jaguar make out.
The following is from a recent relaibility article in a sister magazine dated 30th Nov 2018:
Newer Jaguar XFs proved the least durable, with 36% going wrong. While some had issues with their engine, fuel system and gearbox, by far the most common issues were with the electrics.
So when Ralf Speth comes away with citing Brexit, China and dieselgate as being the reason Jaguar has less money, perhaps the journaist could have asked the CEO if the results of the survey have played any part in reduced sales?
Personally I think it's a theme that's been constent within the British car industry since Norman Dewis's day - it's always someone else's fault.
I hope it survives the cuts!!!!
I hope this facility survives the planned JLR job reduction of reported 5000 jobs. There's a strong rumour that Castle Bromwich will close & the XE & XF will be axed, Defender & Discovery moving to Slovakia will mean that the Jag plant will not be needed anymore. The new XJ will be all electric & based on the next Range rover made in Sollihull. Sad news but it's the next decade will be a total game change as manufacturers move to electrification. (maybe the only Jags that JLR will be making in the future are those beautiful classics seen in this article)
Some will be sorry but
They did, as you said XF to be replaced by a forward thinking electric version on a proper EV platform like the I-Pace. Plenty of other factories closing around Europe especially the Japanese manufacturers. Still seeing plenty of new Evoques and Discoveries