1948 Jaguar 3 1/2 L Drophead Coupe Owned By: Barrie & Karen Hutchinson Pacific Northwest Region - CCCA
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Autumn 2018 1948 Jaguar 3 1/2 L Drophead Coupe Owned by: Barrie & Karen Hutchinson Pacific Northwest Region - CCCA PNR CCCA & Regional Events CCCA National Events Details can be obtained by contacting the Event Manager. If no event manager is listed, contact the sponsoring organization. 2019 Annual Meeting January 13-20 ......................Scottsdale, AZ October 20th (part of Arizona Car Week) Tour & Lunch @ "Drivers Club" in Redmond Grand Classics® PNR Contact: Amanda Freedman Sept 5 - 8 ....................New England Region November 7th - Annual Meeting w/ Sept 14 - 16 .......................Indiana Region Wine Tasting Event at Danz Garage November 3 .......................Florida Region Contact: Kenny Heng CARavans December 9th - Holiday Party Octobert 14-17 2018 ......Post Hershey Mini-Carava at Seattle Yacht Club September 9-17 2019 .......Pacific Northwest Region PNR Contact: Frank Daly Director's Message Greetings, Fellow PNR Members! Well summer is certainly upon us and I hope that means you have been out and about, enjoying the pleasure of driving your Classic. I showed the Airflow Limousine at the Airflow Club of America National Meet a few weeks ago in Chico, California, and it is back on proud display at LeMay, America’s 2018 Pebble Beach Best of Show Car Museum. 1937 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B The dwindling attendance at the Airflow Club Meet reminded me that most of the clubs to which I Touring Berlinetta belong are slowly but steadily declining in terms of membership. Indeed, the CCCA at the national level is Seen at RX Autoworks on PNR Gardens and Garages Tour experiencing such a decline and it is of great concern to all. Yet we at the regional level remain relatively steady, See article page 11 and I began to ponder that aberration. Photo Courtesy of Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance I am sure that there are many reasons, some of which we might never know. But I believe that one of the most important factors is the enjoyable and full calendar of Disclaimer: The technical information in this publication is provided “as events which Stan Dickison, our Activities Manager, is” without any representations or warranties, express or implied by PNR- CCCA. The information in technical articles is provided by the authors to diligently maintains. Many Members step up and host the best of their knowledge as correct at the time of original publication but some of the events, and our Membership in general is neither they nor PNR-CCCA will be responsible for errors. Continues on page 31 2 Bumper Guardian Pacific Northwest Region - CCCA Table of Contents Pacific Northwest Region Classic Car Club of America Calendar of Events ............................2 The Bumper Guardian is the official publication of the Showcase Cars: Pacific Northwest Region, Classic Car Club of America. 1 Barrie Hutchinson's 1948 Jaguar 3 /2 L DHC ... 4 The region was founded in 1963. Officers and Appointed Posts: Articles: Jaguar Motor Car History. 6 Frank Daly, Director 425-210-1804 Vintage Jaguar Owner's Manual .............7 Val Dickison, Secretary 206-546-3306 Klassic Korner for Kids - Tinymite Radio ....27 Terry McMichael, Treasurer 206-790-5012 Serendipity . 28 Stan Dickison, Activities 206-949-1115 Val Dickison, Membership 206-546-3306 Technical Topics: Karen Hutchinson, BG Co-editor 360-678-5453 Classic Battery Options ....................21 Raymond Loe, BG Co-editor 360-678-9366 Part 8 - Meandering Through the Colin Gurnsey, BC Liaison 604-980-7429 Oil Industry ..........................22 Care & Feeding of Batteries ................23 Board of Managers: Steve Larimer 2018 206-954-7829 Columns: Brian Rohrback 2018 206-235-0371 Director’s Message ........................2 Remembering Gary Johnson ...............11 Bill Smallwood 2018 425-773-0130 Remembering Tom Sumner ................15 Val Dickison 2019 206-546-3306 Membership Update ......................27 Kenny Heng 2019 425-443-7546 Editor’s Message .........................31 Al McEwan 2019 206-999-4485 Kim Pierce 2020 425-330-2665 PNR Events/ Regional/National Events Frank Daly 2020 425-210-1804 B.C. Gardens & Garages. .8 Marty Ellison 2020 425-941-9451 RX Autoworks ...........................11 Dochnahl Picnic ..........................12 Bumper Guardian Staff: Yarrow Point 4th of July ...................14 Advertising Darrin Wong 425-210-7558 Classic Corral at the Ferrari Concours .......15 Caption Editor Bill Deibel 206-522-7167 McEwan/ Daly Garage Tour & Luncheon ....17 Copy Editor Bill Allard 253-565-2545 Auto Angels .............................20 Forest Grove Concours ....................24 Cover Story Raymond Loe 360-678-9366 The Hershey Experience ...................29 Staff Photographers Michael Bradley 206-225-6491 Steve Larimer 206-954-7829 Board of Managers’ Meetings: 1st Wednesday at On the Front Cover The Danz Garage, Totem Lake, Kirkland 5:00 Social Gathering, 6:00 Dinner/Meeting. Minutes on the web and available upon request. 1948 Jaguar Membership: Regional membership is available only to 3 1/2 Litre DHC Classic Car Club of America National members. Advertising Policy/Rates: Owned by Barrie & Karen The Bumper Guardian will print classified Hutchinson advertising free of charge to members on a space available basis. Display advertising rates are available on a prepaid basis only. Cover Photo by Kerry Harper Autumn 2018 3 L DHC 2 1/ Owned By Barrie Huthcinson 1948 Jaguar 3 1948 The Inspiration: It wasn’t until I was four years old that I took notice of a car that seemed extraordinary. The occasion was a visit to the family farm in the summer of 1947 by relatives — my great-uncle Digby Wheeler, M.D., and his wife, Elinor — who arrived in their spanking-new Rolls-Royce, Silver Wraith automobile. Of course meeting family members from far away was nice, but my most vivid memories of their visit were of the Rolls-Royce. I had never seen anything like it and recognized the car as something really special. I recall being fascinated with the crisp styling, the headlights (huge Lucas P100’s I was to learn later), shearling carpeting, and, in particular, I was taken with the mechanic’s tools each residing in its own custom-formed niche in the velvet-lined tool tray. The imprint on me was permanent. At that point I had become a car guy. Uncle Digby with his 1947 Rolls-Royce. Years passed and I taught myself the rudiments of restoration practicing Barrie and sister Judy Hutchinson are in awe. first on farm tractors and then on Cadillac, Porsche, Alfa Romeo, Cord and Auburn cars. All the while the presence of the beautiful British car was stuck in the recesses of my memory. The Hunt: Well, it wasn’t really much of a hunt—more a target of opportunity. About 2½ years ago, a fellow Club member, Bill Deibel, made known the offering of a 1948 Jaguar 3½ litre Drophead (convertible) Coupe (DHC). Styling was somewhat similar to Digby’s Rolls-Royce AND the car sported the same huge headlights! Months went by before my curiosity got the better of me and I called Bill to learn the fate of the Jaguar. Bill made the inquiry and learned the car remained unsold. Another car was not something I needed. I certainly did not want a project that would tie me down for years. But need is a relative term and I saw the “need” for a good home for the Jaguar. I made arrangements to view the car, and the car fit the bill. Although the Jaguar was not a show car, it was The Jaguar's tool kit is reminiscent of the together, it was attractive and it ran and drove quite well. I tendered an Rolls-Royce tool kit Barrie admired as a boy. offer that was accepted and in a few short months the car was delivered to me in Washington State. Pacific Northwest Region - CCCA The Car: Jaguar re-used a 1938 design to produce early post- war cars before the 1949 introduction of the MK V and the fabled The Myth: Shortly after delivery of XK cars. Early post-war production (sometimes referred to as the our car, the seller sent me books, receipts, MK IV* model) was limited to right-hand drive (RHD) saloons and related correspondence. Among the offered with either a four-cylinder 1½ litre engine or one of two letters was one that raised my curiosity. six-cylinder engines displacing 2½ litre and 3½ litre respectively. In it, the story was related that a previous Not until the1948 production year did Jaguar introduce left-hand owner in selling the car had “suggested” drive (LHD) cars as well the Drophead Coupe (DHC). Both ideas to the buyer the car had been ordered and were part of a marketing strategy intended to boost exports. The purchased new by Yul Brynner. In an effort model’s final production year, 1948, shortened by early closure to to learn if that were the case I found Rock gear-up for production of new model cars, yielded only 266 LHD Brynner, Yul's son and biographer, whom I Drophead Coupes. Of those, 207 were exported to the United States emailed inquiring about the validity of the and 62 are known to survive. The importance of the older-design assertion. Rock graciously responded with MK IVs is that their sales enabled Jaguar to keep their doors open the following: at a critical time of production recovery after the war. "Dear Mr. Hutchinson, Virtually all U.S. imports were fitted with 3½ litre engines I can guarantee, beyond any shadow of doubt, demanded in the U.S. because of stunning performance, matching that my father did NOT own this car at any that of Bentley automobiles, at a more affordable price. Jaguars at time. In 1948 we were flat broke, living in a the time were not inexpensive. LHD DHC’s were offered in 1948 one-room apartment over a dry cleaners in for £ 1,263 (about U.S.