AUGUST 2016 Volume 21 Issue 7
The newsletter of the Jaguar Association of Greater St. Louis proudly serving St. Louis Jaguar enthusiasts since 1961
Just My $.02 with John Testrake
ave you ever seen blues man Stevie Ray Vaughan’s guitar? It’s Jaguar Association of Greater St. Louis H the most beat up, crappiest looking guitar. It probably wouldn’t “To promote, foster and encourage a spirit of mutual interest among enthusiasts of Jaguar automobiles.” bring $5 at a pawn shop, but she can sure sing the blues with Stevie playing. There is a beauty that is sometimes not aesthetic, but none- ♦ Officers ♦ theless calls one like a siren’s song. I was thinking on that recently while perusing online classifieds, looking at old cars. I can usually President look past some rust or torn upholstery and see the gem hiding there. John Testrake I like to read the descriptions. Here are some of my long time favor- Vice-President ites” Matthew Johnson Treasurer “Ran when parked.” Yeah, most of them did. Terry Carmack Secretary/Membership “Believed to be original miles.” Believed by whom? Diana Schlueter 636.477.1763
♦ Board of Directors ♦ “Restored to show standards.” Pebble Beach or the Knights of Co- lumbus Show & Shine? Term expires 2016 Tom Loew - Gary Schlueter - Kelly Waite “85% complete.” The remaining 15% will cost a fortune. Term expires 2017 Allan Ellis - Marsh Riegert - Phil Taxman “Complete restoration including rebuilt brake master cylinder, lower Term expires 2018 radiator hose, and two fuel injectors.” Fixing a few worn out items Todd Dillon - Jim Hendrix - Lisa Hendrix does not a complete restoration make. Point Tabulator - Terry Carmack Speaking of restoration, I believe the process is mostly cleaning. Concours Chair - Lisa Hendrix & Ray Unger Chief Mechanic - Gary Schlueter People ask me, “How do you get your car so clean?” My response: Chief Judge - Jim Hendrix It’s easy really. Take it completely apart. Meticulously clean every- Assistant Chief Judge - John Testrake thing. Put it back together. Something I almost always count off for Historian - Gary Schlueter when judging a car is cleanliness because you don’t have to know Advertising Manager - Tom Loew anything about a car or be especially mechanically-minded to clean Webmaster - John Sippel it. In fact, you’ll learn a great deal while cleaning it. You don’t have to be rich to have a clean car. The first thing I do to a car I’m restor- On the web at
The Jaguar’s Growl August 2016 3 Dealer of the Year Award from JCNA. July 17th it was a dark and stormy Afterwards a presentation was On night … oh wait, it was a hot and made by John Guenther, FAIA about his re- sunny day for the celebration of the Jaguar cent trip to Cuba. His presentation let mem- Association of Greater St. Louis’s 55th Birth- bers get a peek at what it is like in the island day Party at Fox Run Golf Club. The day nation to our south. It seemed that while started off with members and guests arriv- the doors have been figuratively flung open, ing and parking their classic and fresh-off- there is a long way to go for the citizens of the-showroom-floor Jaguars at the club main Cuba. entrance. After proceeding to the bar and A tip of the hat to the club staff who obtaining refreshments of their choice, were efficient and pleasant to work with and some chose to brave the heat and chat provided a welcoming venue for our gather- around the cars outside. Others sought the ing. refuge of the very comfortable clubhouse. If we failed to mention your Jaguar At the stroke of noon, members below, please accept our apologies and let feasted on the delicious buffet lunch. When Joe know at:
Ray & Dorothy Unger Mark & Dawn Herzog John Testrake 1974 XJ12L Gary & Diana Schlueter 1999 XJR Thomas Loew & Charlotte Bukowski 1992 XJS Robert Stelfox & Jane Ridge 1973 E-type Marsh and Cathy Riegert 2004 XJR Meg and John Sippel 2009 XK Ben and June Hilliker 2003 S-type Todd Hilliker Linda Bennett 1973 E-type Bob Bennett Jr 1967 E-type BJ & Steve Gissy Bob and Grace Bennett Jim and Ann Almeroth Kelly and Sally Waite 1976 XJ6C Courtney Jones and Tatiana 1984 George Randal 1948 Mk IV Ray and Nancy Corry 2008 XJ8 Jim and Lisa Hendrix 2017 F-PACE Allan Ellis 1967 420 Mike and Eva Masich 2002 XKR Bob and Joyce Frey 1951 XK120 & 2017 F-PACE Ben and Jen Hendrix 1984 XJS Norma Nowotny 2002 XJ8 VDP Barb Giese Terry and Jean Carmack Joe and Sharon Guenther
4 The Jaguar’s Growl August 2016 Next C&C: August 20th Having missed the last two Cars & Coffee, I had received reports that while they went well, there was some disappointment that at least one C&C, the Jaguars were spread out. So, much to my pleasure, when I arrived a little early for C&C on 16th July, the traditional Jaguar Row was already partially set up, and JAGSL members were nonchalantly-yet-strategically socializing in empty spots, reserving them for anticipated Jaguar arrivals. Now, since I had two passengers, the two-seater Jag wouldn’t do, so I ap- peared in my VW Bus. As I began to wonder whether I should pull next to the beautiful Jaguars already lined up, the gallant and wonderful John Sippel waved me in, gesturing with no uncertainty that the Bus was welcome next to his superb XK. A wonderful start to a fine C&C, to be certain, and it remained a pleasurable time for the duration. Art & Linda Buechler Bob and Diane Duddy (XJS) Allan Ellis (420) Matthew Johnson Tom Loew (XJS) Ken McDade (E-type) Joe Mizerany (XJS) Marsh Riegert John Sippel (XK) Andre Stunson Gary Sudin (E-type) John Testrake (XJ12)
Photos: Allan Ellis, Carla Johnson, Matthew Johnson, & Mark Morgan
A true showstopper. Allan, with my parents, gaze at Hy- Bob and Diane catch up with man, Ltd.’s 1964 Alvis TE 21 Drophead. I don’t blame Linda over the fabulous Duddy XJS. them. I admit, this is the car I would have driven away in if given the chance. (Well, after Gary’s E-type and Ken’s E- They are soon joined by John, Gary, type, but that goes without saying. And my Bus, but the and Tom, proving once again that latter for sentimental reasons.) That Alvis was a stunner. under-bonnets are irresistible.
Allan grins perhaps a little too widely — even for Allan — behind the wheel of a new F-PACE, attending C&C from Plaza Jaguar. (The Growl, note, was the first area news outlet to report this incident.)
An odd bookend for Jag Row, but if the sun had risen from the west that day, John’s XK would have been well-protected, eh?
No, I’m not talking to my feet: the JAGSL Vice President betrays the Club by fueling the passion of a very young auto enthusiast (whose head is just visible behind the XK bonnet) … for air- cooled VWs. He asked his lovely parents about all the sports cars at C&C, “Is that a racecar?” But for the VWs and Minis, he addressed the cars directly, “Hi!” and offered a cheery wave. The Jaguar’s Growl August 2016 5 When: Saturday, 27 August @ 10:00am Where: MotoeXotica, 2340 Cassens Dr., Fenton, MO 63026 Ph: 636.600.4600
The Plan: Meet at MotoeXotica in Fenton at 10:00am for a tour of the vast inventory of classics — in 30,000 sq. ft. on five acres. MotoeXotica has something for everyone and they are always very gracious and friendly to enthusiasts who want to kick the tires. Owner and JAGSL member Scott Brandt will be on hand to give us his perspective on the classic car indus- try.
At 11:30am, we’ll head over to lunch at HotShots in Fenton (950 South Hwy Dr., Fenton, MO 63026). We’ll order from the menu and we should be able to get seating together.
The Hosts: John Testrake and Kelly Waite
(Note: Postponed to 2017)
(Heldman Shelter; 13450 Marine Ave, St Louis, MO 63146) and so, the relevant classes are …
REGISTRATION IS OPEN! G Jaguar Saloons (1971 and older) H Jaguar Saloons (1972 and later) Website: https://www.allbritishcarshow.com/ I Jaguar XJS (all years) Registration: https://www.allbritishcarshow.com/registration/ J Jaguar Sports Cars (through XKE) Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StLouisAllBritishCarShow/ K Jaguar Sports Cars (post XKE)
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Friday, September 23
5:00pm-dark: Pre-Show BBQ at Creve Coeur Lake Memorial Park (at car show location) sponsored by All British Car Repair
Grilled burgers, bratwursts, hot dogs, all the trim- mings and soft drinks. Join us for an evening of food, fun, friends, and cars.
Please bring a side dish/dessert to share & chairs
Saturday September 24
9:00am: Show Field Opens 9:00am-Noon: On-site registration 9:00am – 2:00pm: Swap Meet 11:00am – 1:30pm: Popular Voting 3:00pm: Awards (please be at the pavilion at 2:30pm)
A concession stand offering food and drinks dur- ing the show is operated by the St. Louis Triumph Owners Association. Photos: Matthew Johnson (inset); Brian Schoeneck (background)
The Jaguar’s Growl August 2016 7
Danella Bagnall (F- Writing for autoevolution, Mircea Panait reports If you have not been following Olivia Gentry’s PACE Chief Prod- that “the XJ13 will finally get to race on the Cir- delightful (I mean, she even quotes St. Augus- uct Engineer) and cuit de la Sarthe … at the Le Mans Classic.” By tine at one point!) coverage of the Great Race, Fiona Pargeter the time this Growl reaches you, the XJ13 I’ll give you a very brief summary here of the (Head of Global PR should have made its debut. The XJ13 was performance of the Jaguars participating. The Communications) rally started on June 14th from San Rafael, CA, were among twen- concluding June 26th in Moline, IL. It’s a com- ty women from petition based on precision driving and naviga- Jaguar Land Rover tion (none of that quickest in the ¼-mile malar- who were recog- key): “Each vehicle must follow a prescribed nized in Autocar’s “Top 100 Most Influential common route while attempting to maintain British Women in the Automotive Industry” assigned average speeds.” If I’m reading the report. Bagnell won in the “Product Develop- 2016 score sheet correctly, Dick Russ and ment” and Pargeter in the “Communications” Mike Cook placed 73rd in their ‘70 E-type; Ed categories. Such recognition helps to entice Overmyer and Eric Fayard took 78th in their ‘63 young women into pursuing careers in the E-type; Hazel and Tom Nawojczyk finished 99th automotive industry, a traditionally heavily in their ’66 3.8S; and Jan Wessel and Aaron male-dominated profession. “Last year,” Au- supposed to have done so 50 years ago, but Meijer did not place, but gallantly entered their tomotive World specifies, “22% of Jaguar changes in racing regulations made it impossi- ’52 Mk VII and made it to the first stage. If I Land Rover’s engineering graduate intake ble. Panait also mentions that the XJ13 will be may speak for JAGSL, congrats to all of the were female, higher than the national figure joining “in a 100-car parade of old-school Jagu- Great Race participants! of 15%, demonstrating the huge progress the ars.” A quick glance at the Le Mans Classic
Top Gear had a surprise for Jaguar fans. Host Rory Reid retraced legendary Jaguar test driver Norman Dewis’s famous 13-hour sprint from Coventry to the Geneva (55 years later to the Jaguar Land Rover CEO Ralf Speth wrote in a night). In 1961, Jaguar was to reveal the E- letter to JLR employees that “leaving the EU type at the Geneva Motor Show. It was such a would be ‘highly damaging,’” report Siddharth media sensation that Jag needed another E- Vikram Philip and Elisabeth Behrmann, writing type. Dewis drove the car through the night, for Bloomberg. Speth said to workers that the arriving with but 10 minutes to spare for its claim “is not just an employer’s view or that of unveiling. Reid relived the experience in a F- ‘big business.’ It is also the conviction of the type SVR, again the very car to be shown. unions who represent you.” To bolster that While Reid had “twice the power and 21st Cen- point, consider that Jaguar Land Rover is not tury roadways,” he also had “21st Century traf- alone in the automotive industry in thinking fic and … police” to contend with — and Jag about Brexit with some trepidation: Philip and reps calling his cell phone (“The car has to be Behrmann mention that Ford, Volkswagen, here, Rory!”). Upon Reid’s arrival, Dewis him- Nissan, and Toyota have voiced similar con- self greeted him on the stage. Dewis had beat- cerns. And when have they all agreed, simulta- en Reid by 10 minutes. (I do want to know neously, on anything? Philip and Behrmann what happened to all of the bugs the F-type also quote Arndt Ellinghorst, a London-based had accrued.) But the best part of the show financial analyst, who predicts that “The U.K. happened on Extra Gear: Reid drives Dewis car market, one of the most profitable in Eu- around the Top Gear track in an original E-type, rope, would probably decline by about 14 per- Dewis slapping Reid’s hand, commenting to cent next year.” the flustered driver, “Ach, stop scratching those gears!”
FOR SALE: 1989 Jaguar XJS V12 convertible Writing for Motor Trend, Megan Stewart, Guenther by Joe Suggested with 75,000 miles. Not show car, but looks connects two F-PACE debuts: “Last year, pretty, drives great, and the top works well. the Jaguar F-Pace set the record for the New front end work and steering rack. Full world’s biggest loop-the-loop with [stunt disclosure: A/C not working, top has a small driver Terry] Grant behind the wheel. The F imperfection (but no leaks), one rear window -Pace completed the nearly 30-foot loop in inoperable. just 3 seconds, going upside down with no Contributing to Adweek, David Kiefaber com- issue. This year, Jaguar’s performance ments on Jaguar’s “Actual Reality” prank that crossover takes on the Goodwood hill on won four awards at Cannes. Kiefaber de- two wheels.” And indeed, the F-PACE ap- scribes the experience: “A team of sadists at parently did just that: on the track, two wheels. Y&R New Zealand set up a fake VR experience Stewart quotes Grant saying, “It’s [sic] light, at the Big Boys’ Toys Expo. They put a wonky VR helmet on people's heads and, while they watched a simulation video, actually drove them through a stunt course in a Jaguar.” The setup is clever, a Jaguar representative escort- $9500 or offer/trade. ing a participant to an F-type that is mounted Mark Mcgriff (417.825.6747) on a hydraulic-seeming platform that looks like it could jostle an F-type around, simulating the movement of the car on the track; once the FOR SALE: 1997 Jaguar XK8. New brakes all virtual reality helmet is placed on the partici- around; newer rack, radiator, front spring, pant’s head, the platform lowers the Jag, a shocks, & aluminum timing chain tensioners. garage door opens, and they’re off. Kiefaber stiff aluminum body and precise controls make Snow tires on separate rims included. supposes that it “seems like the opening act of it the perfect wheelie vehicle.” Okay. Here’s a lawsuit,” and one can see why; but he smart- my question: We want the F-PACE to be a ly concludes that “Being duped is fun, after all, “perfect wheelie vehicle,” why? Isn’t the point when the experience you had is better than the of a SUV its four wheels? As in, all of them on one you'd signed up for.” The video
FOR SALE: 1970 Jaguar E-type 2+2. Automat- ic; A/C; wire wheels. Two-owner car, pur- chased by current owner in 1977. Very well documented and many receipts for work done. New tires.
Shane Mayer (314.363.7824)
The Jaguar’s Growl August 2016 9 Behind the wheel of an E-type, in Test Drive Unlimited
driving by Matthew Johnson by Matthew onscreen onscreen
e know that some cars are not simply It wasn’t until 1987 that we had a solid simula- away from purchasing something special). w means of transportation. They’re the tion: Test Drive. The game combined arcade stuff of dreams, the foundations of fantasy. It gameplay with as realistic a depiction as could Test Drive, as a simulation, offered fun game- should come as no shock that, given our fond- be mustered at the time (a desktop running play as did its predecessors, but it also let you ness for amazing cars, our automotive fanta- MS-DOS, with 640x480 resolution). Marketing drive cars that accelerated, braked, and han- sies would be expressed in videogames just as material enticed, “If you’ve ever wondered dled differently based on the real cars’ actual soon as digital technology enabled it. Of racing what it would be like to experience the power performance statistics (bhp, torque, compres- videogames, there have been plenty. I was and performance of the world’s most exclusive sion ratios, acceleration, top speed, lateral particularly fond of Night Driver (1978). Spy cars, wonder no more” (Woo-hoo! … but I still acceleration – all elements considered in the wondered); “They han- programming). Thus, it
dle like the real thing. Test Drive (MS-DOS) mattered to the experi- They brake like the real ence and the outcome thing. They move like whether one chose the the real thing” (well, not Lotus Esprit Turbo, Lam-
(Atari 2600) really, but …); “Test borghini Countach, Chev- Drive is so realistic you’ll rolet Corvette C4, Por- swear the G-Force has sche 911 Turbo, or the pinned you to your Ferrari Testarossa. It seat” (Er, that’s really hadn’t mattered before. Night Driver pushing it …); “Test 1994’s Need for Speed Graphics: what a difference 38 years makes. Drive’s graphics are so saw Electronic Arts con- Hunter (1983) also captured my imagination: true-to-life you’ll swear sulting Road & Track the game involved driving a (fictional) “G-6155 you can smell the leath- magazine in order to get Interceptor” (read almost ’77 Lotus Esprit) that er interior” (Ah, no). the individual cars to could turn into a cigarette boat, had oil slicks, Still, Accolade can be perform as accurately in forgiven a bit of hyperbo- comparison to one an- le, given that the alter- other as possible. The native vicarious driving results? Well, let me put experiences consisted of it this way: neither the flipping through pages Ferrari 512TR, Porsche of Car and Driver or Carrera 911, nor the (Commodore 64)
Road & Track. Recall Lamborghini Diablo VT that television, at the could catch the ‘94 Toyo- Game boxes and manuals provided imaginative aid, time, did not have Top ta Supra 2JZ at Rusty translating those pixels into objects and narratives. Gear, Chasing Classic Springs Raceway. The Spyhunter Cars, Wheeler Dealers, latter was simply the smoke screens, and machine guns (the sound- or even Car Crazy … to best car for that particu- track, Henry Mancini’s Peter Gunn theme, did- say nothing about Veloc- lar track. The cars were n’t hurt either). But these games were what ity in HD. One could go realistically represented. they were: vague representations of driving to a (physical) car show, They had advantages experiences. As games, they were excellent. but even today those are and disadvantages de- As simulations, they left something to be de- quite static. So, in a pending on driving con- sired, although the limitations of computer sense, these video- texts and conditions. hardware at the time, to be fair, were to blame games did get players A narrow mountain road. A semi. Doing 90 in a Lotus. Driving simulations had for this inadequacy. closer to the world’s most exclusive cars, and arrived. this was especially so for children still years away from driving (and many, many more years Appearances of particular models in film or on 10 The Jaguar’s Growl August 2016 Need for Speed: Porsche Unleased (MS-DOS) television arouse attention (The Spy Who Loved Me might have saved Lotus), and auto- motive magazines provide information and descriptive experiences. Videogames do both, and in addition can provide considerable depth. While one certainly won’t miraculously become a Ferrari-certified mechanic or be eligi- ble to apply for a position on an F1 pit crew just from playing games, videogames do introduce players to the language of the automotive world and can provide a fairly decent conceptu- al understanding of cars, much beyond the common memorization of performance statis- tics. Fairly early in racing game development, games enabled adjustments of all kinds to eke out that extra bit of performance to smoke the competition: shock ride height, stiffness, and travel (lowering the car’s center of gravity to improve handling, reducing body roll, but in- creasing risk of car bottoming out over rough terrain); steering toe-in (increasing steering sensitivity at the same time as the tendency for the rear end to want to go first); brake balance didn’t know when I first began to play is that am missing a few. The XJ220 got Jaguar back (in/decrease over/understeer); downforce the game was market accurate-ish, too. And on the map, not just because it was such a (better handling, but reduced top speed); and since my virtual self is like my real self, I held stunning (aesthetically and performance-wise) tire pressure (balancing grip and durability, onto my cars. Thus, game-years later, I sold a supercar, but also because since the late changing the car’s balance if using different few of those $3000 356s for $100,000 apiece 1980s, it has not been enough for sports car pressures in front and rear) were all elements by the time the 935/78 Coupe (“Moby Dick”) manufacturers to instill dreams in young enthu- with which gamers experimented, shaving off became available; and a couple more went for siasts via wall posters. Videogames rapidly that extra hundredth of a second, and modify- $180,000 apiece when the 959 debuted; became necessary for inspiring young automo- ing cars for particular tracks and driving condi- same when I acquired my superb GT3. (Upon tive devotees. Marques presented in video- tions. In videogames, you could tinker while reaching the year 2000, in-game, yes, I still games fueled desire just at the moment it you learned. had my first purchase, a ’50 356 Coupé Ferdi- needed to be fueled in future car fanatics. The nand. A lovely little thing in white.) There has pervasiveness of youth engagement with video- In the year 2000, arguably (which is to say that been no videogame like it, sixteen years hence. games by the early ‘90s certainly revealed the I’d argue it) the finest driving simulation video- Too bad. marketing value of videogames. Particularly game ever to grace the screen was released: puzzling, in this respect, was Ferrari’s with- The Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed Jaguars! – right. I had almost forgotten … was drawal from the Need for Speed series at one (NFS:PU). No, no, you point: rumor had read that right: Por- it that Ferrari sche. Yes, yes, I know, didn’t want its this is the Jaguar’s cars associated Growl, not Porsche with (illegal) Panorama. Sure, sure, street racing. I know what Growl But withdrawal readers drive. Oy vey. could come at You’re such a skeptic. quite a price – Truly, NFS:PU was spe- the loss of future
cial. There was racing, (Windows XP/Vista/7) Ferrari-buyers. sure. Competition, Then again, as a absolutely. But in fo- floor rep said to cusing on one manu- me at the Chica- facturer, the game go Autoshow captured an essence, a sometime in the spirit of not just the late ‘80s, when cars, but the “stuff” he mentioned around them: culture, Test DriveUnlimited 2 that Ferrari was- history, technological development, and the Acquiring garages (to store one’s many automobiles) itself becomes one of the game’s objectives. n’t participating market. In “Evolution Mode,” the player begins daydreaming about pre-A 356s. Ahem … Jagu- that year, “It’s Ferrari. No need for advertis- “in the Classic Era … rac[es] in various events ar, in the very early days of racing simulations, ing.” Indeed. Jaguar, though, of the same era, to earn credits, then us[es] winnings to buy was fairly quiet. 1992 changed that. (How did need it. Videogames helped to provide it. new cars, sell or upgrade current ones, and many JAGSL members can guess why before I advance to new eras.” So, I acquired my first mention it?) If the introduction of the XJ220 While I cannot claim that it was a videogame virtual Porsche in 1950, a lovely little pre-A popped into your head, you’d be correct. Core that made me serious about E-types (I’d liked 356 1100 for approximately $2700. Whenev- Design’s Jaguar XJ220, focusing exclusively on them for as long as I can remember, and devel- er I earned enough money through racing, I its namesake, was released in 1993. The 220 oped a serious passion by approximately 1990 would buy another and another (mortgage, was as much a sensation in the electronic or so when I encountered one up-close-and- food, and retirement are not part of the game), ether as it was in the material world, appearing personal-like), 2006’s Test Drive Unlimited until such time as my garage would be full (the in no fewer than sixteen mainstream racing (TDU) didn’t help … or really helped, depending game limited the player to 80 cars). What I videogames from 1993-2015, and I doubtless on your perspective. Working through the The Jaguar’s Growl August 2016 11 game, earning money at races and by running NFS: Shift 2 (2011, Windows XP/Vista/7) errands (no kidding – that’s part of gameplay), I finally virtually stopped by a virtual classic car dealership, and there sat a silver grey virtual E- type FHC. I drove away in it. Then the game changed: I found myself caring about the com- petitions and best times somewhat less. I would boot the game and just drive around the game’s 1000 virtual miles on the island of O’ahu. In essence, it became less of a game with points and objectives, and more of a sim- ple pleasurable pastime. The designers were An XKR is prepared for a straight up drag race A Lightweight E-type is positioned in the starting lineup quite meticulous, so the appearance (in and out), the sounds (engine, horn), and the perfor- Need for Speed: Rivals/Simply Jaguar DLC (2013, Windows Vista/8) mance of the cars were good representations of the real cars. I stopped driving my superex- otics as frequently as I had, the Ferrari F430 Spider, Koenigsegg CCR, and Pagani Zonda C12S languishing in one of my garages. In- stead, I favored my 1960 Maserati 3500 GT and 1957 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL. But I put the most miles on that 1964 Jaguar E-type FHC. Just took them out for leisurely cruises – you, know, not usually exceeding 135 mph.
In TDU2, much to my delight, I started discover- The Jaguar C-X75 narrowly avoids a spot of trouble Hardly sportsmanlike (!) — an XJ220 Police Interceptor ing “wrecks” – hunks of rusty, sometimes burned-out metal in hard-to-reach, obscure, oft Gran Turismo 6 (2013, PlayStation 3) hidden places. Locating these wrecks ended up being a reward, it seemed, for drivers who played the game in a leisurely fashion: once found, a fully-restored version of the automo- bile appeared in one of the dealerships. One wreck turned out to be a Jaguar D-type. And that was splendid. I was equally pleased, I would be remiss if I didn’t point out, when I also discovered a Volkswagen Beetle. Ah -- now, the Beetle was something that I had had quite a bit of actual experience with in the ma- Unusual for a racing game: a saloon (an S-type R) XJ220 on the track (quite usual for a racing game) terial world, so it was a good opportunity to compare the representation in the game to the Gran Turismo 6 (2013, PlayStation 3) Project Cars (2015, Windows 7) real article. Sure enough, the look, the sound, and the performance were decent facsimiles. Now, I would never argue that it was “true to life,” for clearly the same physical experiences are not available, the smells absent, and the folks stopping to chat about the car non- existent. Ample sensations that make driving a classic car such an extraordinary experience were simply not part of videogaming. Still, the flavor of the experience, no matter its inability to compare to the real thing, is still nothing to Where else can one take the XJ13 around a track? Virtually throws your head back — a Palmer Jaguar JP-LM scoff at. After all, when would I ever have the chance to Forza Motorsport 6 (2015, Xbox One) play with the ultra-rare, out-of-reach automobiles like the $1,800,000 Gullwing, or $5,000,000 D-type, or Not an issue in NFS Shift 2. $12,000,000 McLaren F1? Watch your XJ-S as you drive it — videogame advantage! Or sit behind the wheel “as usual” And you know, racing videogames offer one car even in the slightest. In others, whatever button. “Get out and drive,” sure. But stay in distinct advantage over driving in the real damage you do can be fixed with the touch of a and drive, too. world: in some, it’s impossible to damage your 12 The Jaguar’s Growl August 2016 EDITOR’S PAGE: Allan Ellis hile teaching a class this summer on “Emotionally split down the middle, absolute proof of planned obsoles- W Healthy Spirituality,” I read a quote by Pierre Teilhard de cence on Harbor Freight’s part, no doubt) on its beautifully Chardin encouraging me to “accept the anxiety of feeling your- curvaceous body. A few years ago (how many, it matters not), self in suspense and incomplete.” I immediately thought of I sanded the surface rust off the roof and sprayed an epoxy Jaguars. primer on it … pure pleasure! And I was pleased to note that Most enthusiasts have the sense to devote them- the rust had returned with just a smidgeon of its previous vo- selves (typically) to the joyful management of one or two Jags racity. This. Is. Progress. (John Testrake’s advice: one to drive, one to show, and a third Deciding to air the old boy out, I discovered that the to work on), and some have the wherewithal to have a litter wasps had built a three story hotel between the front right box full of stunning cats, but I find myself strangely pleased fender and the front door (a marvelous piece of work). Won- with a bevy of non-runners. It doesn’t feel like a problem, but derful! With no wasp spray available, I decided to poke at it could be that people are just courteous enough to not point their accommodations with an old piece of (appropriately out the obvious (I love civility). For myself, I recognize that it handy) suspended ceiling grid (that’s another story!). It was has all the makings of a kind of Brown’s Lane version of “Grey gratifying to realize that no wasps were killed … they just had Gardens”: yes, there’s a dead cat or two hanging about but to find new digs. On Sunday, they forecasted rain. With great please, pass the pâté before the living cat eats it all! anticipation, I unwrapped a new blue tarp (never the actual I convince myself (on occasion) that working on Jags advertised size on the wrapper) and bungee-corded the beast is “the slow work of God” (Chardin again) … and God knows rain tight. It is the little things in life, don’t you agree? we wouldn’t want to disturb anyone engaged in such an im- Lest you think me entirely bonkers, I have engaged portant endeavour (yes, I prefer the British spelling). It should the services of an east coast marque specialist to do the rust aggravate me. But in a counterintuitive way, I find it utterly repair on my ’67 XKE FHC. He promises me that I’m the sev- becalming—I’m not getting anywhere but I am enjoying the enth or eighth guy on the list and that he hopes to take pos- process. session of my car by the end of the year, something he’s been By now, the impatient among us (who want to “reach hinting at for several years now (it matters not). He gets a lot the end without delay”) are asking, “What is this ’it,’ this done, it just always seems to be for someone else. I love it. ’process’ you refer to?” I’m not particularly pleased that you His work is so good, he’ll probably never get around to my car. asked, but let me take a crack at an answer. Somehow I have And so the tarping and dewasping continues as I “accept the acquired a perverse pleasure in keeping a ’52 Mk VII under a anxiety” of feeling myself “in suspense and incomplete.” Just plastic tarp … maybe two at a time … it matters not. Last Sat- the way I like it: the spirituality of imperfection. urday, I had the honor of replacing the outer tarp (which had
The Jaguar’s Growl August 2016 13
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Why not go completely digital? You can “opt out” of the mailed copy of The Growl.
Just email Allan at [email protected] and you’ll receive an email every month with the PDF file attached. No extra charge!
The Jaguar’s Growl August 2016 15 APPLICATION FOR JAGSL/JCNA MEMBERSHIP
Membership fees: $63 per year for an individual membership $68 per year for a membership including partner (carries an additional vote) $32 for partial membership when applying after June 1st $23 for young enthusiast membership, up to age 25 ($11 after June 1st)
Member benefits: We look forward to your support and participation.
Attend social events Name: ______ Attend the annual "dinner gala" Celebrate JAGSL at its birthday party Spouse: ______
Join us for monthly events (shows, drives, meals, other get- Address: ______togethers)
Enter your Jaguar in local, regional and national Concours City: ______State: ______Zip: ______d’Elegance competitions (or don't enter a car ... just attend the shows!) Phone #s Home: ______Mobile: ______ Attend other local car shows and automotive events Embark on road rallies Email: ______ Learn from experts in tech sessions Jaguars owned (optional): ______ Earn points by attending activities and hosting events -- good
for prizes each year ______ Receive the monthly club newsletter, The Jaguar's Growl (print & digital) ______ Become a member of the Jaguar Clubs of North America (JCNA) Referred by (optional): ______ Receive a subscription to JCNA's bi-monthly magazine, Jaguar Journal Note: Single membership carries 1 vote (add $5 for additional vote). Receive significant discounts on new Jaguars (no kidding!) And, best of all, experience camaraderie with great, fun- Make checks payable to JAGSL and send to: loving, automotive enthusiasts! Diana Schlueter JAGSL Membership Chair Consider ... you do not need to own a Jaguar to join JAGSL: the 840 Rambling Pine Drive, St. Charles, MO 63303 club welcomes all Jaguar enthusiasts! 636.477.1763
JAGSL NAME TAG ORDER FORM If you would like to purchase a JAGSL name tag, please complete this order form and mail it with a check, made payable to Gary Schlueter, for $10.00 for each tag, to the same address as the membership application:
Gary Schlueter, 840 Rambling Pine Drive, St. Charles, MO 63303 (You can contact Gary at 314.606.0025) First tag. (Please print your name clearly, as this is what will First tag clasp: appear on your name tag). Pin:
Magnet:
Second tag. (Please print your name clearly, as this is what will Second tag clasp: appear on your name tag). Pin: Total enclosed ($10 x # of tags = $) Magnet:
Third tag. (Please print your name clearly, as this is what will Third tag clasp: $ ______appear on your name tag). Pin:
Magnet: