A Jaguar Clubs of North America Affiliate WWW.JDCLI.COM JUNE 2020 People Can’t Stop Buying Jaguar SVO sales totaled 9,500 SV- President Land Rover’s Fastest Cars branded vehicles globally in the Mike Carroll 2019/2020 fiscal year. That's a [email protected] By Jared Rosenholtz year-over-year increase of 64 per- 516-607-6074 cent. Clearly customers love the he SVO models have seen tre- Vice President SVO-fettled Jaguar and Land Rover mendous sales growth. Quentin Nieman T models. Of the seven available SV- [email protected] If Jaguar or Land Rover wants to branded cars, JLR says the 2020 Land Rover Range Rover Sport SVR 2nd Vice President take one of their models to the is the most popular. It features a Don Wolf next level, they call the Special Ve- 5.0-liter supercharged V8 engine [email protected] hicle Operations division. Similar to BMW's M Division or Mercedes- producing 575 horsepower that's Concours Chairman AMG, JLR's SVO team is responsi- also shared with the 2020 Jaguar F Mike carroll ble for building the company's fast- -Pace SVR. JLR also builds a softer, [email protected] est and most track-capable models 550-hp version of this same engine Chief Judge but it is also capable of building found in the Range Rover Velar Rich Moors ultra-luxury creations. SVAutobiography Dynamic Edition [email protected] and Range Rover SVAu- Membership tobiography Dynamic. Vlad Prutsky "Despite a challenging [email protected] sales environment for Treasurer the automotive industry Graham Scaife as a whole, we're de- [email protected] lighted that the demand Secretary for Jaguar and Land Rov- Maryann dellinger er SV products continues [email protected] to grow strongly, just five years after the divi- Social Media Chairman sion was first launched," Eliud Custodio said Michael van der [email protected] SVO's work spans across two dif- Sande, Managing Director of JLR Board Directors ferent brands with both luxury and SVO. "We currently have our Ivan Scarborough sporting themes. Sportier models broadest-ever range of models of- Newsletter Editor from SVO wear the SVR badge fering enhanced performance and Steve Becker while more luxury-oriented cars luxury, each with its own distinctive [email protected] receive the SVAutobiography name. personality that resonates with our Facebook page These SVO-tuned models are now customers." www.facebook.com/jdcli/ entering their fifth year in produc- tion and JLR says the demand has never been higher. Page looking wheels ever made. Oh, and what under it, thus allowing it to slip Scalded Cat those covered headlamps, rounded through with ease, all the while re- windscreen, bold taillamp lenses and maining incredibly stable. By Richard Lentinello from April pedestrian chrome luggage rack all Jaguar had just set up a production 2013 issue of Hemmings Sports add to the car's highly distinctive line to build as many XKSS's as it and Exotics flavor. could--at least until the remaining D he earth stood still for me on a Based upon the D-type race car that -type body parts had been used up. T warm autumn afternoon in New aerodynamicist Malcolm Sayer But a devastating fire that con- York City back in 1974. I had just penned specifically for Jaguar to win sumed nearly the entire Browns Lane sat down in our cozy Brooklyn back Le Mans, the XKSS incorporates the factory altered those plans, and in yard to read the November issue of same pronounced crease down its the end, just 16 XKSSs were assem- Car and Driver, which had arrived in body sides that prevented the D- bled. my mailbox earlier that day. When types from being affected by cross- According to Jaguar's chief test my eyes first fell upon engineer, Norman Dew- the bright red XKSS that is, "We'd had the fac- was profiled within its tory fire in 1957. We pages, I immediately were then producing froze. I was zapped into a the production D- trance-like state and types, and I think we'd simply couldn't move. This produced about 60- Jaguar's shape, unlike something when we anything I had ever seen had the fire. Most of before, simply blew me the tools and jigs for away. the D-type were That was nearly 40 years burned. There were ago, and my feelings to- enough bits around to ward that incredible finish off about anoth- beauty haven't wavered er 16 D-types, but one bit. To this day, it [Jaguar chief William] remains my favorite auto- Lyons said, 'Well, we mobile of all time. And forever will. won't bother, because we're not winds as they traveled down the long going to sell them anymore now.' But To this day, no car has been able to Mulsanne straight at high speeds. then I think it was [U.S. importer replicate the XKSS's incomparable Unlike slab-sided cars that would Johannes] Eerdmans who came over visual appeal. Its magnificent, round- get pushed around, the creased D- from America--he was a big friend ed shape is absolutely captivating to types split the wind's force, guiding of Lyons's--and of course he was look at; it doesn't have a single flat it mainly over the body and some- always coming over to say what they spot anywhere. Add to that wanted for the Ameri- its short wheelbase for a can market. You've got compact dimension; wheels to remember, you see, that are pushed out to the American market each corner so there's al- was the key thing for most no body overhang; Jaguar Cars. It earned bumperettes so small they us a lot of money-- don't impede on the de- about 75 percent of sign; a small grille-less oval production went to mouth that's purposeful, America. bold and devoid of orna- mentation; an unmuffled "So Eerdmans used to side exhaust that exhibits come over quite fre- its race-bred DNA proudly; quently, and he came and the most delicious- (Continued on page 3) Page 2 over on this one occasion, saw the system. Three 45mm twin-choke shaft. Helping to keep it all cool was balance of the D-type and said, Weber DCO3 carburetors, featuring an aluminum radiator. 'What are you doing with them?' sand-cast bodies, provided the fuel, While the D-type had the shape to Lyons said, 'Oh, nothing, cut through the air with really.' He said, 'Well, if ease, and power aplenty you could make them into to keep it moving ahead a road car, I'm sure we of the competition, its could sell those in Ameri- real advantage was its ca.' So we had a meeting Dunlop disc brakes that and Lyons said, 'Look, can were fitted front and we do it?' And we said, rear. Those same 'Well, yeah, we can trim brakes were fitted to it, put a different 'screen the XKSS. The 12.75- on, and wipers, and put inch front discs had six- some decent lights and all piston calipers, while that on.' So we made the rear 12.75-inch rear those last 16 into road discs had four-piston cars, and most of them calipers, in addition to went to America." single handbrake- The alterations were minimal. First, operated pads. A pump ran off the along with twin SU pumps. The gas the metal division between the seats rear of the gearbox, giving the driv- tank, the same as that built for long was removed, as was the headrest er power assist. Oh, and its close- -distance races such as Le Mans, (and/or fin) on the rear; a luggage ratio, eight-tooth rack-and-pinion held some 37 gallons. For the XKSS, rack was then fitted because there steering gave it very accurate steer- with its fuel economy of about 18 was no trunk. A full-width wind- ing for its day. miles per gallon, that means an screen with two windshield wipers amazing driving range of nearly 650 In addition to their torsion bar sus- was then attached, along with an miles. pension and anti-roll bar up front, interior-fitted rear-view mirror. To what really gave the D-types and help reduce noise and to make it a The Jaguar-designed gearbox had XKSS's superior handling was their little more comfortable to drive, the synchromesh on all four gears, and a distinctive monocoque chassis/body interior was trimmed with uphol- special Borg and Beck three-plate design. According to stery and custom John Appleton, who sidescreens, as well wrote "The Jaguar D- as a folding top. And type" article for Cars just like the 1956- in Profile: "Its focal spec D-types, a pas- component was a cen- senger-side door was tral elliptical 18- fitted. gauge magnesium- Under the XKSS's alloy 'tub' laid on its curvaceous hood was side, with two holes the same XK engine cut in it--a large one that powered the D- for the driver, and a types to victory at smaller one for the Le Mans in 1955, '56 theoretical passen- and '57. The 3,442cc ger. Bulkheads front double-overhead cam and rear gave this six featured an alu- centre-section intrin- minum cylinder head sic strength. At- with hemispherical tached by argon arc- clutch that incorporated a ring gear combustion chambers and alloy pis- welding to the tub were a square and on the clutch casing for the starter, tons fitted in a cast-iron block that round section aluminum tubular because there was no flywheel at- was oiled by a dry sump lubrication tached to the rear of the crank- (Continued on page 4) Page 3 frame containing the engine, to recalled.