JAGUAR LAND ROVER seems to be spending more time looking back to the future these days than Marty McFly.

Fresh from renaming its Heritage operation as Jaguar Land Rover Classic, the company has announced that Jaguar is to build nine new versions of the iconic – and tragic – XKSS, which was originally billed as the world’s first supercar.

The ‘new’ cars, which are likely to command a hefty £1m price tag, will be hand built by Jaguar Classic to the original 1957 specification.

The cars are one that will bring a tear to the eye of Jaguar aficionados everywhere and are another of the marque’s lost classics.

Back in 1957 Jaguar was riding on the crest of a wave after its celebrated D-Type claimed successive victories at the 1955, 56 and 57 Le Mans endurance races.

Ironically, the works team had withdrawn from the competition in 1956 and was left with a number of completed and partially-built D-Types at the Browns Lane plant in Coventry.

To capitalise of the aura surrounding the sports cars, especially in the United States, the company decided to convert the cars and produce a series of limited edition road legal cars, which it dubbed the XKSS.

The conversions saw the loss of the image defining fin from behind the driver and the installation of a passenger door. The company dipped into its parts bin and also used light clusters from its XK140.

However, on the evening of February 12 1957, a fire broke out at the Browns Lane plant destroying nine of the 25 cars that had already been completed or partly completed.

The majority of the 16 surviving XKSSs found their way to buyers in the States.
Many of the design cues featured on the cars were eventually featured on the E-Type, which has been proclaimed as one of the most beautiful cars of all time.

Tim Hannig, Director – Jaguar Land Rover Classic, said: “The XKSS occupies a unique place in Jaguar’s history and is a car coveted by collectors the world over for its exclusivity and unmistakable design.

“Jaguar Classic’s highly skilled team of engineers and technicians will draw on decades of knowledge to ensure each of the nine cars is completely authentic and crafted to the highest quality.

“Our continuation XKSS reaffirms our commitment to nurture the passion and enthusiasm for Jaguar’s illustrious past by offering exceptional cars, services, parts and experiences.”

The company will utilise the expertise gained during the construction of the Lightweight E-Type project last year.

Each one of the new XKSS’ will be hand-built at Jaguar’s new ‘Experimental Shop’ in Warwick.

Every car will be constructed to the same specifications as the 16 from 1957 and every aspect will be fully certified by Jaguar.

The first deliveries of the new cars is expected in early 2017.

Blue is the colour…

LEICESTER City’s march towards the Premier League title is leaving car buyers in the city feeling blue – at least according to new research.

Figures from ŠKODA, launched to celebrate the release of the firm’s new Fabia and Citigo Colour Editions, reveal that sales of blue cars in Leicester have shot up by 340% year-on-year.

This coincides with the dramatic upturn in Leicester City’s football fortunes, with the team – nicknamed The Foxes – five points clear at the top of the league. This time last year, the side was fighting to avoid relegation.

From region to region, Leicester City fans are shown to be among the most affected by home colours: nearly two thirds (65%) say their favourite colour is also blue. Only football fans in Yorkshire and East Anglia rank higher.

Mick Brown, Senior Manager at the Sandicliffe ŠKODA retailer in Leicester, said: “This is a hugely proud and passionate city, and one that has been waiting a long time for its football team to climb to the top of the league. Now that’s a reality, we are seeing a blue revolution, not just on the pitch but off it, too. Blue is, by far, the most popular colour we’re taking orders for.”

The impact of a football team’s home shirt colour on car sales is something that can be seen across the country, claims the research.

For example, in Manchester, where United and City dominate the football landscape, sales of red Fabias (13% of all those sold in Manchester) and blue Fabias (27%) surpass ŠKODA’s national averages of 9% and 20% respectively.

And at the ŠKODA retailer in Walthamstow – four miles from Tottenham Hotspur’s ground and five miles from Arsenal’s – sales of white cars (16%) and red cars (11%) again happen more frequently than in the rest of the country.

The researchers begin to stretch a point somewhat by claiming that in Newcastle, sales of white cars are at 18% ahead of the ŠKODA average of 15%. Black cars – which form the remaining 50% of the Magpies strip – don’t warrant a mention. While it is unclear if the car-owning football fans of Norwich favour Canary yellow.
 
Nevertheless, the researchers are confident in their findings.

They say that ‘colour loyalty’ affects all kinds of purchases, with younger drivers in particular remaining true to their football team’s home kit. More than a third (35%) of motorists under the age of 25 said they were much more likely to choose clothes in the same colour, while over a fifth (21%) prefer cars in the same shade.

The job’s Martin…Aston Martin

FRESH from revealing its plans for a new manufacturing facility in Wales, Aston Martin has launched its first campaign to recruit the employees it will need to man the site.

The firm is also recruiting hundreds more to cope with expansion at its existing factory in Gaydon.

The expansion is part of a £200m investment in new products and facilities, wguich the firm said underlined its commitment to the UK.

Michael Kerr, Aston Martin Group HR Director said: “Our new manufacturing facility is an important part of Aston Martin’s Second Century Plan and it is crucial that we have a world-class team at the heart of our new plant.

“We are looking for dedicated, committed and passionate people to join the Aston Martin team.”

The move has been welcomed by the Welsh Minister for Economy, Edwina Hart.

She said: “It is testament to Aston Martin’s commitment to Wales that recruitment has already begun for the first of the 750 vacancies at St Athan.

“Aston Martin is offering numerous exciting career path opportunities and the Welsh Government is committed to continue working closely with this world-class manufacturer to ensure we are able to deliver highly-skilled employment and world-class apprenticeship opportunities in Wales for many generations to come.”