Marc
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,037
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Feb 21, 2008 14:31:18 GMT
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Broadspeed's Jaguar XJ12C Race car of the '70s. I can't believe they took this thing racing, what an awesome sight they must have been! ;D "The racing XJ Coupes were built and raced in 1976 and 1977, just two seasons in which they at times showed their fantastic potential, but sadly never realized it by winning any event. Some say that they were not given sufficient time to prove themselves. We shall never know. The cars, prepared to the FIA Group regulations applicable to European Touring Car Championship, were fifted with 5416 cc fuel-injected V12 engines developing more than 530 hp. Initially they used a wet sump lubrication but later changed to a dry sump system. Rather controversially, the cars were built and prepared by Broadspeed, independent of the factory. For a while the Coupes provided a great spectacle , making what would otherwise have been a dull championship more exciting. It is said that they could not have earned just a little glory. Derek Bell, one of the regular team drivers, said, 'I enjoyed the cars, and they could have been very good, if they had been persereved with a little longer.'"       |
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horney™
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 1,289
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Feb 21, 2008 14:32:31 GMT
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Oooof had a pic of this as my wallpaper on my work PC for years!
Nick
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Feb 21, 2008 14:44:31 GMT
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John Steed had a road car but I'm having a jolly hard time finding a decent photo.   |
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Feb 21, 2008 14:57:43 GMT
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I know 'Leyland' is sort of 'retro 70s cool' now but at the time it must have really peed off the Jaguar faithful to see it running around in that paint scheme.
I remember reading somewhere that they even took the Jaguar sign down from Browns Lane and renamed it 'Large Cars Division Factory 2' or similar, very Stalinist. No wonder the morale of the company was at an all time low before Egan took over.
Sorry gone off topic a bit! It's an awesome car - must make a great sound!
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rob0r
East of England
Posts: 2,743
Club RR Member Number: 104
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Broadspeed Jaguar XJ12Crob0r
@rob0r
Club Retro Rides Member 104
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Feb 21, 2008 15:06:59 GMT
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WANT!! I love these cars!
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E30 320i 3.5 - E23 730 - E3 3.0si - E21 316 M42 - E32 750i
ETC
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horney™
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 1,289
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Feb 21, 2008 15:10:18 GMT
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I know 'Leyland' is sort of 'retro 70s cool' now but at the time it must have really peed off the Jaguar faithful to see it running around in that paint scheme. I remember reading somewhere that they even took the Jaguar sign down from Browns Lane and renamed it 'Large Cars Division Factory 2' or similar, very Stalinist. No wonder the morale of the company was at an all time low before Egan took over. Sorry gone off topic a bit! It's an awesome car - must make a great sound! I never thought of that, interesting stuff! Nick |
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Feb 21, 2008 15:33:43 GMT
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Orsums! If pretty much hopeless on track. TWR got those XJSs running well enough though, even if he does know a fair bit about bending the old rule book!
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1986 Citroen 2CV Dolly Other things. Check out my Blog for the latest! www.hubnut.org |
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Stiff
Posted a lot
'kin 'ell
Posts: 3,007
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Feb 21, 2008 18:40:04 GMT
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John Steed had a road car but I'm having a jolly hard time finding a decent photo. I was just thinking the same when I saw the first pic. Best I could do at the mo...    That Broadspeed one's gorgeous! |
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Feb 21, 2008 18:53:23 GMT
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Stiff
Posted a lot
'kin 'ell
Posts: 3,007
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Feb 21, 2008 19:13:11 GMT
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wow thats one cool jag  whats the story with the road car? was it a special edition, concept or something? IIRC it was a glasfibre kit you could buy. Fibre Fab seems to spring to mind but I could be totally wrong there. I also seem to remember a white one of these in a mag somewhere but time is against my memory there ;D (Street Machine?) |
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Samage
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,467
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Feb 21, 2008 19:17:24 GMT
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Just looked on the DVLA checker doofer, seems NWK 60P no longer exists - last taxed 1987.  |
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dugong
Posted a lot
One Of Us Will Live To Rue The Day We Met Each Other (Wire : 2008)
Posts: 3,292
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Feb 21, 2008 19:21:35 GMT
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Orsums! If pretty much hopeless on track. TWR got those XJSs running well enough though, even if he does know a fair bit about bending the old rule book! Wasn't TWR the team that got knobbed for lightening race shells by dipping the top half in acid to lighten them? All very well but a bit curse word if you roll and cark it. Actually that might have been Dave Brodie and his Escort. I knew TWR did some very naughty stuff with the SD1s to keep them competitive. |
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Stiff
Posted a lot
'kin 'ell
Posts: 3,007
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Feb 21, 2008 19:23:40 GMT
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Just looked on the DVLA checker doofer, seems NWK 60P no longer exists - last taxed 1987. " WHERE IS THE "BIG CAT" NOW...?!" " Apparently, in 1985, Steed's "New Avengers" Jaguar was offered to the (now defunct) "Avengers" fanclub by a dealer in West Bromwich (West Midlands, UK), but they declined to acquire it. There were a couple of definite sightings of the Jaguar in the Midlands area of the UK in the mid-'90s, and at one point it was on the verge of being auctioned, but currently no-one seems to be quite sure where it might be, or whether it's even still running.
The following is available from the DVLA for the Big Cat:
The vehicle details for NWK 60P are:
Date of Liability - Not Available
Date of First Registration - 03 May 1976
Date of Last V5 Issue - 11 March 1991
Year of Manufacture - 1976
Cylinder Capacity (cc) - 5343 CC
CO2 Emissions - Not Available
Fuel Type - Petrol
Export Marke - Not Applicable
Vehicle Status - Not Available
Vehicle Colour - GREEN
What the above actually means: the Big Cat was first registered in May 1976, and last "officially" went to a new owner in March 1991. It currently has no road tax (Date of Liability). Possible conclusions - it is no longer a road-legal vehicle; it may be sitting in a garage/garden/driveway somewhere, or it may have been scrapped or broken for spares. It might even be being used in racing (many of its kin are). It's also interesting to note that NWK 60P was the car's legal registration number and not a supplied for film/television plate.
Nowadays, Jaguar XJ Coupés like Steed's can often be found on eBay, though many are badged as Daimlers, and very, very few are Broadspeed racers. I have heard of at least two people who are actively building replicas of the Big Cat.
In March 2005, Patrick Macnee described the Big Cat as a "very ordinary" car, when interviewed for a UK documentary on the top 20 TV cars - hmph. I think the Jaguar came in at a joint number 6 with the other "New Avengers" cars, by the way, losing out to the likes of the General Lee ("Dukes of Hazzard"). It did, however, beat such vehicles as the "Man From U.N.C.L.E." car. Emma Peel's Lotus Elan (the second one) also featured, filmed at its current home in the "Cars of the Stars" museum in Cumbria (England). The Lotus can be seen on their website here. However, the museum doesn't own any other "Avengers" vehicles." |
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whats the story with the road car? was it a special edition, concept or something? 
