Jaguar triumphs at Terribly British Day!

by Tony Magee

QUEANBEYAN Park was the venue for the British Motor Show on Sunday December 5. An excellent choice, the park offers great tree coverage and lovely grassy areas.

Hosted by the Triumph Car Club of the ACT in association with the Council of ACT Motor Clubs and dubbed the “Terribly British Day”, the event saw hundreds of people gather to view the many British marques on display.

E-type Jaguars on display at the Terribly British Day, Queanbeyan Park. Photo: Bob Sawyer

Included in the lineup were models from MG, Morris, Austin Healey, Rolls Royce, Bentley, Aston Martin, Triumph, Rover, Rochdale, Lotus, Jaguar and of course the iconic Mini. Several 1275 Coopers were included in the Mini display. Readers may remember those with fondness, the model being the featured get-away vehicles in the 1969 movie The Italian Job, starring Michael Caine.

To mark the 60th anniversary of the Jaguar E-Type, many owners lined up an impressive array of cars, all in beautiful restored condition. Judges deemed the Jaguar display top of the billing.

The E-type was first released in 1961 and production ran through to 1975.

With a top speed of 241 km/h and zero to 100 km/h acceleration in just under 7 seconds, its combination of beauty, high performance, and competitive pricing established the model as an icon of the motoring world.

Upon release, Enzo Ferrari is claimed to have called it “the most beautiful car ever made”.

Guests of honour, retiring Mayor of Queanbeyan-Palerang Cr Tim Overall and his wife Nichole Overall were chauffeured to the event in style using two E-type Jaguars.

Austin 7 Woody, "Splinter". Photo: Cheryl Olley

Several vintage vehicles were also on display, including a 1929 Austin 7 Woody, named Splinter! Restored and built by Gordon and Marilyn Love, it is now owned by Bob and Carolyn Hogan.

For racing enthusiasts, a 1968 Chevron B15B AM08 made an appearance, the car having been driven to many victories in the USA and Europe by Niki Lauda.

Proceeds from the event were donated  to Respite Care for Queanbeyan.