Classic cats to tackle Simola hillclimb
CLASSIC Car Friday at the Jaguar Simola Hillclimb today will see a fleet of 64 incredibly desirable and valuable machines take to the hill – two of which will participate under the official Jaguar Classic banner.
Making its Jaguar Simola Hillclimb debut is a special 1972 E-Type once owned by Princess Marie of Liechtenstein. She reportedly bought the car new from a US dealership in New York and had it shipped to Switzerland.
It is believed Princess Marie drove the E-Type only a few times and she decided after one particular jaunt over a Swiss mountain pass that the V12-powered coupe was too fast for her royal liking.
After less than two years in the royal family, the Regency Red Series 3 Coupe was sold to a Rhodesian tobacco farmer. The car remained in Europe for the next few decades but was relocated to Zimbabwe sometime in the 1990s.
Finally, the historic Jaguar was imported to South Africa in 2003, and only recently fell into the hands of its current caretaker.
The “Royal E-Type” as, it’s now affectionately known, will be driven in today’s Classic Car Friday portion of the hillclimb by passionate classic cat racer and collector Patrick Gearing.
The next classic car making its second hillclimb appearance is a 1984 XJ-S lovingly restored by the team at Jaguar Classic as a tribute to the famed Tom Walkinshaw Racing (TWR) cars that dominated touring car races in the 1980s.
After a successful debut at the hands of US race ace Randy Pobst at last year’s event, the iconic green and white-liveried XJ-S will be steered by British stunt driving superstar Terry Grant.
Grant will put the XJ-S’s silky smooth 5.3-litre V12 to the test on the 1.9km Simola hill with a series of no-holds-barred VIP passenger runs.
The Royal E-Type and TWR tribute XJ-S have both been prepared for hillclimb action using Jaguar Classic genuine parts. Jaguar Land Rover South Africa will soon offer owners of classic Jaguars a full catalogue of more than 30 000 parts for models including the E-Type, XJ, XJS, XK8, XJ6, and XJ12.
Parts will range from exterior items such as body panels and cosmetic trim, all the way to mechanical components for engines and drivelines.
Each component is manufactured to original specifications and by the original suppliers when possible. In many cases, original parts were used to ensure their new reproductions were accurate.
The parts will be available through the Jaguar Land Rover retail network across South Africa.
Classic Car Friday officially kicks off at 8.30am today, when the first competitive runs are due to start.
The hillclimb action will continue tomorrow and Sunday when competitors will race up the most-contested stretch of road in the country for the King of the Hill title.
Tickets for the Jaguar Simola Hillclimb start at R120 for day passes and can be purchased online: http://jaguarsimolahillclimb.nutickets.co.za
For spectators unable to make it to the event, an online live stream will be available throughout the weekend.
Jaguar South Africa’s Facebook page will air practice, qualifying and class final runs as they happen.
Jaguar South Africa’s YouTube channel will also stream nonstop from today to Sunday evening with a continuous loop of on track action when no live racing is taking place.
The YouTube feed will also feature some video-on-demand highlights, separately to the main stream.
Watch the 2018 Jaguar Simola Hillclimb at www.youtube.com/user/JaguarSA1 or www.facebook.com/JaguarSA