Jags go-go-go!
Murray Walker to flag off 120 XKs on charity road run
Legendary motorsport commentator, Murray Walker, will flag off a host of classic Jaguar XKs at this year’s Round Britain Coastal Drive (RBCD) on 12 June, once again in aid of Prostate Cancer UK.
The 18-day event will see cars set off from the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu for a tour of the UK, with more than 120 cars expected to take part.
Walker, who has long been an XK Club friend and supporter, said: ‘Although this isn’t a race, it sounds to me like a great event.’ The RBCD will go through a different stop each day, running from the south coast all the way up to Inverness, with the event finishing back at Beaulieu on 29 June. London-based XK Club member, Patrick Hanratty, will take part in all 18 stages of the RBCD in his XK150 Drophead Coupé and understands the importance of this event more than most. Having survived bowel cancer, he is now being treated for prostate cancer, and will give after-dinner speeches about his experiences during this year’s event.
Last year’s inaugural RBCD – which featured cars from the E-type Club – raised more than £60,000 against a planned target of £50,000, but Philip Porter, the event’s organiser and himself a survivor of prostate cancer, is hoping to beat that figure this year. He says: ‘I urge all Jaguar XK owners to take part. Not only will they be supporting a very important cause but, as I know from experience, the driving is absolutely superb. Our XKs were designed for driving and that, for many of us, is the real pleasure of ownership.’