New & Old Jaguars Present at Goodwood

The Goodwood Festival of Speed launched yesterday, with Jaguar playing a key role as the event celebrates the 50th anniversary of the iconic E-type.The 2011 Goodwood Festival of Speed sees Jaguar take center stage with a dramatic sculpture being commissioned for the lawn in front of Goodwood House.

Enthusiasts attending the event will get the chance be able to view an array of Jaguars from the past, present and a little way into the future with the XK120, stunning examples of the C, D and of course E-Type, taking part in demonstration runs in front of the crowds.

Present at the launch were Yasmin Le Bon with her daughter and fellow model, Amber, who posed alongside what is arguably the most famous E-type of all: one of two cars to have made an epic, high-speed journey from Coventry to Geneva in March 1961 with Sir William Lyons at the wheel.  The car, a prototype Series One E-type roadster carrying the registration '77 RW', was delivered by Norman Dewis, Chief Test Driver at the time.

Norman's modern day successor, Mike Cross (Chief Engineer, Vehicle Integrity), marked the event in style at the wheel of the new Jaguar XKR-S with a series of dramatic demonstration runs up the famous Goodwood hill.

Joining Mike in taking on the hill was ex-Le Mans and British Touring Car Championship racer Anthony Reid, driving an XFR. His enthusiastic and vigorous driving style won him the TAG Heuer 'Most Spirited Getaway' award.