Legendary Jaguar test engineer Norman Dewis OBE will be honored at the Classic & Sports Car Show in London, where he will appear with one of the greatest Jaguar race cars that never raced, the mid-engine XJ13.
The prototype XJ13, which this year celebrates its 50th anniversary, will be displayed at the show October 28-30 at Alexandra Palace. The streamlined car was designed to race at Le Mans by aerodynamicist Malcolm Sayer, who also created the bodies for the C-, D- and E-type Jaguars
It was test-driven by some of the era’s greats, such as David Hobbs and Richard Atwood, as well as Dewis, who helped with the car’s development.
At age 95, Dewis travels worldwide as an ambassador for Jaguar, regaling listeners with tales of speed records and racing adventures. He will appear during the London show with the car, which has been reconstructed and on long-term display in the British Motor Museum at Gaydon.
“We are privileged to have both this iconic prototype and Dewis himself at the show,” James Elliott, group editor of Classic & Sports Car magazine said in a news release. “It will be a fascinating opportunity for visitors to see the XJ13 in the metal and hear all about this piece of motoring history from someone who has such a close relationship with it.”
The Classic & Sports Car Show features more than 300 acclaimed classic cars, live parades and a collector-car auction by Coys. For more information, visit the show’s website.
