Cool cats: 1,200+ Jaguars gather at Windsor Castle

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1964
The Jaguar Classic stand
More than 1,200 Jaguars parked along The Long Walk at Windsor Castle | Jaguar Classic photos
More than 1,200 Jaguars parked along The Long Walk at Windsor Castle | Jaguar Classic photos

Imagine: More than 1,200 Jaguars lining the Long Walk at Windsor Castle. Except you don’t have to imagine it because it happened recently when the Jaguar Enthusiasts Club staged the Royal Windsor Jaguar Festival to raise money for The Prince Philip Trust Fund.

Around 6,500 people attended, and cars came from as far away as Germany, Italy, Norway, Sweden, and even the United States and Canada.

Among the attractions was the unveiling by Jaguar Classic of the “new original” XKSS. Jaguar Classic is building nine “lost” XKSS cars to original 1957 specifications to replace those lost in a fire 60 years ago at the Browns Lane factory.

Also taking part in the drive through the town of Windsor and the castle grounds was the 1966 XJ13, a car built for but that did not compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans race. The car now is part of the Jaguar Heritage Trust collection.

“The Royal Windsor Jaguar Festival was a dream event for us: we like nothing better than spending time with fellow Jaguar enthusiasts and discussing how we can support them, so doing that at such a magnificent venue as Windsor, for charity, was a huge privilege,” Tim Hannig, director of Jaguar Land Rover Classic, said in a news release.

“We’re proud to serve all enthusiasts of older Jaguars, whether they’re looking for an authentic car to buy, genuine parts, expert servicing or fabulous experiences.”

Jaguar Land Rover Classic is the official factory source for service parts and even cars. Based in Coventry, it has a staff of 130 people specializing in restoration and building “new original” continuation cars such as the Jaguar Lightweight E-type and XKss.

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Larry Edsall
A former daily newspaper sports editor, Larry Edsall spent a dozen years as an editor at AutoWeek magazine before making the transition to writing for the web and becoming the author of more than 15 automotive books. In addition to being founding editor at ClassicCars.com, Larry has written for The New York Times and The Detroit News and was an adjunct honors professor at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University.