Today marks the launch of Jaguar Heritage Racing, a programme which will see Jaguar return to the competitive arena through the vibrant world of historic motorsport. For the first time since 1956, works-supported C- and D-types will race again at venues including Goodwood and the Nürburgring, while the season-long programme will also see Jaguar Heritage Racing support numerous additional events on the historic motoring calendar. These include the Mille Miglia, the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, and each round of the E-type challenge in the UK – a series which in 2011 demonstrated the depth of global interest in historic motorsport, and in Jaguar's participation specifically.
As Jaguar embarks on the most extensive new product development cycle in its history, it is the perfect time to invest in and celebrate its heritage. Says Jaguar Global Brand Director, Adrian Hallmark: "Jaguar is proud of its heritage, and it is a heritage that is both alive and ever evolving.
"Advanced engineering is part of our heritage – 2012 sees the 60th anniversary of Jaguar's development of the disc brake for automotive use, and ten years since the marque introduced aerospace-inspired aluminium monocoque technology to its modern range, technology today used on both the XJ and XK. Forward looking design is part of our heritage – the poised intent of the C-X16 concept pushes the boundaries today just as much as the SS Jaguar 100 did in 1935. And racing is very much part of our heritage also – which is why we have launched the Jaguar Heritage Racing programme that this year will see Jaguar C- and D-types in competitive action."
The first event at which Jaguar Heritage Racing will be present is the 2012 Mille Miglia retrospective in May. This year's running of the Mille Miglia has particular significance for Jaguar as it marks 60 years since Sir Stirling Moss and Norman Dewis (then Jaguar's chief development driver) took the start in the first disc-brake equipped C-type. Later that same year Sir Stirling Moss recorded the first win for a disc-braked car when he drove another C-type to victory at Reims, paving the way for the wide-scale use of the technology that we all take for granted today.
