- Jaguar Heritage to field nine of the marque's most famous 1950s models in the 2015 Mille Miglia
- Event runs from May 14‑17 with drivers piloting three C‑types, three D‑types, an XK120, an XK140 and a MK VII
- Star line‑up of drivers come from motorsport, music and entertainment to drive historic Jaguars on the Mille Miglia
- Live updates from event will be available through Jaguar's official social media channels, as well as Twitter profiles of drivers using hashtag: #JaguarMille
(MAHWAH, NJ) ‑ April 30, 2015 ‑ Jaguar is celebrating its 80th anniversary by once again taking on the legendary challenge that is the Mille Miglia. Held from May 14‑17 in Italy, Jaguar Heritage Racing will be fielding a team of drivers who will cover more than 1,000 miles from Brescia‑Rome‑Brescia in nine of the marque's most celebrated models.
Famous faces from the world of motorsport, TV and music will put their historic Jaguars through their paces on the gruelling route which takes place over four punishing but unforgettable days starting in Brescia, heading to Rimini, Rome, Parma and then back to Brescia. Crowds lining the route will get to see examples of historically‑significant Jaguar XKs, C‑types and D‑types hurtling past them with famous faces in the cockpits.
Five‑time winner of the Le Mans 24hr, three‑time Daytona 24hr winner and world sportscar veteran, Derek Bell, will make his Mille Miglia debut driving a Jaguar C‑type. Derek is driving as a guest of art collector and classic car enthusiast Adam Lindemann.
Piloting the second C‑type, 'NDU 289', will be Jaguar Vehicle
Integrity Chief Engineer Mike Cross, while the final C‑type, 'PUG
676', will be driven by Royal Automobile Club Motoring Committee
Chairman, Ben Cussons.
Driving 'RSF 303', a priceless Jaguar D‑type 'Long Nose' Ecurie Ecosse racer, which finished second at Le Mans in 1957, will be Jaguar Director of Design, Ian Callum. A veteran of the Mille Miglia, Ian drove with US chat show host Jay Leno in the 2014 event ‑ this year he will be partnering up with businessman and classic car enthusiast, Clive Beecham.
At the wheel of a Jaguar MK VII will be a man who's no stranger
to speed and sleep deprivation ‑ Charley Boorman. More used to two
wheels than four thanks to his many motorbike adventures, Charley
will be partnered by Bremont co‑founder
Giles English. The fastest saloon car of its day, a Jaguar MK VII
was famously piloted to victory in the 1956 Monte Carlo Rally by
Ronnie Adams with co‑drivers Frank Biggar and Derek Johnstone.
Making for a very glamorous cockpit is 'OOF 748' ‑ the XK120 roadster of model, TV presenter and current host of Channel 5's The Classic Car Show, Jodie Kidd, whose co‑driver will be male supermodel, GQ columnist and classic car enthusiast, David Gandy.
Host of the hugely popular BBC One show, Saturday Kitchen and
well‑known TV chef, James Martin, will be partnered by Bremont
co‑founder Nick English, brother of Giles. They will share the
penultimate 'Long Nose' Jaguar D‑type ever built, registered '393
RW'. Completing the trio of D‑types will be one of the classic car
world's most respected experts, Simon Kidston.
Completing the Jaguar Heritage team line‑up is successful
British singer/song‑writer Elliot Gleave, otherwise known as
Example. Elliot will be driving a XK140 with his father, Michael,
as co‑pilot. The XK140, registered 'TAC 743', was once owned by
successful British racing driver David Hobbs.
On the Mille Miglia, a number of new Jaguar XEs will also support
the Jaguar Heritage Racing team, following the full route through
Italy with broadcast crews and VIP guests.
Twitter profiles to watch for the latest personal updates on the event include:
Jaguar Heritage Racing Driver Twitter profile name
Derek Bell @MrDerekBell
David Gandy @DGandyOfficial
Jodie Kidd @RealJodieKidd
Elliot Gleave (Example) @example
James Martin @jamesmartinchef
Nick English @BremontNick
Giles English @GilesEnglish
Charley Boorman @charleyboorman
Ian Callum @IanCallum
In addition Jaguar will be publishing live updates from 14‑17 May at: www.facebook.com/Jaguar and www.twitter.com/jaguar
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About Jaguar
Jaguar is a premier manufacturer of luxury sedans and sports
cars offering unparalleled design with tremendous performance. The
company's vision throughout its storied history has been simple: To
produce beautiful, fast cars that are desired the world over.
Jaguar strives to provide a world class ownership experience to
every owner. Today's Jaguar lineup consists of the XJ luxury sedan,
XF sports sedan, the XK Coupe and Convertible sports cars and the
two‑seater F‑TYPE. Jaguar designs, engineers and manufactures
exclusively in the United Kingdom, at the Castle Bromwich
manufacturing plant in the British Midlands. Jaguar is fully
engaged with sustainability initiatives and social concerns with
continuous involvement in environmental and community programs. For
more information visit the official Jaguar website at
http://www.jaguarusa.com.
About Jaguar Land Rover
• The United States is one of the leading global markets for both Jaguar and Land Rover
• Jaguar Land Rover employs 32,000 people and sells vehicles in 170 countries around the world
• Jaguar Land Rover has two state of the art engineering and design facilities and four advanced manufacturing plants in the UK
• Headquartered in Mahwah, New Jersey in the United States, Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC has offices across the USA
• Jaguar Land Rover is represented by more than 330 independently operated retail outletsin the USA