Alroyd Lees' Jaguar Mk. IX

Sir,

On reading Mr. A. J. Whyte’s letter in the current issue of MOTOR SPORT, may I, as a very proud owner of a Mark IX circa 1960, voice my opinion on a truly thoroughbred car.

My own car, 3294 AD, has become fairly well known throughout the years with our travels around the globe. (Engine No. NC 8675-8. Chassis No. 774 768 DM) and has now completed over 375,000 miles on its original engine and gearbox. Indeed a truly magnificent performance.

The engine, which has been Duckhams lubricated since new (Ron Carnell, of Duckhams will verify this), still only uses 1 pt, of oil to every 1,000 miles, and still gives me an average of 20.3 m.p.g. using Champion N12Y plugs.

The phenomenal mileage and reliability of my car is due to regular servicing and maintenance, which has always been carried out for me by The Plough Motor Group of Companies of Stonehouse, the Jaguar dealers in this area who supplied the car from new. The car has been kept bog standard since new, except for a 30 gal. petrol tank I had fitted some years ago on the shelf of the boot behind the rear seat squab. Coupled to each tank we have fuel lines running and fed into two SU pumps so that when I am on one of my marathon drives I can feed either tank from the reserve of 30 gallons. This saves time refuelling and gives me a range of some 900 miles before my next fuel halt. After 15 years of driving through all sorts of countries and in varying climatic conditions, a little rust is at last creeping into the sills and wing valances, a matter which will be put right in the near future in the body shop. I have a complete record of all the servicing and repairs carried out to the car since new, and to all the “Knockers of British Cars” I say (and can speak with some authority on the matter after 55 years in motoring sport and driving both British and foreign cars all over the world). British cars are the best in the world. Look around you, “Knockers”, and you will see what I mean.

I am proud to have been a reader of MOTOR SPORT for 51 years and although I don’t always agree with all I read, I must say it is always a first on my list of motoring news media. Keep up the good work.

By the way, 3294 AD is also manual with overdrive.

Safe and happy motoring to you all, despite Old Healey.

ALROYD LEES Stroud, Gloucestershire