Jaguar Heritage museum

[lowdrag]

So it's definitive. The museum closes at the end of August and there will be no replacement, the cars going into store along with the archives. No longer a rumour that has persisted for months, but actual confirmation received today by a call from within Jaguar. A very sad end to an era.

[a8hex]

That's a real bummer, I'd better get of my backside and go an visit soon before its gone.

I hope the cars still spend lots of time out being seen.

[LordBretSinclair]

Very sad indeed

more here including a reference to PistonHeads http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1072434_jaguar-...

[XJ13]

a8hex said:

That's a real bummer, I'd better get of my backside and go an visit soon before its gone.

I hope the cars still spend lots of time out being seen.

Many of the cars will remain in the "lock-up/workshop" as at present and we should still see them out and about at various events. I have already cleared a space in my garage for C/D-Types/XJ13 etc to help out with storage ... I wish

Seems they own the building - but not the land it sits on hence the marching-orders. A bit of a cockup do I hear you say? I couldn't possibly comment ...

Rather annoyingly, packaging of the documentary archive is well under way and it will be well-nigh impossible to conduct any research in the interim. Seems the archive could be in store for a long time to come.

Edited by XJ13 on Wednesday 1st February 19:05

[neutral 3]

What ! No Way and no more Heritage info ?

[lowdrag]

XJ13 said:

Seems they own the building - but not the land it sits on hence the marching-orders. A bit of a cockup do I hear you say? I couldn't possibly comment ...

Well, not really. The building was always a part of the Jaguar site even though the building was constructed by the trust. It has been known since 2005 that they would have to move but the trustees made no move to do anything until the meeting a while back when they decided to close the museum completely. I would add that this decision wasn't taken yesterday either, but people were not allowed to comment.

[XJ13]

Yes Tony - perhaps I was being a bit simplistic A bit more explanation ... the Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust (which trades as Jaguar Heritage) is completely separate to Jaguar. The land the museum is built on may have belonged to Jaguar but Jaguar Heritage is a legally separate entity. Jaguar Heritage does not own the land its museum is built on. Jaguar wanted to raise money by selling their land to developers and the Trust were forced off.

I have personally known about the decision to close the museum since the end of last year and it does bug me that this has been allowed to happen. I am sure you share my sadness at the end of this era.

We do owe a debt of gratitude to Peter Mitchell OBE, the founder of the Trust for this independence from Jaguar. Thanks to his stirling efforts over the years, attempts by British Leyland to sell cars from the collection were thwarted - followed in 1990 by Ford's similar plans. I wonder if Jaguar Cars themselves would have looked towards the collection when times were hard if it hadn't been for Peter's efforts? Although the Trust themselves have the power to dispose of cars if they see fit (and they have done so in the recent past), Jaguar/Tata themselves cannot raid the collection.

I do find it sad that Jaguar/Tata do not seem to recognise the value of a publicly-accessible collection of cars in a place such as Browns Lane. I wonder if car-makers such as Mercedes, Porsche or BMW would have allowed this to happen if it involved their brands?

[LordBretSinclair]

Could the cars, archives etc be amalgamated into the Heritage Museum at Gaydon or is that a no no?

At least then they would be available to the public rather than put away in store.

[Squadrone Rosso]

It's a real shame as my Club Section visited there in Feb 2010.

Perhaps they Could go to the excellent but FOC Coventry Transport Museum rather that the good but money grabbing Gaydon facility?