Help: D Type Jaguar Video - location needed.

[Freddie von Rost]

This Fifth Gear video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTSYzMhbH4Q&mod...

is puzzling me. Does anybody know where it was filmed? Some of the locations seem familiar and others do not.

Help.

[HiRich]

I believe it is Longcross/Chobham, the Qinetiq tank & military testing site.

At 00:30 you can see the cobbles at the bottom of the course.
The long straight around 03:00 looks like the start for a clockwise run of the now sadly defunct Sprint course, with the gradient climbs briefly visible.
At 03:07 you seem to see the high-speed, slightly banked outer oval.
At 02:39 you see what appears to be a cautious run through The Snake

Of course, any test track worth its salt would have these features, but as well as the specifics the landscape, trees and brush all look right. It's not MIRA or Millbrook, it's not Leyland, so that leaves Longcross.

[Freddie von Rost]

Thank you for solving the puzzle HiRich. Is Longcross open to humble petrol heads or is it for professional testing only? Did a bit of googling which was of little help.

Really fancy taking the green beast - after I take delivery - for a spin there.

Ta ever so.

[HiRich]

I honestly don't know. It was used regularly for Sprints until earlier this year - a huge loss, as the Snake section makes Cadwell Park look soft (I have a picture of a mate's Caterham fully 8" off the ground at both ends).

I suspect you might be able to hire the place for private testing (though at what cost?) provided it wasn't classed as motorsport. Their Websit doesn't seem to list it. I'd recommend phoning and following a trail of calls until you find someone who knows.

[Freddie von Rost]

Hi de HiRich,

Would a pity if Longcross had shut to mere mortals. Watching the Fifth Gear again it is quite reminiscent - to me anyhow - of parts of the Nürburg Ring.

I will telephone them tomorrow and post accordingly.

FvR

[lowdrag]

XKD 505 has an interesting history. It didn't exist for many years until, in 1982, XKD 504 was sent back to Lynx for a rebuild. They found a piece of the XKD 505 chassis in it, took it out and Lynx built a completely new car around it. It was tyhen sold on to Bill lake. In 2001 it was sold at Rockingham by Bonhams and the situation was so delicate that the catalogue wording was done by solicitors. "A wonderful evocation of the 1955 winning D type" was the wording. Despite this, the car was sold for over £400,000 and has been much campaigned since by Win Percy and Johnny Herbert amongst others. I'm not sure about the price tag quoted though. I discussed that with the JDHT a short while back and I reckon about half of that. Another car XKD 604, is in the same position since Desmond Titterington wrote it off at Silverstone in 1956 and the car was dismantled but was rebuilt in the 1980's from a chassis part and is now in southern California. Nevertheless, knowing the owner as I do, it is a beautiful car and worthy of being shown on the programme. The owner has a wonderful collection of Jaguars and Hawthorn memorabilia.

Edited by lowdrag on Tuesday 31st July 17:06