1984 TWR XJ-S Group A European Touring Car Championship Winner
Encouraged by the success of Group 44 racing in America, Jaguar contemplated a return to racing in the early 1980s, but did so cautiously remembering the problems experienced with the Leyland-sponsored Broadspeed racing XJ-C of 1976-77. Setting up a new works competition department was out of the question. Motor racing had moved on since the 1950s, required specialist knowledge, and a major engineering effort would have been unrealistic. John Egan, Jaguar’s new Managing Director, saw an opportunity to enhance the standing of the marque in the eyes of the world, perhaps already with an eye to the privatisation which happened in 1984.
Tom Walkinshaw had a fine track record with Rover, Ford, Mazda, and BMW, and approached Jaguar with a proposal to enter the European Touring Car (ETCC) Championship of 1982. The regulations prompted him to search for a car with the widest possible tyres and independent suspension. Although the XJ-S was heavy, it fitted the bill. Its fuel injection was an advantage, due to restrictions on altering the engine intake manifold. It won its first race before the end of the season, and came second in the championship.
The 1983 season was even better, as the Tom Walkinshaw Racing (TWR) Jaguar at one time led BMW with five wins to four, and only narrowly missed winning the championship. A three-car team ran in the 1984 season, and this time, the Jaguars were unassailable. Of seven race victories, the most memorable was in the 24-hour race at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium, by Walkinshaw and Win Percy – the first victory in a 24-hour race for Jaguar since the 1957 Le Mans. Walkinshaw won the championship, the first Jaguar driver to do so since Peter Nocker in 1963.
While TWR was then encouraged to develop a Le Mans winning Jaguar, the racing career of the XJ-S came to an end, with only a few more appearances in races in Australia and New Zealand in 1985 and 1987. However, this was the car that put Jaguar back on track, in more ways than one!
Race History Of Our Car – Chassis #007
| Date | Location, Race & Race Number | Drivers | Result |
| 1984 April 1 | Monza, Italy 500 km Race #7 | Tom Walkinshaw Hans Heyer | Qualified – Pole Result – 1st |
| 1984 April 8 | Vallelunga, Rome, Italy 500 km Race #7 | Tom Walkinshaw Hans Heyer | Qualified – Pole Result – 3rd |
| 1984 April 29 | Donington, England 500 km Race #1 | Tom Walkinshaw Hans Heyer | Qualified – 2nd Result – 9th |
| 1984 May 13 | Pergusa Enna, Sicily 500 km Race #7 | Tom Walkinshaw Hans Heyer | Qualified – 3rd Result – 2nd |
| 1984 June 10 | Brno, Czechia 16th Grand Prix Race #3 | Tom Walkinshaw Hans Heyer | Qualified – Pole Result – 1st |
| 1984 June 17 | Osterreichring, Zeltweg, Austria 500 km Race #3 | Tom Walkinshaw Hans Heyer | Qualified – Pole Result – 1st |
| 1984 July 1 | Salzburgring, Austria 500 km | Tom Walkinshaw Hans Heyer | Qualified – Pole Result – DNF – gearbox |
| 1984 July 8 | Nürburgring, Germany Touring Car Grand Prix Race #3 | Tom Walkinshaw Hans Heyer | Qualified – Pole Result – DNF – Engine |
| 1984 July 29 | Spa, Belgium 24-hour Race #12 | Tom Walkinshaw Hans Heyer Win Percy | Qualified – Pole Result – 1st |
| 1984 September 9 | Silverstone, England RAC Tourist Trophy Race #1 | Tom Walkinshaw Hans Heyer | Qualified – Pole Result – DNF – Engine |
| 1984 September 23 | Zolder, Belgium Race #1 | Tom Walkinshaw Hans Heyer | Qualified – Pole Result – DNF – Engine |
| 1984 October 21 | Mugello, Italy 500 km Race #3 | Tom Walkinshaw Hans Heyer | Qualified – 2nd Result – DNF –Suspension |
| 1984 November 17 | Macau GP Race #7 | Tom Walkinshaw | Qualified – Pole Result – 1st |
| Tom Walkinshaw won the driver’s championship | Jaguar came second in the constructors table | ||
| 1985 October 6 | Bathurst, Australia James Hardie 1000 Race #8 | Tom Walkinshaw Win Percy | Qualified – Pole Result – 3rd |
Chassis Number: TWR JC/84A-007
Owner: The Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust
Inventory Number: 82/J.39