IN BRIEF

• Jaguar previews its entry into the 2013 Mille Miglia with short film featuring David Gandy, Yasmin Le Bon, Norman Dewis and Alex Buncombe
  
• Jaguar Heritage Racing enters three C-Type and three XK120 classic cars into famous event
• Jaguar ‘Bloodline’ of sports cars to be celebrated with new F-TYPE joining the 1,000 mile tour

IN DETAIL

Jaguar has curated a unique team of drivers for its Jaguar Heritage Racing entry into this year’s Mille Miglia classic car tour. Taking the seats of outstanding examples of Jaguar C-Type and XK120 heritage race cars will be six-time Olympic cycling Champion Sir Chris Hoy, global supermodel David Gandy, Le Mans 24 Hours race winner Andy Wallace, Chairman & CEO of 20th Century Fox Jim Gianopulos – who will drive with a film industry colleague, German actress Hannah Herzsprung, Italian Salvatore Ferragamo Jr., fashion icon Yasmin Le Bon and Michael Quinn, the grandson of Jaguar founder Sir William Lyons.

This exciting list of classic car enthusiasts will be led by Jaguar Heritage Racing’s own multiple race winner Alex Buncombe and motoring journalist Chris Harris, who will link up for the event in a Jaguar C-Type once owned by former Formula 1 Champion Juan Manuel Fangio.

The Mille Miglia is the pinnacle of classic motorsport, and the competitive event in 1952 saw Jaguar debut the disc brake on its C-type sports car, piloted then by Jaguar Chief Development Engineer Norman Dewis and Formula 1 legend Sir Stirling Moss. Norman Dewis was with some of the 2013 Jaguar Heritage Racing team at Goodwood Motor Circuit this week, in a driver training session which was captured on film and now available to view below.

The line-up of three C-Type race cars and three XK12Os will be followed on the majority of the driving route by five new Jaguar F-TYPE sports cars.

Jaguar Regional Director for Europe Bernard Kuhnt – who will drive with Hannah Herzsprung in the event – said: “Jaguar’s 1952 entry into the Mille Miglia was hugely significant in the evolution of Jaguar products. Seductive design, intelligent performance and technological innovation were features of all Jaguar sports cars in the 1950s and 60s and they are prevalent in the incredible new F-TYPE. I am delighted that the Jaguar sports car ‘bloodline’ will be together in this great race and that such an exciting list of individuals will come together to celebrate the occasion and drive our cars.”

 

JAGUAR PUBLISHES MILLE MIGLIA 2013 FILM FEATURING SIR CHRIS HOY, DAVID GANDY, YASMIN LE BON AND SALVATORE FERRAGAMO JR

(Whitley Coventry – 22 May 2013) The stars and the Jaguar cars entered into the Mille Miglia 2013 all feature in a new short film now available to watch below

The 1,000 mile tour, which is a celebration of ‘The World’s Most Beautiful Race’, captures the feedback from the high profile line-up of drivers that accepted invitations from Jaguar to partake in the epic drive event across Italy.

In the seats of three stunning examples of the Jaguar XK120 were driver pairings of Sir Chris Hoy and Andy Wallace; Daniel Day Lewis and Jim Gianopulos and David Gandy partnering Yasmin Le Bon.

The cavalcade of official Jaguar Heritage Racing cars in the event was doubled in size by the entries of three remarkable C-Type sports cars. Driver double-acts in lightweight C-Types included Jaguar Regional Director for Europe Bernard Kuhnt and actress Hannah Herzsprung, Alex Buncombe with Chris Harris, and Salvatore Ferragamo Jr. alongside Michael Quinn – the grandson of Jaguar founder Sir William Lyons.

More than 400 classic race and road cars of unique heritage were entered into the Mille Miglia this year. The record number of entries meant that the Jaguar drivers – of which only Jim Gianopulos and Bernard Kuhnt have previous experience – were jostling on road with some of the most significant sports cars ever built by the world’s most prestigious manufacturers.

Sir Chris Hoy, an Ambassador of the Jaguar Academy of Sport, said: “Being asked to drive with Le Mans winner Andy Wallace in the Mille Miglia was a privilege and I was delighted to take part. It is a technical event that participants take very seriously – I enjoyed its deeply competitive nature and I’m delighted to have made my debut with Jaguar.”

Globally-recognised supermodel David Gandy commented: “The Mille Miglia is an event like no other. It was on my ‘bucket list’ and despite gruelling hours spent on the road each day in difficult weather conditions, the reaction to our car from thousands of fans across Italy and the euphoria Yasmin and I experienced crossing the finishing line made it all worthwhile.”

Jaguar is committed to celebrating its unique, rich heritage as the company continues its recent exciting growth. Bernard Kuhnt said: “Our presence at the Mille Miglia was particularly significant this year as we are launching the new F-TYPE sports car across the world. To bring together the finest Jaguar cars ever made, with some remarkable characters behind the wheel, and to have five F-TYPEs chasing them throughout beautiful Italian countryside was a sight to behold.

“I am extremely thankful to the drivers in our team for spending their valuable time with Jaguar and I am grateful to the Mille Miglia organisers for allowing us the opportunity to enter this spectacular celebration of classic motorsport.”