One to Buy: Bathurst 1000 and multiple ETCC race-winning 1984 TWR Jaguar XJS Gr.A
Having been founded in 1976, Tom Walkinshaw Racing (TWR) quickly became renowned for its work with privateer BMWs. The firm then picked up a manufacturer contract with Mazda for the British Touring Car Championship that yielded title-winning campaigns in 1980 and ‘81.
For 1982, TWR began a long-standing relationship with British Leyland division, Jaguar, that saw Group A examples of the XJS campaigned in the premier Division 3 class of the European Touring Car Championship (ETCC).
TWR and Jaguar scored four wins from ten outings in 1982, five from twelve in 1983 and seven from twelve in 1984 when Tom Walkinshaw himself was crowned that year’s Drivers’ champion.
For 1985, British Leyland had TWR campaign Rover SD1s in the ETCC while Jaguar withdrew in anticipation of a Group C Sports car programme. However, the XJSs did make a one-off trip to the Bathurst 1000 in 1985 where Armin Hahne and John Goss took a historic win.
Currently on offer at the Duncan Hamilton ROFGO showroom in Micheldever, Hampshire, is a TWR XJS built up for the 1984 season: chassis 004.
Constructed to the ultimate specification for these cars, 004 became a multiple ETCC race winner during that victorious ‘84 campaign and was also the chassis that Hahne and Goss took to victory with in the 1985 Bathurst 1000.
Today, 004 is being offered from 20 year ownership, during which time it has been maintained without regard to expense and is thus presented in superb race-ready condition.
Reprinted below is Duncan Hamilton ROFGO’s description:
Ex-works / TWR / Multiple ETCC race winner & Bathurst winner
Chassis 004 was built by TWR for Jaguar’s works European Touring Car Championship effort, taking multiple wins in the 1984 ETCC and a subsequent overall win in the gruelling 'Bathurst 1000' in 1985 - the only Jaguar to ever do so.
Significantly, 004 is one of only two final lightweight development cars modified at the end of the program, making it the ultimate spec Group A XJS.
The final cherry on top for this amazing and original warrior is that it was one of only two cars repainted in John Player Special colours for the ’84 Macau Guia Race, where it took 2nd overall behind the sister XJS.
Surely the greatest Group A car of its era, the XJS can also lay claim to being the catalyst car for TWR's Le Mans winning Group C effort that followed its Touring Car triumphs.
Certainly no car of its era can compete with the drama of the big green XJS's - huge wide slicks shoehorned under the haunches of the bodywork, protruding side-exit exhausts... but most importantly, the sound. The XJS was famous for drowning out the engine notes of all its competitors in period, and it still does today. Nothing compares or competes with its howling 500bhp V12 engine - the same V12 that went on to win Le Mans twice.
Today there are only five genuine Group A Jaguar XJS in existence and 004 is without doubt the car that has had more love, care and sympathetic development lavished upon it than any other. It has been in the same ownership for some 20 years where it has been maintained absolutely no-expense-spared by its father and son team, both of whom are exceptional engineers and world-renown Jaguar experts.
Race-ready for all the world's historic touring car grids, including Patrick Peter's magnificent Historic Touring Cup.
