The Great British Jaguar Day
June 10, 2026
Photography by Toby Ena-Smith
Was ever a British carmaker more worthy of celebration than Jaguar?
The 104-year-old marque has twice claimed the title of the world’s fastest production car, first in 1948 with the XK120, and again in 1992 with the XJ220. Jaguar has won Le Mans seven times and pioneered the use of disc brakes, independent rear suspension, and aluminium monocoque construction. Jaguar launched the first “super saloon” in the form of the Mk2; its E-Type was supposedly “the most beautiful car in the world,” according to one Signor Ferrari; and it has developed some of the longest-lived and most successful six- and twelve-cylinder engines of all time.
That’s quite a CV. So, on Saturday, 23rd May 2026, The Car Podcast with Chris Harris and Friends and Car & Classic hosted a celebration of Jaguar. A quintessentially British tea party, with bunting, cake, and, of course, lots of Jags.
The wonderful thing about Jaguar is that there are cars for every budget. You can become a Jag driver for as little as a few thousand pounds with a modern classic X300/X308 or X350 generation XJ. Spend a little more and you can bag yourself an XK8, XJ40 or XJ-S. Ten thousand gets you into Mark 2 and XJR territory, E-Types start in the mid-twenties for Series 3 V12 models, and span up to 100,000 for ‘flat floor’ Series 1s. XJ220s are now well past six figures, while a Le Mans-raced D-Type is in the millions.
That’s why the Great British Jaguar day makes so much sense. It champions a brand that’s both accessible and exclusive, resulting in a highly inclusive event. The breadth of vehicles on display was undoubtedly a fitting tribute to the marque, featuring notable cars from Jaguar’s rich competition history, as well as rare variants such as the Lynx Eventer and Project 8.
Approximately 1,500 Jaguars attended the Great British Jaguar Day in all, with models of all eras represented. Around seventy cars made up the Hangar 113 display, showcasing some of the most historically significant Jaguars, while Car & Classic assembled a diverse group of Big Cats for its own lawn area, including cars currently for sale by auction, classified, and those insured with Car & Classic.
Notable cars that attended the Great British Jaguar Day
Jaguar Type 00 Concept: Presented by the factory, this highly debated London Red electric concept car signals Jaguar’s controversial future design direction.
Jaguar D-Type (#XKD-518): A highly original survivor and one of only two D-Types painted red from the factory; it was originally owned by racing driver Peter Blond.
Jaguar C-X75: The famous mid-engined hybrid concept car, often referred to as “the greatest supercar the marque never made”.
Jaguar XJR-15 & XJR-14: Iconic racing machines celebrating Jaguar’s historic dominance in Group C and the Le Mans sports prototype eras.
TWR Supercat: The new XJ-S-based ‘restomod’ by the legendary Tom Walkinshaw Racing.
Jaguar Project 8, Project 7, and XFR-S: High-performance, modern-classic “super saloons” and low-volume special vehicles.
Bertone 420 Coupé: A highly unusual coachbuilt Italian-bodied prototype variant.
Notable guests who attended the Great British Jaguar Day
The Car Podcast Hosts: Automotive journalist and presenter Chris Harris, alongside his co-hosts Chris Cooper, Manish Pandey, and Neil Clifford
Ian Callum: The legendary automotive designer responsible for modern icons like the Jaguar XK, XJ, F-Type, and the C-X75 concept.
Matt Becker: Former Lotus Chief Engineer and current Jaguar Vehicle Engineering Director at JLR.
David Brabham: Legendary Le Mans winner who famously raced the XJR-14 and dominated the Jaguar Intercontinental Challenge.
Henry Pearman: Classic car specialist and the founder of Eagle E-Types.
Harry Metcalfe: Renowned automotive journalist, collector, and founder of Evo magazine.
Santino Pietrosanti: Jaguar Brand Director, who personally presented the future-focused Type 00 concept.
Ken McConomy & Dominic Elms: JLR Global PR Director and Managing Director of JLR Classic, respectively, who spoke on the main stage about heritage and preservation.
Wayne Scott: Automotive journalist and editor of the Jaguar Enthusiast Magazine.
Grant Williams: Renowned historic racing driver celebrated for his sideways antics in classic Mk1 Jaguars.
“For The Love Of Jags”
Car & Classic would like to thank everyone who brought their cars, families, dogs (and homemade cakes) along to the Great British Jaguar Day – an event that turned out to be quintessentially British in all respects except for the weather, which was unusually clement. We’d also like to thank The Car Podcast team: Chris Harris, Chris Cooper, Manish Pandey, and Neil Clifford for keeping us all entertained on the main stage, along with all the guest speakers and the Jaguar specialists showcasing their skills and services.
It takes an event like the Great British Jaguar day to remind us that some carmakers are really worth rallying behind. People are emotionally invested in Jaguar. There’s a big community that cares about its future and the preservation of its past. Car & Classic’s event banners put it most aptly. We do this “For The Love Of Jags”.
