TWR's Supercat
In 1981 the FIA prepared new Group A regulations for the European Touring Car Championship to be implemented for the 1982 season. British racing car driver Tom Walkinshaw saw an opportunity to take Jaguar back into motor racing with its XJS and so in the summer of 1981, took his proposal to CEO John Egan and the board.
Jaguar gave Tom Walkinshaw Racing (TWR) its blessing and provided cars, components and parts budget, along with full engineering support to TWR, who supplied the labour and ran the development programme itself. The factory gave TWR an XJS, fully trimmed, road legal, standard production vehicle. Over the next few months the TWR team took this vehicle, TWR001, through homologation to meet Group A regulations in readiness for its competition debut in March 1982.
Among other racing modifications, TWR implemented the single wheel nut and compressed air jacking systems to speed up their pit stops. A heavier car than its BMW competitor, TWR001 needed extra pit stops and so speed would therefore be essential for a Jaguar win.
The Jaguar XJS TWR is revealed to the media mid-March 1982 with the announcement that TWR will be running the XJS in the European Touring Car Championship. Sponsorship had been confirmed from Motul Oil and Akai, along with results based backing from Jaguar Cars and free tyres from Dunlop. All homologation requirements had been met for the Group A specification and in readiness for the first race at Monza.
During that 1982 season the XJS started on the front row at its first race at Monza, won at its third race, a non-Championship event at Zolder, won its first ETCC race at Brno, then again at the Nurburgring, followed by two 1-2 finishes at Silverstone and Zolder, again.
The 1-2 finish by Walkinshaw/Nicholson’and Allam/Lovett at Silverstone provided Jaguar its first TT victory since 1951. This convincing performance proves to be an important milestone in the Jaguar/TWR relationship giving Jaguar Cars the confidence to officially back the project in 1983.
The car featured here is the original TWR XJS Jaguar show car owned and displayed, in period, at ETCC races by Jaguar Cars. Having been beautifully restored featuring many original and unique TWR components this 1982 Jaguar TWR XJS FIA Group A Touring Car is currently available from Sayer Selection. To find out more, click on the link.
Photos © Sayer Selection