XJ13, The Definitive Story
By
Peter D. Wilson

 

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XJ13

This great new book on the XJ13 gives the first-ever detailed account of the fantastic 5.0 litre four-cam V12 engine which powered XJ13 (and which was intended to power Jaguar road cars too). This brings to light the extraordinary saga of Jaguar's intended purchasing of Lotus, with the carrot of a Jaguar V12 race engine for Colin Chapman's Indianapolis aspirations cleverly dangled by Sir William Lyons! A story which has never been told before, it includes a fascinating exchange of correspondence between those two wiley old campaigners, Lyons and Chapman.


Not only does Peter have personal knowledge of XJ13, he also interviewed key people in the story, including Mike Kimberley who was assigned the project after the sad departure of Derrick White to Cooper Cars (Mike went on to become chief executive of Lotus for many years). Then retired engine men George Buck,Jim Eastick and Frank Philpott, who developed the four-cam engine on the test-bed, also contributed their knowledge and helped Peter assess the significance of the many test reports which have been analysed for the book. These and large quantity of other key documents came to light during the hundreds of hours Peter spent researching in the Jaguar Heritage archives at Browns Lane, and a number of them are reproduced in full.
The book also explores other mid-engine designs which Malcolm Sayer proposed, including after the XJ13 project was shelved. It also tells how the eventual production 'flat head' V12 engine emerged from the original Baily/Heynes design (codenamed 'XJ6') which powered the XJ13, but which proved too bulky and complex for use in road Jaguars.

All in all, this is a detailed account of this extraordinary Le Mans Jaguar that is both technical enough to please the engineer, but also expressed in a way that even the layman can appreciate what it takes to design, build and test a sophisticated, 200mph+, V12-engined Le Mans car.

The main contents of the book in more detail are as follows:-

Background

  • C-type, D-type, E-type (including Lightweight) and E2A
Project XJ6: The four – cam V12 engine
  • Part 1: Concept and design
  • Part 2: Build and development
  • Part 3: The afterlife…
  • Part 4: What might have been…?
Project XJ13: The mid-engined Le Mans car
  • Part 1: Origins and design
  • Part 2: Making a start
  • Part 3: Opposition – The Ford GT40
  • Part 4: Completion and static test
  • Part 5: Out to play…
  • Part 6: Redesign and upgrades
  • Part 7: Scattered to the winds…
  • Part 8: A new dawn…and disaster!
  • Part 9: Like a Phoenix…

 

Most orders shipped the next day via
FedEx Ground.
Please be sure to use a street address
and not a PO Box

  

 

Standard Edition

US Orders, XJ13, Standard Edition $145,
including 4-Day FedEx Ground shipping
In Stock and Ready for Shippping

(Click View Cart to confirm order)

 

Non-US Orders, XJ13, Standard Edition $190,
including $45 international postage,
In Stock and Ready for Shippping

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Note: This book will not be available on the internet via Amazon or any of the major retailers. Only by selling direct can this initial low price be achieved.

US Distributor:

Golden Cat Publishing
Attn: Steve Kennedy
8137 Zang Street
Arvada, CO 80005

Email: skennedy@ecentral.com
Steve Kennedy  303-489-3955
Visa-Master Card orders welcomed

Orders shipped within one to two days.

Rest of the World

www.paulskilleterbooks.com
Registered Office:
PJ Publishing Ltd
38 Farm Lane South
Barton on Sea
NEW MILTON
Hampshire BH25 7BR

+44 (0)1425 612669
E-mail: jagworld1@aol.com