1957 Tojeiro Jaguar

This is a photograph I took at Brittens chicane during the AMOC '50s Sports Cars race at the Aston Martin Owners Club’s meeting at Oulton Park in May 2015.

It's The 1957 Tojeiro Jaguar of Tom McWhirter and has the 6-cylinder inline 3,781cc version of the Jaguar XK6 engine. Behind it is the 1952 Aston Martin of David Reed and the rest of the field consisting mostly of Jaguars and Austin Healeys. John Tojeiro started building cars in the early 1950s, the first car being based on an MG TA. Other cars followed and when Cliff Davis decided he wanted a car with more power to replace his Cooper MG John Tojeiro was commissioned to build a car with a Bristol engine with similar bodywork to the Cooper. This car was very successful and attracted the attention of Ernie Bailey who had connections with AC Cars and knew they were looking for a replacement for the AC 2 litre so suggested that they should use the Tojeiro Bristol as a basis for the new car. That car became the AC Ace which in turn attracted the attention of Carroll Shelby who transformed it into the AC Cobra. John Tojeiro in the meantime built four Jaguar engined cars, the first in 1956 for John Ogier and has the registration 7 GNO. The car pictured above is a rebuild of the second car which was also owned by John Ogier who wrecked the car at a hill climb at Stapleford at the end of 1957, the rebuild being completed in 1990. The third car was built in 1958 and was loaned to Ecurie Ecosse but did not have any notable success - as far as I know it is now in New Zealand. The fourth car was built for Ecurie Ecosse in 1959 and competed in the Le Mans 24 Hour race that year but failed to finish, then was wrecked in a crash during the 1959 Tourist Trophy race at Goodwood. It has since been completely restored.