Rest In Peace, David - To our dearly valued friend.
David Reilly : Library/Research Volunteer
I passed my driving test on my 16th birthday and persuaded my parents to let me buy a 1948 MG-TC. The organization that ran sports car races in the Pacific Northwest licensed drivers at 18. I applied for a racing license on my 18th birthday and drove the TC in my first race the next month. My Father and I also hillclimbed a 1954 Porsche 1500 coupe.
After graduating college I raced a Lotus 11 on the west coast and then went to Europe and drove a Lotus 23B at Brands Hatch, Goodwood and Mallory Park before bringing it back to the USA and campaigning it in the SCCA for two years.
In 1966 my British wife, Patricia, and I ordered a Jaguar 3.8 'S' for delivery at Browns Lane, drove it for a month and brought it back to the US.
In 1970, we put the 'S' into very careful hibernation and moved to England where we got immersed in pre-War Austin 7s! Our fleet was a 1931 Tourer which was my daily driver (one year driving it 10,000 miles), a Swallow Saloon for restoration, and an Ulster replica for vintage racing.
In the 1980s, back in the USA, family took our time so the 'S' was garaged with our 1962 Lotus Elite Super 95. Both driven only on special occasions.
In the '90s, we were 'empty nesters' and became very active in JANE (Jaguar Association of New England) and JTC (Jaguar Touring Club) driving the 'S' to meetings, in club events, slaloms, tours and concours from Boston to Washington DC. Our 'S'-type was the JCNA National Champion for Driven small saloons twice, in 1993 and 1995.
Jaguar invited our 'S' to attend the US launch of the 1998 V8 range of XJ saloons where Stirling Moss drove it on a press demonstration, with me in the passenger seat. The car was also on the Jaguar 1998 calendar. In 1999, Jaguar Cars borrowed our ‘S’-type for functions at Jaguar headquarters for the launch of the 'new' S-TYPE.
We co-founded the International Jaguar 'S'-type Register in 1999 and have researched and written over 150 'S'-type newsletters. My articles have also been published in Sportscar, Road & Track, Jaguar Journal and Jaguar (Australia) magazines. I Iook forward to researching, archiving and writing for the Coventry Foundation.