Spitfire..

[Mr Lawrence]

We all know that jaguar cars are built on what was the site of the spitfire factory at castle Bromwich but can you spot the designers nod to the spitfire in the S type?? 

More so in the mk1 but still has a few in the facelift car. 

[Russ68]

Hey Andy,

Do tell? What did you have in mind?

Although this would've been one of many factories building Spits, the main one Supermarine factory being in Woolston, on Southampton Water pretty close to me.

I fancy building a scaled down 2 seater Spit, possibly using a Jag engine, but this pipe dream is some way into the future, depending on many things, not least funds and the fact I have no pilots license!

Cheers, Russ

[Claws]

Anything to do with using wood?

[Drivingdad]

Hey Andy yes the line from front wing to the rear of car resembles the spitfire wing shape.

[Mr Lawrence]

Taken from a post on another forum......

 

Jaguars chief architect of the S-Types styling, Simon Butterworth, drew attention to the deliberate use of an elliptical spitfire-wing shape throughout the S-Type. Examples of this elliptical theme can be seen, as mentioned, in the air vents, but also on the inside and outside door handles, the wood door trims, the centre console (although a lot of these were lost in the facelift or series II cars), as well as the shape created by the rear light clusters and the back of the boot lid. Butterworth doesn't say so in the article, but the reason for the Spitfire wing theme being chosen is that the S-Type is built at Castle Bromwich the same factory which turned out the iconic Spitfire fighter of WWII, and these design cues are therefore a tribute to one of Britains most iconic aircraft on one of Britains most iconic motor cars. And what is more emblematic of Britains transport heritage than the Spitfire and the Jaguar? All of which goes to bolsters the S-Types right to claim to represent the best of British. In October 1998, Jaguar produced a numbered limited edition commemorative Book for the S-Types launch. Bound in heavy brushed-aluminium covers, the book includes the story of the Spitfire connection and a picture of the aircraft being built at Castle Bromwich. Its interesting to read this history of the factory where our S-Types are built
 

http://www.jaguarforum.com/showthread.php?t=5654&highlight=Lofty

 

[Russ68]

Really interesting, thanks so much for bringing this to my attention, if possible I like the car even more now :)