In April 1963, a Jaguar was the only car to have if you wanted to win races outright in the British Saloon Car Championship. Since the series now known as the British Touring Car Championship began in 1958, Big Cats from Coventry had won 43 races, spread across the legendary Mk1 and Mk2 saloons, plus – bizarrely – a single success for the XK150.
Jaguar’s domination stretched back even further, to the very beginning of tin-top racing in the United Kingdom. Stirling Moss had won the production touring car race at the 1952 Daily Express International Trophy meeting at Silverstone, the forerunner of British Saloon Cars, in a massive Mk7.
But Jaguar’s era ended abruptly on 11 May 1963. When Jack Sears arrived at Silverstone with a John Willment Automobiles-entered Ford Galaxie, a race-winning model from the world of NASCAR, he triggered the start of a period when American V8 power would be de rigueur at the front of the field. It would last for more than a decade.
After a troubled practice before the correct Firestone tyres arrived and a careful start from pole to look after the clutch, Sears blasted past the leading Jaguars on Hangar Straight as he hit 135mph and disappeared down the road in the seven-litre V8. “To my surprise I passed all three Jaguars in the one manoeuvre,” said Sears in Gentleman Jack by Graham Gauld.
Despite drivers of the calibre of reigning Formula 1 world champion Graham Hill, Roy Salvadori and Mike Salmon, the Jaguars were left behind. Hill suffered tyre failure and Salmon also hit trouble, leaving Salvadori to chase the big Ford.
After setting a new lap record, Sears eased off in the closing stages but still won the 12-lap race by more than 20 seconds despite running most of the race in fourth gear to protect the clutch. Incredibly, this event also marked the debut of the 1100cc Mini Cooper S, which topped its class and took fifth overall with John Whitmore at the wheel.
Source: Autosport