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This page shows various press photographs by Jaguar Cars.
All photos can be enlarged by clicking.
Note that the book
Daimler Days
by Brian Smith contains a wealth of
photographs, of which many were published as original press photographs too.
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Photo 189656 (left) had the "royal blue lamp" from the roof edited away. In this form it was used in all Owner's Manuals. The b&w brochure "Daimler of Coventry" has photo 190726 (right), plus the interior photo shown above, plus still another one taken at this same occasion. Also this picture 190726 was used in colour, and with visible license plate MDU808F, on the first and on the last page of the 1969/1970 brochures. |
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Press photo 199239 is with the same car MDU808F as the above photos.
MDU808F was the second DS420; it had body number 1M1002 and its recorded production date was April 17, 1968. It was kept at the factory as a "company car". Almost 25 years later this photo would serve as the inspiration for one of the famous calendar airbrush drawings, although a different car was inserted there (see both illustrations together). It is taken in London, looking West from Piccadilly Circus. You can read more information on this if you click on the above-mentioned link. |
| This photo shows VandenPlas at an Earls Court exposition. Comparison with photos in Brian Smith's "VandenPlas Coachbuilders" book (pg. 292) suggests that it is from 1968, i.e. immediately after the introduction of the DS420. |
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Photos 206221 (right) and 206248 (left) probably date from 1969 (license year letter H in BMC868H). The leftmost photo shows, barely visible on the right side behind the car, the street name Sackville Street. This means that it is taken very close to the place where the above "Piccadilly" photo was shot. |
| Photo Z700 dates from early 1970 (license year letter H). It shows the limo of the Mayor of Coventry with license plate 1COV, parked in front of the Town Hall. This is car 1M1380, delivered in February 1970, and used until its successor 1M2683 was delivered in March 1974. |
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This photo (unnumbered) has a barely visible license year number L (1972).
It shows the then new design of the last side window, which changed from a
wind-down type (with vertical side-post) to a swivel/hinged type.
The book Daimler Days shows this photo on page 884.
The sales brochure "The Daimler Limousine is here, Your Excellency" has a colour picture taken at the same spot, at a slightly different angle. Other pictures in that brochure suggest that this is car EWK1L. |
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These pictures show a car with direction lights on the door post, and on the side of the front wing. Much later the ones on the front wing became standard. The press photograph (left; unnumbered) is very rare; it is not even published in Daimler Days. The rightmost one comes from Brian Long's book Daimler and Lanchester (pg.293). It must have been taken at the same occasion. It shows the license plate BHP700L, which suggests that this is a 1972/1973 car. In 2001, the JDHT published a Jaguar Photo Library CD-ROM, with a collection of archive photographs. The CD contains one DS420 photo, also from this BHP700L car. |
| Also from 1972/1973, and shown on page 877 of Daimler Days, are these pictures no. 224051 (left) and 224049 (right). They show car MBY600L. |
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This photo (unnumbered) is, like the previous ones, most probably from 1972. It shows the swivel-type last window, the modified side-armrest of the bench (which could be made more stretched because the turning handle had disappeared), and the modified wood trim just below that window where ashtray and cigar lighter now moved to. Also note how the wood trim above and between the side windows has disappeared. For a comparison with the previous situation, see the B&W picture near the top of this page, or the colour picture on page 3 of the 1970 sales brochure. |
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Photos 239834 (left) and 239836 (right) show the famous Landaulette for the Governor of Jamaica (one of the only two factory built Landaulettes, car 1M2488). The original picture bears the note: "Not to be published until 8 March 1974", but the book VandenPlas Coachbuilders lists the production of this car in July 1973. If you click on the rightmost picture you'll see two slightly different editions of that press photo (same negative number). This web site has an entire page devoted to the factory produced landaulettes, showing more photographs. |
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These photos above show the three VandenPlas cars
in the British Leyland repertoire,
on the forecourt of Blenheim Palace in Woodstock near Oxford.
They were part of the September 1974 press release
announcing the upgrade of the smallest VdP model from 1300 to 1500 specs.
Photo 248711 (left) was distributed in large quantities,
photo 248710 (middle) is much rarer.
The smaller photo (right) is a photocopy from
an article in (probably) a British Leyland Mirror magazine, date unknown.
The latter comes from the collection of Bryan Peebles, VandenPlas Owners' Club.
I don't have a real photoprint of this one.
The limo shown has reg. no. HUB509N.
You may compare this display to an earlier (1973)
magazine article.
| Photo 248718 is from the same photoshoot in 1974, but it was distributed explicitly for DS420 promotion; it shows the rear view of the Blenheim Palace. The book Daimler Days has it in a cut-out format on page 887. |
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Photo 269783 is from 1976 (license year letter R in ORW800R).
The book Daimler Days shows it on page 890.
Note the -non standard- direction light
high up on the door post behind the front door.
In November/December of this year the bumper overriders would change from chrome ones to rubber blocks, as following pictures show. |
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Photo 274501 is a rare one from (probably) 1977. It has the following caption: 
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License number 1PMG stands for "Patrick Motor Group", the parent company of Birmingham's Daimler distributor "Reeve and Stedeford". On the average, R&S bought a new demonstration car every one or two years, so many different cars have carried this plate. |
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Photo 277117 (no caption) shows a car from the first half of 1977. Its rubber block bumpers were introduced in Nov/Dec. 1976, and the wing mirrors were replaced by door mirrors in the summer of 1977. It is unbelievable that this photo was actually meant for publication, with the eye-striking cable hanging from the roof in the background. The photo was initially contributed from the archive of the VandenPlas Owners' Club. Since then I have found a copy for my own collection. It has the caption text: "International Motor Show" (but no year): "an example of a Daimler limousine, the body panels of which are produced by Motor Panels". |
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The rightmost photo, from my own collection, has a stamp on the back from the British Leyland Motor Corp, Photographic Department, 17053/C, plus a hand-written note dating this in 1977. The one to the left, contributed from the archive of the Vanden Plas Owners' Club, has number 17054/C. The photos are heavily discoloured since this car had, according to the JDHT records, a "light blue velours" interior. Click here for a scan from the same picture, taken before the colour changed so much. |
The magazine article below is from an unknown source. Brian Smith's book Vanden Plas Coachbuilders shows the same illustration as in this article on page 295. Note that this is the same cabinet as on the above colour pictures: same veneer pattern. According to the book, this cabinet was mounted in car UAC51R, of which we have three photos. These photos are also contributed from the archive of the VPOC. Despite its UK license number, this car (1M20146; May 1977) was meant for the French market, as can be seen from the yellow head light bulbs, and its left hand steering wheel.
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The cocktail cabinet was introduced in late 1973, initially on request of one wealthy customer. More cocktail cabinet information: click here. 
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Photo C345, with the interior trimmers at work, is shown in many books. It was part of a press release in early 1981, when Daimler had introduced a "group assembly" system for the limousine production, shortly after it was moved from VandenPlas Kingsbury to Jaguar at Browns Lane. The Motor magazine of February 21, 1981 published an article, based on this press release text. The Autocar magazine, also of February 21, 1981, destilled a smaller article. The press release text itself is not in my collection. |
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Photo DA1286 (left) was part of the same press release as the above one.
It shows the redesigned (rectangular) air inlets and direction lights,
as fitted from 1980.
The revision also did away with the flying D
on the bonnet and replaced it with a D-medaillon, as had previously
only been fitted on cars to be exported to countries forbidding these
pedestrian-killing devices on the front of a car (i.e. most European
mainland countries).
Also the new square overriders with rubber block inlay are clearly visible.
Note that this limo is still with chrome rimbellishers (wheel rings), which accurately dates this photo in 1980. |
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This photo was also part of the 1984 press release that described the office car. It has been published many times, as can be seen both on the pages with magazine articles, and on the office car page. But here is an original photo, including its neg. number 321574. |
| This press text was released in March 1986. |
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1985 had a slight boost in limo sales figures, as this text mentions. The success did not last; production in 1986 stayed far below the 250 units announced here.. |
| This picture is from a 1989 Press Release by Jaguar France, although it is obviously shot in the English Cotswolds area, as the typical yellow stones show. It is also printed in a 1987 sales brochure. |
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This photo DA1311 (car F401JAQ) was part of a press release
for the 1989 model year (October 1988).
It came together with the text pages displayed next to it.
Note that this photo was shot at exactly the same spot as the colour photo above, and as the 1987 (!!) sales brochure. The text pages announce the introduction of the cast alloy wheels, replacing the pressed steel ones. But the car shown still has the pressed steel wheels (latest version, silver grey paint, without chrome rimbellishers). |
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Photo DA1321 shows a very late model.
Here at last are the alloy wheels on display.
It is later than 1989, but the exact year is hard to determine. Daimler Days shows it (on page 922) for the year 1991. Next to it is (part of) the same picture in colour, as used in a December 1990 magazine article. The location (probably) is Eastnor Castle in Ledbury, Herefordshire, England. |
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