Name your three favorite letters in the automotive alphabet. For many of us the answer would be C, D and E. Those symbols corresponding to the1951-53 C-type, 1954-56 D-type (and its 1957 XKSS derivative) and 1961-74 E-type. Now imagine that those cars were as close as your garage.
For Terry Larson of Mesa, Arizona, that is a daily reality. Just after Thanksgiving, my father and I visited this incredible shop. In an article in Sports & Exotic Cars, the author refers to it as “eponymous.” We saw the physical history of Jaguar from an SS-100, C-Types, D-Types and Series 1 E-Types (that’s right, plural examples!). Many of these cars see some yearly miles. One of his D-Types, OKV2, was raced by Stirling Moss at LeMans. It was purchased in 1999, raced, and he has put on roughly 20,000 miles since then. Terry organized the world’s largest gathering of C and Ds in 2001. Imagine these cars all in one place: 10 Cs, 9Ds and 3 XKSSs.
This is a working shop. One of the current projects is a Lister Jaguar that will be raced. Have you ever noticed that Jags of this era are works of art even as they lay disassembled?
As a bonus beyond the cars, Terry’ shop also displays Sir William Lyon’s Brough Superior motorcycle and various engines. Of personal special interest is a dual overhead cam v12. These engines, when fuel injected were designed to put forth 700 hp. There were only four made. Imagine that in the Series 3 XKE!
The original intention in writing this article was to do some research on the “C” and “D” types that won the hearts of so many Jaguar fans. After all, Jaguars won LeMans in 1951-53 and 55, 56, 57. However, going to www.terrylarsonjaguar.net and checking out the various links will provide the reader a far deeper picture than what I can give. It is a superb site with excellent pictures and interesting information. The string of victories earned by those racers in the early days of the marque have given Jaguar autos a rich heritage and pedigree. To put into perspective how special these vehicles are, consider the production numbers: 54 C-Types, 62 D-Types, and 16 XKSS (2 additional were converted D-Types). Road and Track in May of ’56 stated that the D-Type did 0-60 mph in 4.7 seconds and a top speed of 162mph. Other reports state the cars as faster than that. Outstanding.
In the final reflection of the visit, what strikes one most is Terry Larson himself. In the car hobby, it is good to remember it is always the people more than their cars. The more that you find admirable, witty, and genuine in the owner, the more appealing their cars seem to be. We found Terry’s humility and courtesy as special as his incredible Jaguars. His upper-Midwest upbringing: Grafton, North Dakota, and work ethic developed through a farm background no doubt play a big part in the success of his business. Terry states that giving customers value for their money in purchases and restorative work is at the center of his practice. That makes for a business that lasts and worth special attention.
For much more; check-out the mentioned web site, May 2008 and July 2009 Hemmings Sports and Exotic Car.
John Ruggeberg
Winona, Minnesota