HISTORY of THE JAGUAR DRIVERS’ CLUB OF AUSTRALIA
On the 4th February 1964 a very enthusiastic group of passionate Jaguar owners, with limited resources, came together to form what would become The Jaguar Drivers’ Club of Australia. The Club was initially a branch of the Jaguar Drivers Club in England. The Club President therefore was Sir William Lyons and the Committee consisted of various well-credentialed Englishmen and European royalty.
The JDCA continued as a branch in this form until 1975 when an increase in fees from the UK Club prompted the decision to separate. The JDCA became independent with the Club’s XK Register leading the way, later followed by separate Club registers being formed to represent the various Jaguar models.
The initial meetings of the JDCA were held at C V. Murray's Jaguar Sales and Service Centre in Parramatta but in 1966 the Club moved to rented premises above a shop in Great North Road, Five Dock. Members worked extremely hard to restore the rooms painting the walls and dyeing hessian for curtains. For members’ entertainment a slot car track, table tennis and dartboard were included. Paying the rent was dependent on serious drinkers and things didn't go as well as planned. By 1969 the Club had been forced to move its meetings to the Australian Racing Drivers Club in Leichhardt.
The early focus was on Concours d’Elegance with the first Sydney Concours d'Elegance being held at Vaucluse House in 1965 followed by several years at Centennial Park. Jaguar clubs soon sprang up in other states. The first “National” Concours d'Elegance was held on the June long weekend in 1969 at Albury/Wodonga in conjunction with the Victorian Club.
Concours d’Elegance continued to be the main focus of the Club and by the early 1980s, the standard of preparation had risen to great heights with full professional restorations entering the scene. It was, and still is, possible for a private restoration to be very competitive, and indeed win, but the standard remains at a very high level to this day.
The early to mid-eighties could well be described as tumultuous years for the Club caused mostly by the “old guard” resisting changes. With hard work the Club repositioned itself as a harmonious group with a solid financial footing.
In 1991 the Club staged the inaugural “Mountain Rally” which went on to become a hugely successful annual event. It gained popularity and attracted Repco and Shell as the major sponsors, proving financially beneficial for the Club. Now it is held bi-annually as a weekend activity, very popular with JDCA members.
The JDCA has been very strong in National Concours events and has won many class, sporting, and team prizes as well as over 20 outright Concours trophies. There have also been numerous Class wins and four outright wins at the annual Council of Motor Club’s display days.
The sporting prowess of Jaguars is celebrated internationally and as a result sporting activities were revved up during the 1990s. Accordingly, the Club’s entrants have been very successful in the Combined Sports Car Association series of Supersprints winning Champion Club every year from 1993 to 1997 and then again in 1999, 2000 and 2002. With other podium places included, the Club has achieved an enviable record of sporting success in recent years.
In addition, the various JDCA teams in the annual Alfa Romeo Club Six-Hour Relay Race at Eastern Creek Raceway have achieved a top three finish every year entered after 1993, including two overall handicap wins and two marque wins.
The annual Concours d’Elegance has been held at various venues over the years and since 1999 it has been held in conjunction with the All British Day.
During the Covid years of the early 2020s the Club survived well. With only the Club magazine and the creation of incentives for members, such as a photographic competition resulting in the production of a Club calendar to keep members engaged, membership numbers held strong and have continued to increase since.
The JDCA is in sound shape financially with membership growing from around 400 memberships 20 years ago to almost 700 memberships today. When adjusted to include family members, that figure is in the 1100s!
The JDCA caters for both male and female members offering a variety of social activities including weekday and weekend runs, which all members are welcome to attend. Regional members are also catered for. Events and Open Days are held at the premises of Jaguar Dealerships and Restoration Businesses that support the JDCA. The Club also engages with other Jaguar clubs, both inter and intra state, at Sporting events and Display Days.
In 2025 the JDCA hosted the Jaguar National Rally at Bathurst celebrating the 40th Anniversary win of Jaguar’s TWR XJS at Bathurst and the 50th Anniversaries of the XJ-S and XJC. It proved very popular with enthusiasts from Jaguar Clubs all over Australia who came together to celebrate the marque. Great support provided by JLR and the Club’s advertisers and sponsors helped to make the event a huge success.
With its strength in Sporting endeavours, the JDCA is doing what founder, Sir William Lyons, intended with Jaguar’s high-performance vehicles and, with a renewed Concours emphasis, is living up to its charter of continuing to ensure preservation of the marque. Jaguars owned by members range all the way from the SS Jaguar to the latest electric Jaguar I-Pace and also includes Daimler vehicles.
Member benefits include a forty-page colour magazine, access to Conditional registration, a world-class website, an impressive online archive, an extensive library and attractive regalia items. Members also have access to knowledgeable Register Secretaries and specialists to assist them with restoration projects.
In its over sixty year history The Jaguar Drivers’ Club of Australia has continued to evolve by providing its members with what is important to them and their cars.
For full size versions click on each image.
