Jaguar Land Rover‘s fabled history is richer than most, and with their new Classic Works headquarters, they aren’t afraid to show it. The £7 million project hosts myriad vintage and otherwise noteworthy Brits, including design icons like the Land Rover Series II and E-Type Jag—enough to make us drool over the marque’s style expertise. According to Autocar, the manufacturer will use the facility to house historic models and restore them for customers, keeping the spirit of these machines alive.
The Classic Works project was unveiled 60 years after the brand’s historic win at Le Mans with the much-worshiped D-Type. Inside the warehouse lies a collection of Le Mans memorabilia, all collected from Jaguar’s seven wins at the race.
And believe me when I say there’s plenty of room to work with: 15,000 square feet of space makes for a perfect platform to tinker on old Land Rovers and Jags. That’s the major motive behind Classic Works—to perform restorations and maintenance on the legendary models that gave the company its place in the industry.
JLR will utilize Classic Works to offer OEM parts for these historic cars as well. They’ve already accumulated over 30,000 bits and pieces for everything ranging from early Range Rovers to the XJ-S, so if you’re in need of a seemingly extinct part, they’re likely to have it.
Project Director Tim Hannig heavily promotes the significance behind this new venture, saying that the brand has a strong passion for keeping its history going.
“Classic Works is hugely important to Jaguar Land Rover,” says Special Operations MD John Edwards. “It’s much more than a building. It is the heart and soul of Jaguar Land Rover Classic for our clients worldwide.”
Le Mans winning Jaguar factory driver Andy Wallace is now the chief tester for the operation. He’s kept a close relationship with the company since he and two other racers took the podium 29 years ago. Palmer will be responsible for making sure that the cars are up to Jaguar’s performance standards, as well as contributing to their conservational efforts.