Buckinghamshire Life Motoring
Morse and May
Above: Chris Knowles &James May
Above: Keith Richards XJS
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Above: XJS1
In the Nineties it was Chief Inspector Morse in his red Mark 11 who had us recalling the heady days of the classic Jaguar and, more recently, Top Gear presenter James May had us surfing the internet looking for any stylish XJSs that are on the market.
May, together with wine expert Oz Clarke meandered through France in a stylish 1989 Jaguar XJS convertible on the BBC’s ‘Oz and James’s Big Wine Adventure’, broadcast in 2006.
Never mind about the Chardonnays and the Chablis, apparently what millions of people wanted to know was where do you get a car like that and how do you know it’s going to be reliable enough to cover something like 4,000 miles?
May had already featured the Jaguar XJS on ‘Top Gear’ two years earlier after discovering the Thatcham firm of Knowles-Wilkins Engineering Limited’s links with Jaguar cars on the internet.
“The XJS is special with many people falling for it,” explains KWE managing director Chris Knowles. “It’s quite rare now and a very accomplished car - particularly by modern standards.”
A member of the ‘Top Gear’ team borrowed a demonstrator model from KWE and drove it up to Wales and then Liverpool for various exterior shots of the car. James and fellow presenter Jeremy Clarkson were then filmed discussing the XJS at the ‘Top Gear’ studios near Guildford. KWE later sourced a suitable XJS on behalf of the ‘Oz and James’s Big Wine Adventure’ production company and the two men began their French odyssey.
When KWE acquired the car after filming had been completed, Chris discovered it was full of camping equipment and beer bottles - but there was no sign of any wine!
It was in 2002 that Chris Knowles and his neighbour Paul Wilkins decided to switch career lanes and start their own business. Then living on the Hampshire coast, Chris was director of an electronics company and Paul ran a small building firm. Over a few bottles of their favourite wine, they discussed the idea of joining forces to re-manufacture cars - in particular the Jaguar XJS and XJ saloon, renowned for their motoring heritage and universal appeal. KWE was formed and two years later Chris moved the company to New Greenham Park, near Newbury, while Paul chose to take a backseat role as a shareholder.
“Though the Jaguar had been around for a long time, it was modern enough for reliability and incorporated many elements of the newer makes,” says Chris.
“They have proper brakes and proper engines; they start in the mornings and they have air conditioning. Above all, they still retain the style and beauty of older cars without the boiler plate profile of the latest Mercedes, BMW or Audi - in fact, all the 21st century cars which have to conform to the requirements of modern crash testing.”
For Chris the Jaguar is a mobile work of art. “They are beautiful cars,” he says. “Most people in the world of classic cars would agree that the Series 3 was the most beautiful 4-door saloon ever made.”
With the future of the planet increasingly under the spotlight, Chris believes buying a modernised classic car is the ultimate in recycling, generating virtually none of the carbon emissions and material waste which are incurred in manufacturing new cars.
“It makes no sense to scrap your car after three years because you don’t like the colour or it’s not the current model,” he explains. “I haven’t a clue in reality where smashed cars go but you can be sure they are not recycled into new versions. With our commitment to renewal and rebirth, we have a very good green story to tell, as do all restorers.”
The potential new car buyer has a choice of spending about £40,000 on a relatively new BMW, an Audi perhaps or a luxury Jaguar created 20 or more years ago. KWE has a healthy order book and it currently takes about three months to work on a car from start to finish. ‘Spare parts are still widely available for these Jaguars which is another attraction,’ says Chris. ‘Even if you break down in the middle of the French countryside, it isn’t a problem. In other words, you can keep the car running.’
The work and success of KWE have been featured in the media from time to time and ‘Top Gear’s coverage of the work of the company has helped to give it a major boost. With the series regularly repeated on one of the Freeview channels, the slot featuring KWE has attracted millions of viewers, leading to a healthy increase in hits on the company’s website.
“It’s been a rough road,” concedes Chris, who is 54. “My wife and I have had to invest all our time and money and sell our home to get started. It was a big commitment but we believe it’s right. You can’t start a business without passion. “
Virtually since the birth of the internal-combustion engine, schoolboys have dreamt of driving and maintaining a luxury car when they grow up. No doubt many would give their eye teeth to remanufacture a Jaguar. In building renewed classic Jaguars and marketing and selling them in competition with new cars, Chris Knowles and his company have turned a dream into reality.
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