ME AND MY CAR/MOTORCYCLE #3

This month's winner of the Essential Buyer's Guide of her choice is Michel Verheyen from Wesepe, Holland. Michel sent us this picture of her 1977 Jaguar XJ 12 Coupe Broadspeed replica. Please keep your entries coming in to prize@veloce.co.uk, and you never know, it could be YOU in this space next month!

My name is Michel Verheyen and this is my 1977 Jaguar XJ 12 Coupé Broadspeed replica. I started the restoration and modification about seven years ago, and as you can see it's almost finished. Of the original there are only four cars made that raced in the 1976 and 1977 European Touring Car Championship. They were actually a lot faster than the BMW CSL at the time, but a lot less reliable, so after the 1977 season British Leyland pulled the plug on the racing career of these magnificent cars. Seven years ago I was reading a magazine that had an article in it about one of the original cars and that's what started it off for me. My car started off as a 6-cylinder 1977 XJ Coupé, but now has a V12 with manual gearbox, full welded rollcage, and racing fuel tank with working double fuel fillers through the boot lid. Even the seats have the same fabric on them as the original cars. A lot of the special parts I had to make myself, because the four original cars were made by a private race team (Broadspeed Engineering) so the parts I needed are nowhere to be found. The biggest problem with these cars is that not a lot of people know about them, or have information, so even after seven years I still am finding out things that were previously unknown to me.
The build of the car has been a long one, but trying to get all the details as original as possible was, and is, very rewarding. In the process I have met a lot of people I wouldn't have met if I wasn't doing this project. If anyone would like to know more about the car, have a look on http://broadspeedcoupe.tripod.com.

Michel selected Mini – The Essential Buyer’s Guide by Mark Paxton as her prize!

STOP! Don’t buy a classic Mini without buying this book first!
Having this book in your pocket is just like having a real marque expert by your side. Benefit from the author’s years of experience, learn how to spot a bad Mini quickly and how to assess a promising one like a true professional. Get the right car at the right price!
More info.



Do you have an unusual car/motorcycle with a story to tell?
We want to see it! Send photos & description to prize@veloce.co.uk
We will pick one a month, and any we feature will win an Essential Buyer's Guide (worth £9.99 / $19.95) of your choice.
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