When Terry Sturgeon graduated university in 1971 his “practical” mother gifted him a clock radio to make sure he was on time for his first job.
“I thought I deserved better, so I bought this,” he says, gesturing to the forest green 1968 Jaguar E-Type gleaming in his Oak Bay driveway. The German-built car was brought to North America by a military man in ’68, a pretty common occurrence at the time. Sturgeon paid $3,300 for the soft-top Jaguar in 1971 and has put most of the nearly quarter-million miles on it since.
With an affinity for cars, he’s also done much of the work keeping it in that sparkling shape.
“Working on old British cars has been a hobby my whole life,” he says, pointing out a Jaguar frame that fills half the double-car garage. That project, a continuation of the car hobby he began at 16, is also an E-Type, but a coupe.
He can be seen auto-crossing regularly out at Western Speedway and up to a few years ago the deep green Jag criss-crossed North America in multiple rallies.
The big local show for the last 10 years comes this weekend when Jags of all types and states of repair grace Windsor Park for Jaguars on the Island 2015.
“Our show is the largest Jaguar Clubs of North America-sanctioned show in North America,” said Wayne Watkins, of the host Jaguar Club of Victoria. “Typically we get upwards of 150 Jaguars. We have Jaguar owners that come from as far as San Francisco, a lot from Portland, Seattle and the Lower Mainland.”
Last year 147 cars filled the cricket pitch.
“As well as the newer Jaguars, we also get a lot of ’60s and one of the most popular Jaguars of all time is the Jaguar E-Type. It’s a very iconic Jaguar and today they are popular,” Watkins said. “The attraction is, for some it’s just a walk of three or four blocks and to see the classic Jaguar and talk to the owners about the history of their car is always interesting.”
About 40 vehicles participate in the concours, where they’re judged on things such as originality and condition. The rest are in the enthusiast class where owners “back it out, wash it up and bring it out,” Watkins said.
Jaguars on the Island fills Windsor Park with hot cars Saturday, July 18 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Central Saanich Lions will provide a concession as a fundraiser for their charitable work.
“The general public is invited and there’s absolutely no fee,” Watkins said. “There’s quite a lot of people, particularly in Victoria and Oak Bay, that perhaps owned a Jaguar or still own a Jaguar but they don’t’ have a desire to join a club and be active that way but if they have the opportunity to come down and see 150 Jaguars, they do.”
Cars looking to register still can for $15. Net proceeds from the show go to Victoria Hospice.
Visit jaguarcarclub.ca for more information.