Jaguar MRT
The MRT Jaguar is believed to be the only remaining example of 5 cars builtin the early fifties by Mr M. R. Tomlinson in Solihull, England. The tubular chassis was designed and fabricated by Tomlinson, following very closely the design and layout of the then contemporary Jaguar C type.
The RGS body was bought from Richard Shattock of Tojeiro Jaguar and moreover RGS Atalanta fame. Shattock took a mould from John Heath’s first racing HWM Jaguar, and reproduced the body in fibreglass and sold such body units to ‘independent manufacturers’. The body on this car is one of these original RGS items, of which very few of these remain - including this one, we know of only 3.
The front suspension set-up comes from a Jaguar XK120. The car features a rare, racing ratio rear axle bought in the early fifties directly from Jaguar racing driver and specialist Dick Protheroe, who as well as an accomplished racer was also one of the technical advisers with the Jaguar D type team at Le Mans and with the team conceiving the E-type “Low Drag”.
The car was used competitively throughout the 50’s and 60’s in the UK at venues including Silverstone, Greenham Common, Prescott Hill Climb and Goodwood Sprints. In the mid 1970’s the car was retired from racing with a view to restoration, however this was never completed until 2009 when a British owner living in Belgium commissioned a complete but sympathetic restoration at Marreyt Classics near Brussels, where the car has been restored to its original 1953 specification.
Technical details
Restoration details & Technical specification
During the restoration all original items have been retained in preference to refabricating replacement parts - all original aluminum paneling, instrumentation, seats remain. For security, a new wiring loom and fuel lines and fuel pumps have been fitted. The car has a set of 5 Dunlop racing 600x16 tires. The only non-original addition is the fabrication of a new plexiglass windscreen, copied from that of a Jaguar C type.
The tubular chassis has been crack tested and powder-coated in its original colour of light grey. The body has been repainted to match the original 1950’s Jaguar red.
The original ‘three and a half’ (3.4 liter) 6 cylinder engine and 4 speed gearbox have been rebuilt, and key components replaced and balanced where necessary. The engine is fitted with an original ‘C’ type head with twin SU HD8 carburettors as per the specification of early C Type Jaguars.
The engine in its current form should be producing around 210hp, but these robust Jaguar units can be improved to produce up to and well over 300bhp. The gearbox is the original and correct 4 speed racing Jaguar unit.
The car weighs around 850kilos, and on a circuit should out-perform equivalent, but heavier 1950’s sports racing cars such as Jaguar C types, and HWM Jaguars and DB3S Aston Martins.
Value
The Tomlinson Jaguar is a unique and rare sports-racing car, encompassing the spirit and ingenuity that was so commonly found in the era of 1950’s motorsport in post war England.
Today, cars of this type are often considered the ‘utopia’ of the historic motor racing scene and subsequently, the car has excellent potential for racing throughout Europe in equivalent series for 50’s sports racing cars. Current entries to series of this type include Jaguar C & D types, HWM Jaguars, J2 Allard’s, Maseratis and Aston Martins.
This MRT Jaguar obtained correct 1953 Belgian registration documents and a A/3 FIVA ID card and commands serious consideration as a competitive entry to high profile historic racing or pleasurable road use.
The car represents obvious investment potential when considering comparative values of other 1950’s sports racing cars. With good replica Jaguar C and D types being sold for 150K Euro and more, HWM Jaguars at 750K Euro and original C type Jaguars at around 5M Euro.
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