Canterbury Classic Car Show Aims for World Record with Jaguars

On Saturday, the classic Jaguar cars will take center stage at a free event in Risingholme Park, Opawa, Christchurch, as enthusiasts gather to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Jaguar MkVII. The show will feature a display of 60 vintage vehicles, highlighting both classic and modern Jaguars, with hopes of setting a world record for the largest gathering of these iconic cars.

Organiser Dr. Richard Waugh noted the strong Jaguar community in Christchurch, which has thrived despite the city’s distance from the Coventry factory in England. He attributes this passion to Archibalds, New Zealand’s first Jaguar franchise, established in 1950. “The Mk VII, VIII and IX models are especially coveted here,” Waugh explained. “Jaguar was a very advanced car for its time, known for being one of the world’s fastest and best handling saloons.”

The allure of the Jaguar brand has attracted many prominent owners over the years. Notably, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother took delivery of her MkVIIM saloon in 1955. Finished in a unique claret metallic shade, she owned the vehicle until 1973. The MkVII also boasts a successful racing history, with legendary driver Stirling Moss behind the wheel and an Irish team clinching victory in the 1956 Monte Carlo Rally.

In a local context, the esteemed crime novelist Dame Ngaio Marsh owned two Jaguars, appreciating their racing heritage and design until her passing in 1982. While her second car, a 1960 XK150, is privately held in Wairarapa, the whereabouts of her first Jaguar, an XK120 she purchased in January 1951, remain unknown. Waugh, who was commissioned by the Ngaio Marsh House and Heritage Trust to locate the vehicle in the mid-1990s, said, “The trail went cold in Hamilton. I suspect it might be hidden away or even moved to Australia.”

Waugh is also working on a new book that focuses on the Jaguar MkVII, describing it as “the fastest four-door saloon in 1950, with revolutionary engineering.” This publication, which profiles 50 Jaguar cars in New Zealand, is being released through a charitable trust. It follows Waugh’s previous work, Classic Jaguars in New Zealand, published in 2021. The author has a diverse range of interests, having penned approximately 20 titles on topics such as New Zealand airlines and social history.

In addition to his literary pursuits, Waugh, an ordained Methodist minister since 1985, has led several memorial projects, including nine permanent memorials for airliner accidents that occurred in New Zealand between the 1930s and 1960s. He is currently advocating for a national memorial for the Erebus disaster, which he considers a significant omission in New Zealand’s history.

The choice of Risingholme Park as the venue for Saturday’s event is steeped in history. The park was gifted to the citizens of Christchurch by Sir John McKenzie, a prominent businessman who owned one of the first MkVII Jaguars in the city in 1951.

As the event approaches, Waugh and other enthusiasts are optimistic about achieving a world record attendance of approximately 20 Jaguars. “We’ve put the call out nationwide,” he said, encouraging Jaguar owners across New Zealand to participate in this celebration of automotive history.