1981 Jaguar XJS

Started on July 8 by Group44

Group 44 Inc BoB Tullius 1981 Jaguar XJS Sillouette Trans Am Race Car Chassis XJR-4 (only 1 built) 1st Tube Frame Purpose built race car by Group 44 Commisioned by Jaguar to Win the 1981 Trans Am Championship Won Three Trans Am Races Mosport, Portland & Brainerd Finished 2nd in Championship, DNF’s cost Tullius the Championship Then Raced in 1982 Daytona 24hrs by Tullius, Bill Adam & Gorden Smiley Ran IMSA GTX Class with Prototypes as it was deemed too modified for GTO 1st Jaguar V12 to complete a 24 hrs endurance race and signaled Jaguar & Group 44’s Road to Le Mans with the V12 powered XJR-5’s Ran shaved Goodyear Wingfoot street tires for sponsor Goodyear The car was clocked at 193 mph on the banking with street tires! Gorden Smiley was to race XJR-4 in the 1982 Trans Am Series but was tragically killed during practice at the Indy 500. The car was sold by Tullius to Paul Pettey a fellow trans am racer who placed it into retirement and sat in a barn with another Historic Jaguar racer, a D-Type (XKD549) Pettey died tragically in 1997 and the cars were sold off in an Estate Sale, XJR-4 was purchased and restored by SVRA Owner/President Howard Turner. The car was Featured in Classic Motorsports Magazine (May 2005 Issue) In the summer of 2005 the car was bought by Longtime Jaguar Racers Andrew & Steve Moore of Canada. XJR-4 is Raced in Historic Trans Am/ IMSA class with SVRA, HSR, VARAC and was at the 2009 Walter Mitty Historic Races for the Group 44 Reunion! See Added Photos from the Reunion Check out www.historictransamimsa.com You must be registered and signed in to comment.