On a pleasant sunny Saturday afternoon in Oxfordshire on 18 July 2009, I experienced my first classic car auction; the Coys Fine Motor Cars and The Jaguar Legend auction at Blenheim Palace. Of particular interest to Tester Engineering was lot 658, the Jaguar E-Type we recently modified to Lightweight specification for our client Booker Motorsport.

As I entered the main marquee I was immediately greeted by ‘our’ Jaguar, gleaming in the central display. Next to it stood a lovely pale blue 1954 Jaguar XK140 Drophead Coupe and a 1989 Porsche 911 Carrara Speedster, and opposite an imposing 2008 Rolls Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe. Each car received attention, but every time I looked at the E-Type someone new was checking her out, investigating under the bonnet and in the boot and even sitting in the driver’s seat to try her out for size.

I joined the auction as lot 624 was under the hammer. I soon found it can be quite a spectator sport watching the auctioneer build up the interest in his wares, then eek out every last penny from his audience and to see discreet nods and slight waves of hands bearing numbers signifying a bid is placed.

As lot 658 was announced, I actually stopped breathing … this was it! The auctioneer gave the potential purchasers a brief synopsis of the car; how modification work had just been completed by Tester Engineering and that it had successfully gained its FIA Technical Passport. And so the bidding commenced! As with all the lots no one was willing to commit early and the auctioneer eventually got bidding started at £80,000 and then they were off. It seemed to me that there were several people in the room bidding and also someone via the telephones. The bid went up by £2,000 or so at a time and peaked at £100,000. Unfortunately on this occasion, it didn’t reach the reserve set by the client but I have learnt that in the world of the auction this isn’t the end. The offer of £100,000 can remain in play and potential buyers can come back to see the car after the auction, as happened with the E-Type when it was viewed on Sunday.

So there you have it. A Tester car has reached six figures at auction, something we are immensely proud of. The build up seemed to take forever and then our lot was over within minutes!

I’m certainly looking forward to my next visit to the auction house and one day I will be there to buy! Have you experienced the thrill of an auction?

Claire Tester

If you missed the auction and are interested in viewing this Jaguar E-Type ‘Lightweight’ please contact us.

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FOR SALE
1951 Aluminium Bodied Jaguar XK120 – ERG 516

Would you like to own a stunning car like this?

Tester Engineering are please to offer for sale a 1951 Jaguar XK120.  Works are currently ongoing, which means this would be an ideal moment to stake your claim on this beautiful car and incorporate your own wishes. The minimum specification we include is as follows:

 • XK120 Roadster style with all aluminium body
• Fully adjustable suspension with rose jointed Watts linkage rear suspension system
• Powerlok differential
• Chrome wire wheels and spinners
• 3.8 litre xk series engine running 45 dcoe’s producing approx 320bhp
• All synchromesh 4 speed gearbox
• Lightweight aluminium high efficiency water radiator and header tank
• Aluminium long range fuel tank and Monza filler cap
• Period leather trimmed bucket seats and dash
• Mota Lita leather rimmed steering wheel and quick release boss
• FIA approved safety harness
• 2.25L electric fire extinguisher system
• Removable rollover bar
• Free flowing tubular exhaust

Total cost £POA

Our cars can be tailored for racing or road use, but all come with Fun, Excitement and Passion as standard!  Contact Tester Engineering now to discuss this exciting opportunity.  Alternatively, if this isn’t the car you are looking for, call 01327 315048 to ask about our source and build service.

~ Please note the above picture is for reference only, LYS 818 isn’t for sale! ~

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Are you a fan of history?  Would you be happy surrounded by it day in and day out?

We love the stuff and right now are like the proverbial pigs in muck! One of our favourite cars is the Jaguar Lightweight E-Type and in particular the Briggs Cunningham cars.

Jim Tester Senior, in racing overalls, in discussion with McLaren

Cunningham, an American car collector, first entered the Le Mans race in 1950 in a special-bodied Cadillac and a year later embarked on a production run of cars in his own factory to qualify as a manufacturer with the FIA. Cunningham’s best finish was fourth in 1952, while the best year for the team was 1954 when cars finished third and fifth. The last year that Cunningham’s featured at Le Mans was 1956; this was also the year that Cunningham first ran a Jaguar at Le Sarthe.

In 1960 Cunningham made an unsuccessful return to Le Mans, this time with Corvettes and one Jaguar, the E2A prototype. It was in 1963, when the iconic blue stripes appeared on three Lightweights entered by Cunningham but sadly success was still out of reach.

These three cars (5114 WK, 5115 WK and 5116 WK) have helped to shape Jim Tester as they have been a part of his life since childhood and, to come full circle, are the “muck” us pigs are surrounded by today!

In the mid 1980’s Jim Senior (in the first incarnation of Tester Engineering) worked on 5114 WK from his Scottish base. The car, then owned by Campbell McLaren, was notoriously unreliable and was re-built and run at tracks like Knockhill and Nurburgring.

Here’s a seven year old Jim Jnr out in the workshop learning his craft!

Today’s Tester Engineering is now recreating these beauties for a valued customer and Jim’s experience with his father is helping to make sure every detail is taken into account.  This particular car has re-built for the customer and modified to Leightweight specification with certain aluminium bodywork parts, racing suspension geometry and lightweight aluminium high efficiency water radiator and header tank .. to name but a few modifications!

Both Jim’s lost count a long time ago of all the cars they worked on and its this experience that can be yours if you bring your classic cars (be they road or race, Jim has seen them) to Tester Engineering.

Jim with 2009 recreation of the beautiful Jaguar Lightweight E-Type

The car we are currently building is but hours away from completion now and will then hit the track day scene to hone the ride and engine sounds.

Is this the ultimate E-Type?  Tell us what you think in the comments below!

If you’ve got a classic car that you would love to turn into your dream racer contact us at Tester Engineering on 01327 315048.

Yesterday (06.05.09) Silverstone Circuit hosted the Silverstone Classic Media Test Day.  A fantastic array of cars was in attendance, including Tester’s Jaguar XK120, and those with passenger seats (and drivers that wanted to!) were able to give the media passenger rides around the 3.2 mile Historic GP circuit, to get the juicing flowing and everyone revved up for the July event.

Team Tester’s own timing had driver Jim Tester posting about 2.27min around the track with the likes of the Aston Martin GT Prototype Project 212 car about 2.16.  However the awesome Group C cars, including the Silk Cut Jaguar XJR-9LM (winner of the 1988 Le Mans) driven by Andy Wallace, we clocked at anywhere between 1.58 and 2.03min!

Team Tester were due to give the media a thrill in the XK120 but sadly a vibration on the car meant she had to be pulled out of the rest of the day.

All that was left to do with the day was ogle the rest of the cars out on display ~ take a look at the snaps in the gallery!

We know which cars we can’t wait to see rockin’ and racin’ at the event .. how about you?

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At the end of May 2008, Jim turned 30 and celebrated the occasion by competing in his first round of the season in the Jaguar Enthusiast’s Club XK Challenge at Brands Hatch, Kent. Sadly the car didn’t make it to the end of the race; we caught up with Jim to find out why and a bit more about the man behind the company…
So, Jim, what happened at Brands Hatch?

Well, we took the car down on the Friday to test and so that I could get a feel for the circuit as it was my first time round there. The car behaved well and we got some very respectable times in. Then on the Saturday morning when we arrived at the circuit we had an oil leak, which we rectified with a minute to spare before qualifying! The first half of the session went well, the second half was dogged with yellow flags because of spinners. We got a 60.** lap in which got us third on the track. When the race came round something just didn’t feel quite right. We were held on the grid when the pole sitter stalled and couldn’t re-start his car. At the end of the first lap I’d lost about four or five places as I had no acceleration and then as I came out of Surtees corner I heard the engine go. It was hugely disappointing not to finish the race but we have to take a really good qualifying performance away as a positive and say a huge thank you to all the crew who attended and worked brilliantly together.

What’s next for the engine and car?

The engine is being rebuilt as we speak. We were really lucky in that I’d felt it go and stopped immediately so the damage is not as bad as one would think. We will get the engine done and back in the car, although I’m very sad that due to time constraints and customer’s work we have in, I probably won’t get back on the track with the XK until the 2009 season.
What happens at Tester Engineering while you are working on the XK?

Although the XK is the company’s show piece, a lot of the work done on her is in my own time so customer’s work and projects are still in progress during the working week.
Tell us a little about your background and how Tester Engineering came about..

Originally, Tester Engineering was a company my father started. He was renowned for his work and in particular with the Jaguar and XK marque. When I came along I spent every waking moment with my Dad and watched and learnt with the plan that I would work alongside him when I left school. When he passed away, instead I left Scotland, where I grew up, to work with an old family friend Malcolm Green at Mendel Autosport. Malc had taught me to weld and I worked as a fabricator with him making Formula One show cars. From there I went to work at Sporting and Historic Race Engineers, not only as a fabricator but also working on and running a variety of prestigious Ferrari’s and Aston Martin’s. We travelled all over Europe on events such as the Ferrari Challenge, Mille Miglia and the Historic Le Mans. After a family bereavement, my wife and I decided that life was too short to waste and I left S&H to set up Tester Engineering. We had talked about our own business for quite a while and took the bull by the horns and just did it! I have always wanted to start a next generation Tester Engineering and develop what my Dad had started and I’m really pleased that I have that opportunity now.

What has been the highlight of Tester Engineering so far?

I am extremely proud that customers entrust me with their cars, especially the very prestigious Aston Martin DBR1 and Ferrari P3 for example. Its also very rewarding knowing you’ve played a part, however small, in helping customers achieve their goals such as Fortec Motorsport winning two championships.

What is the future of Tester Engineering?

This year and next year will see us really pushing Tester Engineering forward. As well as continuing to work with our current customers, we are looking to expand the products we currently offer to the Formula racing; to further the historic side of the business with the re-builds and cars we have for sale and build on our customer base. We will be continuing to support our client’s and their racing and of course fit my own racing somewhere in there!

LYS 818, our Jaguar XK120, is our showpiece. It is a stunningly beautiful car that has Jim’s blood, sweat and tears welded into every inch.
The car was re-built from the wheels up, using knowledge passed down from Jim’s father (Jim Tester Senior) and with a few of Jim’s own ideas utilising techniques and technology available today. The car is ever changing though to fit in with regulation changes when they are brought in by the organisers of the racing series, the JEC XK Challenge/Master Series, or when entering different race series.

One of Jim’s top tips when preparing a racing car is to think about weight and its distribution throughout the car. The first simple step is to remove any unnecessary weight you may be carrying around. Take out your spare wheel, any interior trim, bumpers.

Then you can think about replacing heavier metal items on the car with like for like components made of aluminium. LYS 818 is an aluminium bodied car built on an original steel chassis with several of her (yes, the car is a she, named Louise!) major organs replaced, like the brass radiator now a shining star in aluminium.

You may find now that your car complies with weight regulations for your particular series, but if you find you are underweight it’s no bad thing. Now you can add a bit of ballast just where you want it. In an ideal world you are after 50/50 weight distribution; 50/50 front to back and left to right. This makes the car easier to drive, nicely balanced and predictable. Always make sure your ballast is totally secure though ~ scrutineers will check!

Good Luck!

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