02 September 2025 | General News
The JDHT’s one-off 1992 XJ40 prototype estate – a popular attraction at the Trust’s Gaydon-based Collections Centre – has been out and about, heading to Scotland with Paul Keating of the XJ40 Register at the wheel.
The five-day road trip saw Paul covering more than 1100 miles in the Jaguar, which normally enjoys a leisurely existence as a museum exhibit. By the time Paul arrived back at Gaydon in the XJ40, he had taken its total mileage to 12,058 – which means he’s now responsible for almost ten percent of the miles covered by the car from new, all achieved in less than a week on the road.
The adventure took in the contrasts of major cities – including Edinburgh and Glasgow – and rural villages, with Paul enjoying stunning Scottish scenery and some of the UK’s finest driving roads as well as exploring the Highlands. But the drive back south brought poor weather conditions, as he explained on the XJ40 Register’s Facebook page: “The rain didn’t stop until about five minutes before we reached the JDHT in Gaydon. What started as a very nice shiny car at the beginning was now wearing half of the road grime of the M6, but it made it home safely – and that’s what mattered. I should also add, we broke the 12,000-mile mark only 58 miles away from our destination!”
For Paul, this was a road trip he’ll never forget, putting a lot of miles under the wheels of one of his favourite Collections Centre exhibits: “As I gave the car back and went in to the office to say goodbye, I still couldn’t believe I had spent five days with this unbelievable creation. And to think of the mileage we did, the many people we met, and the sights we had seen… it was an incredible feeling. It’s an honour and a privilege for anyone to allow you to drive their car, but to be trusted with a one-off piece of Jaguar history – that’s just another level.”
To find out more about the JDHT’s XJ40 estate, visit www.jaguarheritage.com/vehicle-collection/1992-jaguar-xj40-shooting-brake.
