29 July 2025 | General News
The JDC is saddened to learn that motoring author and archivist Anders Ditlev Clausager has died.
A leading authority on the British Motor Industry and former Head Archivist of the Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust, Anders came to the UK from Denmark in 1974 to study as a student of automotive design at the Royal College of Art.
Finishing his course in 1976, he worked with Volkswagen where he supplied the concept that would go onto to become the second-generation Polo. From VW he moved to British Leyland’s design studio at Longbridge in 1978, where he worked for Harris Mann.
When in 1979 it was decided to transform Leyland Historic Vehicles into BL Heritage and the role of Archivist became available, Anders decided that he would apply. He got the job and became a key part of the team that built the Heritage Motor Centre (now the British Motor Museum).
In 2000 Anders was tempted away from BMIHT to join the Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust (JDHT) and soon established himself as a leading authority on the Jaguar marque, developing landmark vehicle record databases and introduced the influential Heritage Certificate service.
A prolific author, Anders wrote over 20 books, mostly on British automotive history, including Wolseley: A Very British Car, which won multiple prestigious awards. He also edited numerous automotive titles and contributed to leading journals and magazines. His scholarly articles ranged from early estate cars to coachbuilding, and he regularly presented at international conferences and forums. A central figure in the historic vehicle community, Anders co-founded the European Conference for Automotive History and served on numerous advisory panels, including for the National Motor Museum and the Society of Automotive Historians.
Deeply committed to preserving automotive heritage, Anders left an indelible legacy both through his meticulous archival work and his warm, collegial presence in the motoring world.
