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100th Anniversary of Jaguar (05667) 1:24 Carrera Revell The Set Amazingly, the Jaguar Motor Car company has been in existence now for 100 years, starting in 1922 as the Swallow Sidecar Company, and as the name suggests, they made sidecars for the growing motorcycle trend of the day. They eventually began making complete cars under the Jaguar brand name, and the company’s name was changed to suit in order to reflect their success and cachet in 1945. Numerous other changes followed, including nationalisation, but their value was recognised in the 1980s, being spun off from the (unsurprisingly) struggling British Leyland in ‘84 to be snapped up first by Ford six years later, then purchased from them along with Land Rover by Indian conglomerate TaTa motors, who melded those two names into Jaguar Land Rover. That’s where the wheeler-dealing ends for now, and also coming to an end is their reliance on internal combustion engines, which is intended to finish in 2025. To celebrate the centenary, Revell have boxed up their new kit of the legendary E-Type, alongside the older tooling of the more niche XK-SS limited-run sports car. Included in the substantial top-opening box is a bag containing six thumb-pots of acrylic paint, a small tube of Revell’s own Contacta cement, and a number 2 paint brush, the bristles of which had been bent over by the bag on my example. They’d benefit from a clear plastic protector applied at the factory, but if you intend using yours, remove it on receipt and tease the bristles back straight before it goes into storage. Jaguar E-Type The E-Type is perhaps Jaguar’s best-known vehicle, and was one of their most successful too. Based on, but very different from their D-Type racer, it introduced many modern features that we take for granted today, such as a monocoque-type body that removed the weight and bulk of a ladder-chassis, adding disc brakes, a powerful engine, and a modern steering rack that gave the driver excellent feedback on which to judge their performance. It was beloved by purchasers, and even competitors, one of whom rated it as the most beautiful car ever made. It retained its popularity through the years and there are still many examples on the road, and even a replica that costs many hundreds of thousands more than the original - go figure. It was in production from 1961 to ’75, known as the XK-E in the USA, and was available first overseas, with drop-top and coupé versions, a choice of engines, fit and finish, and the occasional special edition throughout the Series, which extended from 1 to 3 with over 72,000 made before it was replaced by the “Marmite” XJ-S that polarised Jag lovers, although time seems to have softened the opinions of those that disliked it initially, as did the improvements over the years before it too was replaced by the soap-bar shaped XK8. The Kit This is a still-new tooling from Revell, and consists of three sprues in light grey styrene, two in “chrome”, two sprues and two body parts in red, two clear sprues, four flexible black “rubber” tyres, a decal sheet, instruction booklet and a helpful safety sheet. It’s a colourful model even before you get your paintbrush out, and while some of you folks might not like the chrome out of the box, we’re not all perfectionists, and it can be removed easily, although I still can’t for the life of me remember how several months later. You get ONE bodyshell, I just thought you'd like to see it from a couple of angles. It’s a thoroughly modern tooling, but there are a few ejection marks that you might want to cover up if you’re putting the effort in. My original sample had a few small scratches on the wing stubs due to it being packaged with the bonnet/hood in the same bag. There are also a few tiny sink-marks here and there around the roof too, so get to work on those before you start building in earnest so that they don’t bite you later. The inside of the roof also has a strange raised serpentine pattern to it that is reminiscent of an ants’ burrow, and might show up under the coat of dark grey paint you’re advised to apply. Getting that flatted back might also be an idea in case your viewers have a habit of getting into the dark areas of your models. Construction begins with the engine block, which comes as two halves with the transmission moulded in, and has the sump and rocker cover added, then the ancillaries, fan-belt, and the exhaust manifold with six-into-two downpipes. At the rear is a differential, drive-shafts and suspension-link, bookended front & rear by a pair of formers. The suspension units either side of the diff are covered by the lower swing-arms, the it’s time for the twin exhausts and their mufflers to be made up, then added under the chassis once the engine has been popped in between the front rails, so that the manifold and pipes can be mated. The framework under the bonnet is next, getting painted along the way, then being put to the side while the firewall and front brakes/steering are inserted into the chassis. A pair of drop-links slip in between the bottom of the brake assembly, gluing into the top of the bonnet framework, then it’s time to fill the bonnet/hood with stuff! The triple-carbs are fed by the airbox, with a choice of left- and right-hand steering boxes, battery, radiator and a collection of other smaller ancillaries that festoon the area. Moving back inside, you can choose the right- or left-hand drive, with decals appropriate for each, plus pedal-box and steering-wheel fitted underneath in your choice of positions. The centre console is made up with a central shifter, and a handed hand-brake, so make sure you drill out the correct hole in the underside before you proceed with the gluing. One of the appealing features of the E-Type was its practicality, which included a fair luggage space, depicted by an internal skin and bulkhead piece that will be painted black and glued in the rear of the floor along with a modesty panel then decaled with the chrome décor strips, and a couple of little chrome handles low down in the front of the cab and some decal vents that they operate. The dash slides in and locates on some pegs and ledges in the floor, then the two door cards are detailed with handles and window-winders, both of which are chromed. Unexpectedly, they attach to the sills of the floor pan, and are then joined by the two seats, which are each single parts and have nicely moulded cushion details included. They look strange to modern eyes though with the lack of head rests and seat belts. Even a Jag won’t go anywhere on its own without wheels, and these are next to be made up. The flexible tyres have a cruciform sprue arrangement in the centre that must be cut out with a sharp blade, then in the front the chromed hub and spokes are inserted, which should look good with a dark wash to bring out the spokes. There’s a separate knock-on locking nut as is appropriate for the era, then at the rear is a simple hub with a hole in the centre and a cap that will glue onto the axle, leaving the wheel able to rotate if you’re frugal with the glue. With four of those done it’s time to prep the bodyshell, paint it, paint the interior a dark grey, add the chrome rear-view mirrors and then flex it to install it on the floor pan. The slightly contentious front windscreen is next, with the chromed bezel added first, but there are some sprue-gates on the sides that will either need touching in, or stripping and repainting, depending on your feelings on the task. The windscreen slips in from the exterior, then the rest of the glazing is fitted, again from the outside, requiring a fine line of silver paint around the edges before you insert them into the frames. More chrome parts with clear inserts make up the rear light clusters, joined by the rear bumper halves and a central clear reversing light, then a pair of chrome bumper overriders, and a choice of EU or US number plate frame. The E-Type is well-known for its gigantic bonnet, which takes up a large proportion of the front end, and makes pulling out of some junctions interesting. The underpinnings are made up first, with the lights inserted into the front bulkhead, which is then fitted into a frame that holds the bonnet to shape once it is glued in place in the huge panel. The curved lower is then put in place below, and as this is a separate part on the real thing, you can leave the seamline there as it's mostly occluded by the bumpers anyway, unless your references show otherwise. There is a choice of colour for the light “tunnel”, using either body colour, silver or black, so while you have your references out you might want to check that too. With the paint choice decided, the chrome bezels and clear lenses are glued in, and the indicators join them with chrome base and clear lenses. The front bumpers are also fitted as halves, then joined together by adding the central section with moulded-in overriders that hide the join between the three parts. There is another choice of EU or US plate frames, which glue to the lower lip of the oval intake under the bumpers. More chrome is added in the shape of wing mirrors with clear lenses, an aerial at the centre of the roof 1.5mm aft of the windscreen frame, three small windscreen wiper blades, and door handles to finish off the model. Markings Many of the supplied decals are used up in the cockpit, providing a comprehensive set of dials and instruments for the interior, a number within the engine bay, and smaller details around the vehicle, including meshes, grilles and stencils. In general, someone has taken a lot of time and effort to create a set of decals that really drills down into the detail, from filler cap logos to shock absorber badges, alternator shell cut-out patterns and battery filler caps – remember the non-sealed batteries that needed topping up with deionised water from time to time? The rest of the decals are number plates from various countries, plus a set of generic E-Type plates for showroom examples. A few “driving abroad” country stickers round out the sheet if you feel the urge to apply one. There is one colour option shown on the instructions, which is red, but you’re at liberty to paint it any colour you like. Decals are by Cartograf, which is a guarantee of good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut close to the printed areas. Conclusion This is a modern kit of a classic car, and has plenty of detail moulded-in for the detail hound to finesse and add to. The decal sheet is excellent, and if you can live with the slight issue with the front windscreen angle and curve, it’s a great kit. I’ve taped the screen in position myself and stared at it comparing it with pictures of the real thing, and it’s a very slight difference in shape from what I can make out. Jaguar XK-SS The XKSS was a road-going limited edition of the successful D-Type Jaguar that was produced and raced from 1954 until 1957, when the road-going XKSS were built from unused bodyshells, intending a full production run of only twenty-five chassis. Sadly, after only sixteen of them had been delivered, a fire caused the loss of the remaining nine, giving those that survived that much more prestige. There are many design traits that were carried over into the E-Type that followed it, such as the aerospace techniques and monocoque construction that resulted in a lightweight frame. The changes to the original were mainly for creature comforts, and in order to comply with rules of the road, particularly in the US, where they expected the main market for these performance vehicles to be, which proved prescient. Modern Jaguar took the unusual decision to recreate the lost nine examples by building them according to the original plans in 2016, using the same techniques as would have been used on the originals that were lost to the fire at Browns Lane so many years earlier. These nine were sold to American buyers for around £1 million each before too very long. The Kit This kit seems to have its origins in the 1990s, although whether it started life in a Revell or a Fujimi box is unknown to me. Either way, it has reached a certain age now, and anyone expecting crisp, modern toolings will find something a little older but wearing well inside the bags. It consists of three sprues of grey styrene, two sprues plus a single part in green, a further sprue that has been electro-plated with chrome, although in places (mainly the sprue runners) the finish is a little rough. The final sprue is clear, and is joined by a separate decal sheet. Detail is good for the period, and the bodyshell parts are finely moulded, so much so that the green appears lighter near the edges due to the light penetrating it. Construction begins with the 3.4L XK6 straight-six engine, making up the block from four parts, with sump and cylinder head inserts added top and bottom, plus distributor, pulleys and other ancillaries before it is put to the side while the rear axle and suspension is made up to be installed on a sub-frame in the recessed underside at the rear. A drive-shaft slides through a hole in the bodyshell, and links to the transmission at the back of the engine, which is then surrounded by the forward axle and framework, along with the three-part radiator to the very front. The twin exhaust manifolds exit the left side of the engine, and the intakes with carburettors enter on the right, adding disc brakes to the ends of the axles. The lower body has a pair of rear wheel-well inserts fitted, then attention turns to the interior. The bulkhead between interior and engine bay is a shallow part with two foot wells to the sides, one of which is deeper and accepts the foot pedals, and both have small ancillaries added to the top on the engine bay side. The main interior tub is a single part that is painted black and brown, to which the bulkhead is joined, plus gear and handbrake levers, then the two seats, which are also painted brown. The completed interior is then dropped into the lower bodyshell on a pair of parallel rails. A chunky battery, reservoir with cap and a couple of hoses are then fixed Inside the engine bay as an interlude between working on the interior. The top of the bodyshell has two small door cards laid inside the almost vestigial doors, and at the front the dash board is installed under the lip after painting and adding four decals, plus a choice of two decals for the centre of the steering wheel, which is pre-chromed. The two halves of the bodyshell are mated top to bottom, adding a covered retracted roof and chrome luggage rack on the rear, plus a fuel filler cap in an ostentatiously ringed and recessed bezel. A three-section chrome bumper and number plate holder are fitted into slots in the rear of the vehicle, adding chrome light clusters with clear lenses, a number plate light and boot latch above it. The windscreen frame is chromed, as is the rear-view mirror, and this has a vertical support and of course the clear screen itself installed, plus two windscreen wipers, with more chrome frames around the two side door windows. In a similar manner to the E-type, the XK-SS has a long, monolithic bonnet that hinges forward, and has the front lights inset flush with the surface, held in place by a bulkhead within. The chromed lenses are inserted into holes in the bulkhead, with the grille between them, and a clear lens between the reflector and the fairing that guides the light to the external lens. The bonnet has a separate lower that creates the light apertures, and the bulkhead fixes in place behind it, with a pair of L-shaped guides, and two hinge-points far toward the front. When the glue is cured, it can be clipped into position on the pegs at the front of the chassis and left free to pivot. The external lenses, bumper corners and chrome-ringed indicators are fixed into the front corners, plus bonnet latches and straps at the back of the assembly, the straps having decals to add extra detail. Flipping the body over allows the twin exhaust pipe and muffler with perforated heat-shield to be installed on two slots. The last task is to create the wheels, using the black flexible tyres with two-part chromed hubs that trap a cap inside that is glued to the peg at the end of each axle. The three-fingered knock-offs are pushed into holes in the centre of each wheel to finish them off. Markings There were a scant sixteen of the originals made, and it’s likely that they started life in British Racing Green. This one is certainly intended to, as that’s the colour that’s shown in the instructions. From the box you can build this fine vehicle: Decals are by Cartograf, which is a guarantee of good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut close to the printed areas. Conclusion A great combination of two classic designs from the Jaguar drawing boards, one an incredibly short-run, the other its child for mass consumption. Furthermore, there’s also one new tool, and one somewhat older, although two great models can be built with a little care and attention. Highly recommended. Carrera Revell model kits are available from all good toy and model retailers. For further information visit or

Hi all, these are the final pictures of the E-Type, I spent quite a bit of time on this little kit, mainly trying to upgrade some of the parts such as the drivers rear view mirror mounting post. I also scratch built a new door mirror as I did not like the bullet style ones provided in the kit. The front headlamp frames were made from silver solder, bent into shape and flattened with a tea spoon. I did manage to throw away the tiny door handles when having a tidy up, I found one of them, so I had to make a copy in solder and PVA glue. I found a way to pivot the bonnet by pushing heated metal pins into the front chassis cross bar and sliding on some plastic bushes. These were glued to the lower portion of the bonnet and a wire restraint was super glued to the chassis to limit the travel so that the chrome bumpers did not touch the ground. The US cars had clear indicator front lenses and all red tail lights, I liked the look of that, so found an Illinois rear plate in my spares box and added that. I gave the car a wash with AK dirt/dust enamels to give it a used cross country dusty drive look. Overall, for a kit dating back to the early 60's I was impressed with the quality of the fit and shape. I look forward to building Revell's latest release and hope you all enjoy the photos. The outside ones were taken in biting -8 degree winds and after 5 minutes my fingers were numb! Paints used: Zero Paints - Jaguar Cotswold Blue Mr Surfacer 1200/1500 black primer 2K Clear coat Mr Color super metallics Abteilung oils/matt thinner UV Resin

One of my favourite cars of all time but not one of my favourite kits. I hope you like it.