Norman Dewis: One of the great Jaguar characters
who worked for Sir William Lyons.

Norman was Jaguar’s chief test development engineer from 1952 to 1985, but his career in the motor industry started way back in 1934 at Humber, although he soon transferred to Armstrong Siddeley where he worked until war broke out.

After serving in the RAF during the war, flying in Blenheims, he joined the specialist car manufacturer Lea-Francis and eventually became their chief tester, before moving to Jaguar in January 1952. One of the tasks which his new boss William Heynes, Jaguar’s chief engineer, charged him with was to further develop the C-type Le Mans car, and also the new Dunlop disc brake – a brand new invention of worldwide significance and which helped Jaguar win Le Mans in 1953, 1955, 1956 and 1957.

Testing the new brake also involved Norman accompanying Stirling Moss in a C-type on the 1952 Mille Miglia, that amazing 1,000-mile race round Italy (after various adventures, they retired near the end, but were on course for second or third place).

He then went on to play a key role in the development of the 190mph D-type, and drove for the works team in the tragic 1955 Le Mans, witnessing the terrible accident which marred the race. Later that year he teamed up with Bob Berry to drive Jack Broadhead’s D-type (OKV 2) in the Goodwood Nine Hours race, coming fifth.

Apart from race-car testing, Norman was also responsible for testing and signing-off all Jaguar’s road cars including the XK 140/150, Mk VII series, Mk 1 and Mk 2, Mk X, XJ6/12 and XJ-S – plus, most notably, the E-type of 1961 and all subsequent versions of this great sports car. His last brush with competition cars involved the 5.0 litre V12 mid-engined XJ13, Jaguar’s still-born Le Mans car of the late 1960s which he famously crashed at a three-figure speed in 1971. The last production Jaguar he was associated with was XJ40, the new XJ6 launched the year after his retirement in 1985.

In more recent years and despite now being almost 90, Norman has travelled the world as a sort of unofficial roving ambassador for Jaguar, enthralling enthusiasts in such as Australia, New Zealand, North America and many European countries.

View more pictures of Norman Dewis, at club events in the JCNA Image Gallery!