VISION
THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME
CHRIS MADDEN AND JAMES BARRETT – XJ220
As a strictly limited-edition car, only 282 examples of the exclusive Jaguar XJ220 were produced. Yet they’re still a familiar sight at Jaguar Classic in Ryton, West Midlands, where they are serviced and – if necessary – repaired and restored by the team of skilled technicians. Jaguar Land Rover is unusual in having an in-house department devoted to looking after its world-renowned historic vehicles.
Our Team
Chris Madden
That’s where you’ll find Chris Madden, who specialises in servicing the XJ220. Working at Jaguar’s historic Browns Lane factory, Chris began servicing the iconic supercar in 1994. ‘Thirty years on, I’m still servicing XJ220s,’ he says.
Vehicles arrive at Classic Works from around the world for routine maintenance and restoration, with cars requiring servicing every 12 months and each service taking around 12 hours.
Three technicians currently look after XJ220s at Classic Works, including final year apprentice James Barrett. “I wanted to work for Classic because I’ve always been into classic cars and have some projects of my own.” He owns a Land Rover Series II and a Series III, both of which he is restoring.
Our Team
James Barrett
James is 20, so the XJ220 is more than 10 years older than him. As James says, “People come to Classic because we’re the original manufacturer. We designed the cars so we’re the best people to work on them. We also have all the correct tooling, which gives great customer assurance. And Chris is an expert. With 30 years of experience, he is a fantastic tutor.”
All parts are sourced by Jaguar Land Rover Classic. Many use new tooling from new suppliers – including the XJ220’s F1-style bladder fuel tank. “There are no problems with parts moving forward,” notes Chris. Jaguar Land Rover Classic can source parts for any historic vehicle.
Chris has worked at Jaguar Land Rover for 45 years. He first drove the XJ220 to carry out Pre-Delivery Inspections before delivery to customers, back when they were new in the early Nineties. “We took them to the Bruntingthorpe proving ground in Leicestershire. We did three or four laps and did 170 or 180mph just to make sure they performed like an XJ220 should.”
James is still looking forward to his first drive.