Using a classic car for daily use is a matter of making a choice and standing by it. Casper Garrels followed his heart and has now clocked 140,000 beautiful kilometres in his Jaguar Mark 2, restored by Noble House. In all weather, in the Netherlands and abroad.
Casper Garrels, like his wife Hanneke, is anglophile to the core. The foundation for this sympathetic ailment was laid in the early 1970s when he was stationed in London as a young salesman. “I was allowed to chauffeur my director all over England in his Jaguar Mark2. That definitely sealed my love for this model.” The Garrels couple have remained commercially loyal to the country, as importers of English and Scottish clothing. They are now the owners of the English Hatter fashion stores in Amsterdam and Amstelveen.
In 1999 Casper allowed a deep-seated personal dream to come true: he purchased a Mark 2 3.8 Automatic from 1963 from a Dutch classic car company. “However, when the restoration work was only halfway completed, the company went bankrupt. When I went to recover my car, I met Kees Huis in ‘t Veld. He spontaneously helped me with the transport, which led to Noble House becoming the new guardian of her health and wellbeing.” Her? “Of course, my Jaguar is a lady!”
The evaluation carried out by Noble House resulted in a long catalogue of problems. “The restoration had been carried out very badly. Actually, Kees and I concluded everything had to be done all over again. And so it was. The intention was always to make her suitable for daily use: trips to our shops in town, but also to England on buying trips for our clothing! Noble House fitted the car with a Kenlowe fan to keep it cool in congested traffic, better quality brakes and tyres and the ventilation system was adjusted so the windows would not fog up. While safety belts and headrests are not standard specification, Casper placed them firmly on his wish list.
The Jaguar has been a daily source of enjoyment for the Garrels family for 140,000 kilometres now. “I only leave her in the garage when there’s snow, because of the road salt. The freezing cold doesn’t bother her. On the contrary, to hear that growl when you start the engine when the temperature is below freezing, is simply marvellous! Slowly warming up and enjoying the massive power of the 3.8-litre engine. Driving this car is a privilege and a joy.”
Casper’s most important tip for the intensive use of a classic Jaguar: Drive as much as possible; top athletes also train every day after all! Listen closely to the sounds of the car, respond directly to even the slightest problem and have her serviced every 5,000 kilometres.”
