Yesterday, a poor condition early Jaguar key fob sold on eBay for $705. I recall the same type key fob being discussed on Jag-Lovers a few years ago. At that time, I believe its owner indicated the key fob was supplied with his XK120 when sold new.
I don’t think Jaguar itself offered/provided these key fobs. Instead, I suspect these fobs were dealer-supplied. Nevertheless, JCNA now reproduces the badge from these key fobs, but the JCNA badge is attached to a different (torpedo) style leather fob. Below are photos from the eBay auction.
Yikes!! I think you are right, I don’t believe that Jaguar ever produced such an item. Interesting that the badge contains the early ‘wings’ as seen on Mk VII’s and others combined with a not very good Jaguar head.
I think you will find it is actually CUD for CASTLES UNIT DEVELOPMENT LTD.
This one ‘looks’ to be from early 1960s based on the CUD style, albeit I don’t claim to be an expert as others are, indeed the only ones I have date from the 1970s on when I purchased one new.
There is a lot of interest in such Key Fobs, very much a collectable, and available from Jaguar as an Accessory through 1950s/60s/70s and still today.
Mine is very similar to yours. I purchased it from a sports car accessory shop just after I got my XK in 1963. The leather tab that secured the badge to the fob wore out some time ago and the badge is now glued to the fob! However, it is a CUD, like yours. Given the style of the badge mine may be more akin to E-type, whereas yours looks closer to XK era, but I am certainly no expert in this area. Given my purchase date, Roger’s speculation regarding the early sixties maybe correct.
Lord help us all. So far as I’m aware, we have now entered an XK arena we have hitherto not explored in the last 20 some odd years I’ve been on this list. What took so long???
Here’s mine, leftover from the early 70s. I can’t remember if I bought it new or not.
The rectangular black leather leather piece fell off the metal ring long ago, and I may still have it around somewhere.
I mentioned a new book being written on Jaguar Key Rings.
Was originally due March, but on now checking I have been advised Publication has slipped a few months to the ‘USA Summer’, but its well underway and if you are interested, well worth watching out for. It will be 250+ pages and a similar number of professional colour photographs, so should pretty well be the definitive book on the topic!
Like your key fob, the original leather backing had worn out on my early Jaguar fob. The badge itself was still very nice being chrome, cast bronze, and inlaid enamel. (There are no markings on the reverse side of the badge to indicate the maker.) I sent it to a specialist to have a new leather torpedo made.
I’ve had this key fob for some years and unsure where I collected it, on the flip side it has Gucci to the left of ITALY, and the 926 silver stamp. Anyone have any info or ideas why Gucci would manufacture a Jaguar key fob ?
Mike Balch,
Where did you send for a new torpedo ? I have one of the old DUC identical to Mike Spoelker’s but the leather portion gave way years ago. I’d love to have another made for it. Thanks, Knight
