Help with tracking down cars history

E-Type
1

I have a 1963 E-type that I’m trying to track down the original owners. A couple questions if you please, I have the Heritage report, and know the car’s first owner lived in Newark, Delaware. The original dealer is listed as unknown, but the distributor says Jaguar cars, NY. Is there a list of original Jaguar dealerships active in 1964? Union Park Jaguar of Wilmington, DE is geographically next to the home town that the original owner is listed as being from (Newark). Does anyone know if this dealership has been around since 1964?

The car was owned by this gentleman Stuart Evans from new until 1988 (24 years) when a gentleman named Mark Hoffman bought it. He held on to it until 2005 (17 years) and sold it in San Diego. I know this because Mark listed all this on the XKE Data website. By some long shot, does anyone on here know Mark? He sounds like a Jaguar enthusiast.

Also, someone in Newark, DE must remember a silver blue opalescent roadster driving around for 24 years. Either way, it’s fun to try and track them down. Closest I’ll ever get to be a Private Investigator.

Brian

2

Hi Brian,
There are published lists of dealers that were given to owners with their warranties, someone will have one. If you don’t find out from here you should try the Coventry Foundation, they have a massive library of all publications, tools, bulletins etc. You don’t say where you are but there are two locations one on each coast.


pauls

3

Thanks Paul, I see they are in Columbia, SC. I’m in the Carolinas also, so that’s convenient.

Brian

4

I always wanted to be a detective.

In case you haven’t come across it, there is a Randall Stuart Evans Jr who once lived in Newark DE:

https://www.whitepages.com/name/Randall-Stuart-Evans-Jr./Wilmington-DE/rmugbcn

For a phone call or the price of a postage stamp you might see if he is the son of the original owner.

P.S. Brian - Welcome to J-L!

5

Thanks, I left a message already with them. I had the same idea. Hopefully, it’s a relative. If your father, Uncle, Father-in-law, etc had a cool car like this, I think someone would remember. Right?

6

Maybe… I have had no luck getting replies from family members (who I knew were family members) of the late owners of two of my cars.

Just because someone is a daughter or brother doesn’t mean they want to have anything to do with the departed or the things associated with him.

If you have no idea how that could happen - then consider yourself lucky.

1 Like
7

Assuming they are still there (I think so), you might check in with John DiGiacoma at East Coast Jaguar (in Wilmington DE). I’m guessing the Jag community in DE is pretty small, and EC Jaguar has been around for a long time, so John may have worked on the car or at least supplied parts to the owner over the years.

Dave

8

Brian
I have been trying to find out history on my car and posted a question “Trace ownership and history” on October 9th, had some very good input from a couple of guys that may be worth you reading
Tony