Norman Dewis is one of the most important people in sports car development, yet one of the nicest guys you'd hope to meet
My highlight of the Goodwood Festival of Speed so far: meeting Norman Dewis, the father of the E-type.
He was everything I had expected: knowledgeable, charismatic, passionate about cars and delightfully old school.
We spoke about the Jaguar F-type, a car he is clearly fond of. He told me about a recent drive in the new roadster for this very title. He was delivered a car at MIRA for a photo shoot, but was told to take it easy.
Naturally he didn’t, despite “knowing I was going to get a bollocking”. It was a sports car on a test track, after all...
It’s hard to think of a nonagenarian more keen on getting a car sideways. He said that during his time as a test driver, he preferred to set his cars up to oversteer. “A car that’s set up to understeer forces you to drive slower, but I like to steer a car on its throttle. It’s more fun with power oversteer,” he said with a twinkle in his eye.
It was harder to judge his thoughts on the D-type-inspired F-type Project 7. He referred to the design as "interesting", but was far more effusive about the extra grunt under the bonnet.
He’s one of the most self-effacing test drivers I’ve come across. Here is the man who had a role in developing the C-type, D-type, XK150, E-type and XJ13. Not to mention the Dunlop brake disc.
It is reckoned that he completed a million miles at an average speed of more than 100mph. And rode with Stirling Moss in a C-type in the 1952 Mille Miglia.
Yet here he was, mingling with Goodwood visitors in his Jaguar racing overalls. I’ve yet to meet a finer ambassador for Jaguar.