Re.: E-Type Front Tag Holders

Ginger and others,
Authenticity judging is not limited to items listed in the Rule Book. With or without Judge's Guides, knowledgeable, well informed Judges may properly make deductions for missing or otherwise non-authentic items based on the applicable Parts Book or other approved Jaguar Cars publications (listed in Appendix C of the Rule Book).

It is that very fact that Entrants encounter variations in the quality of authenticity judging from show to show. At one show, you may be judged by a person who is not very knowledgeable of the details of your model and you will receive few, if any, non-authenticity deductions. However, at the next show, you may encounter a Judge who is very knowledgeable about the model and receive a number of non-authenticity deducts. Existing and future model-specific Judge's Guides are intended to bring greater consistency to authenticity judging (and restoration), but the program still depends on people actually reading as many official references as possible.

The E-type front license plate holder issue was raised in a 1997 protest. The circumstance prompted some extensive research which confirmed that Series 1 and 2 E-types (with the possible exception of outside bonnet latch cars) were all delivered to the USA with front license plate holders, and tilting assemblies, (packaged in the boot) for dealer installation.

In 1998, with the announcement of the Protest Committee results, I believe that some additional Judges began purposefully looking for front license holders on E-types and other models. News of the requirement passed by word-of-mouth but it was not added to the Rule Book.

The first formal acknowledgement of the front license requirement for the E-type, came at the 2003 AGM with the JCNA approval of Bob Stevenson's Series 1 E-type Judge's Guide. Stew Cleave's Series 2 E-type Guide, approved in 2004, contains the same information. The new 2006 Chapter VI of the Rule Book will finally catch up by at least listing the item and a corresponding deduction.

Unique, separate and model-specific, license holders were common on the earliest SS cars and on the fronts of XK Jaguars, E-types, and some MK saloons. Thereafter, some of the separate mounting hardware was replaced by simple holes or attaching devices in the front bumpers and boot lids/valences.

Judges are not to make any deductions for missing license plates themselves, whether or not the Entry's state or province requires them.

If an Entry was originally factory-supplied with a separate front license plate holder, the holder should either be properly mounted (with or without a plate) or unmounted but displayed for the Exterior Judge's examination. If unmounted, the holder mounting holes will normally be covered with rubber or plastic plugs.

Regards,
Dick Cavicke
Chair, JCRC

Thanks, Dick,

I have only recently seen it *ever* mentioned, so it's news to me. If I understand you correctly, that requirement is in effect now, and not a new rule "as of 2006," right? You must have the plate holder if it's listed in the parts manual for your model Jaguar....period. If you happen to live in a state that requires front plates, it must be mounted with the plate.

Ginger Corda
1971 E-Type 2+2
1966 E-Type Roadster

For next year's judging, I think it would be a good idea for the JCRC to publish a list of which models shipped with front number plate holders as well as rear plate holders. I just searched the Spare Parts book for my XK-150 to find that it did ship with a front holder but does not show anything for the rear. I assume therefore that the correct configuration will be to have the rear license plate bolted directly to the body with no holder at all. Correct?

As a side item, if there are any dead bugs found on the front holder no deduction should be made as it is considered "In Transit Bug Impact Damage"

Pat H

Ginger,
The new Chapter VI, Judge's Guide for Scoring Non-Authenticity, which becomes effective January 1, 2006, lists a 2.0 point deduction for a missing license plate holder.

The intent is that: If your Jaguar was factory equipped with license plate holders (and associated mechanisms), they should either be mounted in their appropriate locations, or be separately presented with the Jaguar at the time of judging. (Your Jaguar Cars Ltd. Parts Book and/or JCNA Judge's Guide should indicate/document how your car was originally equipped.)

Judges are cautioned to NOT make any non-authenticity rulings based on their personal understanding of an item's legality or illegality under any local, state, provincial, federal, or international law or regulation. For example: A Judge may NOT make a non-authenticity deduction for a missing front license PLATE, even if he or she believes that the Entrant's state of registration requires one.

A Judge SHOULD make a non-authenticity deduction(s) if the car was factory delivered with a separate front (or rear) license plate HOLDER and it is either missing, not presented with the car, wrong, etc.

Regards,
Dick Cavicke
Chair, JCNA, JCRC