Meowy84, they weren't racing, they were trying to stay ahead of the parts that were falling off.
Had a 1959 3.4 Jaguar sedan in 1966. Rust rotted beyond belief but it ran like a dream for a while. Trans started to give out {auto}, front end was crapped out and I washed it and went home and when I turned the headlights on, the car filled with smoke. Got it home and called the insurance company. Took it to the auto electric co. and they took ten days to to replace 10ft of wire. One man worked on it almost the whole ten days.
He couldn't find the burnt wire.
When I picked it up the owner told me to "never, ever bring that f***ing car" back to his shop.
My son, who lives in New Hampshire, worked in a very high end auto salvage yard and the owner, a former Jaguar mechanic, told his buyer that the first time he brought a Jaguar in the yard he was fired.
Yes they are beautiful cars. Beauty is only skin deep.
Sold my Jag and bought a 1966 Triumph Spitfire off the show room floor and drove it from Toronto to LA on route 66. Did route 66, in a 66, in 66. Never had a scrap of trouble with the car.
Not so lucky with the girl I went to see.
Steve.