Pat Smart - My 48 1/2 Years at Jaguar Cars
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Date19th April 2007
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PlaceChemistry Research Laboratory (CRL), South Parks Rd, Oxford, OX1 3TA
We were delighted to welcome one of the pre-eminent speakers on Jaguar
Cars to Oxford.
For this meeting, a welcome was extended to all the surrounding
JEC Regions such as Thames Valley, Warwick and Wiltshire.
Pat is well known in Jaguar circles and is a regular contributor to
the Andrew Whyte Memorial Lectures.
He started as an apprentice in 1953, not long after Browns Lane
opened. By the early Sixties he was managing Home Sales, working
with Alan Curry. In the Seventies British Leyland arrived and he
became Fleet Sales Manager, responsible for everything from Mini Vans
at one end, through Land Rovers, to Daimler Limousines at the
other! He was responsible for moving 18 000 vehicles per year!
In the Eighties Jaguar Cars separated from BL and Pat remained Fleet
Sales Manager. In the Nineties Ford arrived, and Pat then
specialised in Police, Government and Royal Sales. This could
involve special changes to cars, for example to the electrics or
stretching or armouring. It also meant he sold Daimlers to the Navy!
Pat worked alongside other legendary figures such as Nick Schayle and
Norman Dewis, and of course he knew Sir William Lyons very well.
A rare opportunity!
