Space oddity

THERE MUST have been plenty of options available for John Williams, the chairman of the Hatfields group of dealers, during the late Eighties when he wanted a large, practical yet luxurious car. A Range Rover would have been perfect as would a Mercedes-Benz E-Class or Volvo 760 estate. Even a Ford Transit with leather seats would have been easier than his eventual solution. But, because Hatfields is one of Jaguar’s oldest dealerships, Williams wanted an estate based on an XJ40. There was one – albeit significant – problem: no such car existed. That’s when he decided to have not one but two such cars individually made.

The man Williams approached was no stranger to unusual or unique requests because, for 25 years, Chris Humberstone had been behind some of the most innovative cars designed in this country. He started in the Sixties with a series of Triumph, Mini and Hillman Imp specials, then came the 1973 Sedanca (a striking wedge-shaped coupe based on an XJ6 and commissioned by London dealer HR Owen) that put his name on the map. After that,