Norman Dewis
{{Short description|British racing driver (1920–2019)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2015}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2015}}
{{Infobox person
| name= Norman Dewis
| honorific_suffix = OBE
| image= Norman Dewis Jaguar C-Type at the 2012 Mille Miglia.jpg
| image_size= 200px
| caption= Norman Dewis at the 2012 Mille Miglia.
| birth_date= {{birth date|1920|08|03|df=yes}}
| birth_place= Coventry, Warwickshire, England
| death_date= {{death date and age|2019|06|08|1920|08|03|df=yes}}
| occupation = Chief test driver and development engineer
| nationality = British
| spouse=
| children= 2
}}
Norman Dewis {{post-nominals|country=GBR|OBE}} (3 August 1920 – 8 June 2019){{Cite web |url=https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/industry/former-jaguar-engineering-chief-norman-dewis-dies-aged-98 |title=Former Jaguar engineering chief Norman Dewis dies aged 98 |date=2019-06-09 |website=www.autocar.co.uk |publisher=Autocar |access-date=2019-06-10}} was a British car test driver, who was the test driver for Jaguar Cars from 1952 to 1985.{{cite news|title=Jaguar legend to give talk at cancer event|url=http://www.iomtoday.co.im/what-s-on/manx-entertainment-news/jaguar-legend-to-give-talk-at-cancer-event-1-6920497|accessdate=15 May 2015|agency=Isle of Man Today|date=29 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141111165538/http://www.iomtoday.co.im/what-s-on/manx-entertainment-news/jaguar-legend-to-give-talk-at-cancer-event-1-6920497|archive-date=11 November 2014|url-status=dead}}
Car development
Dewis participated in the development of the following cars:
Racing career
Dewis drove a Jaguar D-Type in the 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans, with Don Beauman. The car failed to finish the race, retiring 106 laps into the race.
Jabbeke XK120 record
Dewis was the test driver who, on 20 October 1953 at Jabbeke, Belgium, drove a Jaguar XK120 to 172.412 mph, a record for production cars. The car had several aerodynamic modifications, including a distinctive bubble-shaped, air-tight canopy from a glider aircraft. After the record run the Jaguar XK120 was converted back to a road car and sold by the company.
XJ13 crash
On 21 January 1971 at the MIRA high-speed circuit Dewis drove the only Jaguar XJ13 for a film promoting the new V12 Jaguar E-type. Despite a damaged tyre, and against the instructions of Jaguar Director, Lofty England, the car was driven by Dewis at high speed. The tyre failed and the car crashed heavily, almost destroying it. Dewis was unharmed. The wreck of the car was put back into storage.{{cite news |url=http://www.xj13.eu/XJ13Blog/post/2014/03/06/David-Hobbs-Jaguar-XJ13s-Test-Development-Driver.aspx |year=2013 |title=David Hobbs - Jaguar XJ13's Test Driver |location=UK |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161024230812/http://www.xj13.eu/XJ13Blog/post/2014/03/06/David-Hobbs-Jaguar-XJ13s-Test-Development-Driver.aspx |archivedate=24 October 2016 |df=dmy-all }}
Work for Jaguar in retirement
In 2014 Dewis was still attending events related to Jaguar and giving talks about his work for the company. In June 2016 he appeared on the BBC's Top Gear TV show with the Jaguar F-type SVR.
Norman was also a supporter of Jaguar owners and the social scene around owning a car. He was a regular attendee at many of the events held by the Jaguar Drivers' Club, the only Jaguar owners club to be officially recognised by Sir William Lyons and Jaguar as a company.
Honours
In the 2015 New Year Honours Dewis was invested as an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to the Motor Industry.{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-shropshire-30635403|title=New Year Honours: Ex-Jaguar test driver, 94, appointed OBE|work=BBC News |date=31 December 2014 |access-date=2016-06-28}}https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/391413/New_Year_Honours_List_2015.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|date=March 2022}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category|Norman Dewis}}
- {{Facebook}}
- [https://www.jaguarheritage.com/jaguar-history/jaguar-people/norman-dewis/ Norman Dewis page at the Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dewis, Norman}}
Category:English racing drivers
Category:Officers of the Order of the British Empire