Jim Randle

Jaguar director of vehicle engineering whose Saturday Club initiated the 1988 XJ220 concept: an all-wheel-drive V12 study built for Group B regulations.

Randle served his apprenticeship at Rover in the late 1950s. Selected by Spen King, he led development of the P6 2000 TC and P7 six-cylinder versions before joining Jaguar in 1965 as a development engineer on the XJ4 saloon project. He later led the XJ12 programme, became Bob Knight’s deputy, and succeeded Knight as director of vehicle engineering in 1980.

Randle took responsibility for the XJ40 after Bob Knight’s departure and the car was launched in 1986, Jaguar’s first all-new saloon since the 1968 XJ. Steve Randle described the XJ40 as his father’s finest work, both as a car and as the engineering team created to deliver it; the source also calls it a cornerstone of Jaguar’s revival under John Egan.

The XJ220 began as an informal Saturday Club project. Randle and his son Steve built the first structural model from cardboard and foam core on their sitting-room floor; Jaguar engineers and suppliers gave their own time to make the concept. The all-wheel-drive, Group B-intended show car appeared at the 1988 Birmingham Motor Show; Jaguar identifies it as a naturally aspirated 6.2-litre V12.

Jaguar appointed Randle director of vehicle and concepts engineering in September 1990, while Clive Ennos became director of product engineering operations; Randle left Jaguar in 1991. The production XJ220 was assembled at Bloxham from 1992. Jaguar says JaguarSport and Tom Walkinshaw Racing gave it a 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6, rear-wheel drive and a chassis 25 cm shorter than the 1988 concept. He died at home on 6 July 2019.