Commissioned by Jaguar and built by the famed American Group 44 Inc. racing team of Bob Tullius and Brian Fuerstenau, the purpose-built, fully tube-framed XJR-4 was created to contest the 1981 SCCA Trans-Am championship. Lawton “Lanky” Foushee supervised its construction and set-up. It took second in its first race, followed by three wins to take second in the 1981 SCCA Trans-Am championship standings. Bob Tullius drove the car to second overall behind Eppie Wietzes’ Corvette in that year’s standings.
Its subsequent entry into the 1982 Daytona 24 Hours marked Jaguar’s return to top-level international endurance racing, where it hit 194.46 mph on shaved Goodyear street tires! Needless to say, the car was the world’s fastest XJ-S. Somewhat overshadowed by the XJR-5 Group C endurance racers of the mid-1980s, this car was the test “mule” for that program which brought Jaguar back as a competitor at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Restored, race-ready, and fastidiously prepared, the XJR-4 remains ready to hit the track and it is accompanied by an incredible spares and historical package including race set-up notes by Group 44’s late racing wizard Lawton “Lanky” Foushee. While it is not scheduled for auction at this time, I got to know the owner, his son, and the great history of this important ex-Group 44 Jaguar.
