EDITION 198 JAGUAR MAGAZINE 53NORMAN DEWIS OBE WAS A VERY WELL KNOWN
part of Jaguar history when he retired from the Company
in 1985, but transformed into a legend when he took on
the unofficial mantle of representing Jaguar through its first
golden era. That became even more significant after his old
boss Lofty England died in 1995. Norman travelled the world
and was on hand locally at major events to fly the flag.
He visited the US, Australia and New Zealand where he was
Patron of the Auckland Club and, undoubtedly, it was very good
for Norman as well as Jaguar enthusiasts. His wife Nan had died
in 1993, and she too was much loved amongst Jaguar apprentices
having operated a boarding house at their home for them. Nan(cy)
and Norman met in 1943 when she was eighteen and she died in
1993, so Norman's Jaguar volunteer work filled a big hole.
Norman passed away in June 2019 after a battle with cancer, aged
almost 99. It is an often repeated story that his ambition was to drive
at 100 mph in XJ13 aged 100. It almost came to fruition.
The stories about Norman's contribution to Jaguar's success have
grown through the years, and although well meaning have incorrectly
included 'Chief Designer' and 'Chief Engineer'. What Norman did do was
to test and sort every C and D-Type, plus hundreds of other significant
Jaguars and rival manufacturers cars ranging from Ferraris to Holdens.
Former Jaguar Student Apprentice Jim Graham, who worked for
Norman and knew him well, wrote this tribute for us.
"Norman joined Jaguar in 1952 to work directly for William Heynes as
Chief Test Development Engineer, progressing to Chief Vehicle Proving
Engineer and finally as Manager, Vehicle Proving, at the time of his
retirement in 1985.normanno
1920-2019
Va lé the Jaguar legend