3 October 2002: A Jaguar S-TYPE R fire tender built by the Special Vehicle Operations department at Jaguar Cars, has been delivered to Silverstone circuit.

Designed as a ‘rapid response’ emergency vehicle, the Silverstone Jaguar S-TYPE R is based on a standard production car but with key modifications. Externally, Phoenix Red paintwork with a broad yellow stripe and an array of strobe and spotlights distinguish the vehicle.

Inside, in place of the rear seat, sits a 90-litre fire extinguisher cylinder with eight-metre hose, a Safety Devices roll cage provides increased occupant safety and body stiffness, and two figure-hugging Recaro racing seats with four-point harness belts have been fitted for the driver and front seat passenger. Additional safety equipment includes four further fire extinguishers, short wave radio and siren.

With a 400 bhp (DIN) supercharged 4.2-litre V8 engine driving the rear wheels through a six-speed automatic gearbox, the fire tender shares the handling attributes of the standard S-TYPE R.

Jaguar has supplied cars to Silverstone since the early 1970s when Managing Director and former Le Mans Team Manager F.R.W. ‘Lofty’ England donated an early XJ12 saloon.