History

The Jaguar Drivers' Club Ltd is the original classic car club for Jaguar owners. It was formed in 1956 in London by a group of XK enthusiasts and has developed over the years to be one of the premier international clubs for Jaguar car supporters. From the headquarters, full-time staff administer the main functions of the Club. National & International events are organised each year. A monthly, high quality, full-colour magazine, the Jaguar Driver, is sent to all main club members. Regular contributions to the magazine are made by JDCEM members.  

The JDC has a unique structure, in that it is divided into Registers, and Areas. The Registers provide a focus and expertise on specific marques (e.g. E Type register), whilst the Areas provide local support to geographical regions. For historic reasons, within the JDC, the Areas are numbered, and the East Midlands Area is number 31.

JDC member John Williams, of Nottingham, founded Area 31 in 1977. Subsequent chairmen who followed were Rob Saunders, Gary Smith, and Rob Bradley. The current chairman is Jeff Percival. In 2023 the club became an "unincorporated association", supporting the JDC, but operating independently.

Meeting venues have changed over the years. Early places included the White House (now the Otter) at Kegworth, the Dog & Duck at Shardlow, the Melbourne Arms at Melbourne, the Priest House at Kings Mills, the Ferrers Arms at Lount, and the John Thompson Inn at Ingleby. We currently meet at the historic Cooper Arms, Weston on Trent, where we have a dedicated room allocated for our use. The pub has a good size car park and is in a lovely setting by the lake.

The Club has a good-sized membership, with well-attended events and activities. We we are one of the most active Jaguar clubs, produce an excellent monthly Newsletter, and do provide a significant contribution to the overall activities of the JDC.