McNabb Report 0: La Dama en Roja
In 1968 Jim Roth was just returning from foreign assignment with an oil company and beginning with a new company in Bakersfield, California. He had a plain jane white Chevy company car and bought his wife a Mustang, but the car was just not working out. As he was looking through the classified ads he spotted a 1968 Jaguar XKE convertible (serial number J681E18273), a series one and a half, red with black interior. He had always loved these cars but never thought he could afford one. When he went to look at the car the seller was moaning that he had just bought this beautiful car and now his wife was pregnant. Jim did not have to think twice about it and bought the car. He gave his wife the company car and began a lifelong relationship with the Jag.
Jim was a California boy having been raised in the Ventura, Bakersfield and LA area by a father that also worked in the oil industry. Incidentally his father, George, won a gold medal in gymnastics in the 1932 Olympic Games in LA. For those not familiar with the California landscape, Bakersfield is halfway between the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the ocean, about a two hour drive either way. Jim commuted the few miles to work each day in the Jag but also took trips to the coast and amazingly enough even put chains on the car, a ski rack on the back and went to the ski slopes!
In 1972 Jim changed to a smaller company in the LA area. Now his commute was a bit longer but included a drive up Coldwater Canyon, a race along Mulholland Drive (ala Steve McQueen and James Dean!) and down Beverly Glen to work each day. The Jag continued to give good service on the daily commute. In the mid-70s Jim bought a house in Malibu near the ocean and continued his commute to LA. Through several smaller companies Jim continued to work in the same area through the mid-80s.
In 1984 Jim was finally transferred to Houston, Texas, which is a bit inevitable in the oil industry. He shipped the Jag to Texas but now began to drive a company car to work and keep the Jag for pleasure driving. He also bought a Catalina 36 sailboat (serial number 39 out of about 30,000 built). In 1987 he was divorced. His new girlfriend made a big impression about a year later. She backed his van out of the driveway and hit the Jag, causing some damage (he married her soon after in spite of this!). Although the car was still in good shape his mechanic suggested a complete restoration. Jim’s company was sold and he received a pay out. He figured maybe the time was right but he decided to manage the project himself. He commissioned the mechanic to do the motor, a painter for the body and paint and another gentleman for the interior. It took most of 1988 but the results were spectacular.
In 1989 Jim finally started his own company and began spending a lot of time cruising in the Jag, going to some shows and competitions, and sailing. It was about this time that I met him as he really needed a regional map of Latin America for some presentations. I work in the oil data business and allowed him to borrow a map. Our meeting would have been brief except for the fact that he had a die cast of an XKE on his desk. That started a conversation that lead to a friendship. In 1990 there was a hurricane that damaged the sailboat and it was restored as well at that time. About this time his wife was diagnosed with cancer. With the success of his own company he decided it was time to go home. In 1993 he shipped the sailboat to Ventura harbor and his wife lived on the boat and commuted across the harbor each day to supervise the building of their dream house in Ventura Keys. The next year with the house finished he shipped the Jag back to California after a 10 year stint in Texas. Unfortunately his wife died in 1998. In 2005 he completely restored his sailboat.
We now find the Jag back home in California, looking and driving as good as new, and always ready for a spin up Highway One along the coast. Jim comments that the only thing more challenging than owning a vintage car is owning a vintage sailboat as well. I have heard a few people ask from time to time how it was that Jim never sold the car to buy a more modern sports car. Jim said the answer was simple, his two sons would kill him if he ever sold it. I think this car is going to stay in the family for a long time. And so the relationship continues after 42 years with the Lady in Red!
In 1968 Jim Roth was just returning from foreign assignment with an oil company and beginning with a new company in Bakersfield, California. He had a plain jane white Chevy company car and bought his wife a Mustang, but the car was just not working out. As he was looking through the classified ads he spotted a 1968 Jaguar XKE convertible (serial number J681E18273), a series one and a half, red with black interior. He had always loved these cars but never thought he could afford one. When he went to look at the car the seller was moaning that he had just bought this beautiful car and now his wife was pregnant. Jim did not have to think twice about it and bought the car. He gave his wife the company car and began a lifelong relationship with the Jag.
Jim was a California boy having been raised in the Ventura, Bakersfield and LA area by a father that also worked in the oil industry. Incidentally his father, George, won a gold medal in gymnastics in the 1932 Olympic Games in LA. For those not familiar with the California landscape, Bakersfield is halfway between the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the ocean, about a two hour drive either way. Jim commuted the few miles to work each day in the Jag but also took trips to the coast and amazingly enough even put chains on the car, a ski rack on the back and went to the ski slopes!
In 1972 Jim changed to a smaller company in the LA area. Now his commute was a bit longer but included a drive up Coldwater Canyon, a race along Mulholland Drive (ala Steve McQueen and James Dean!) and down Beverly Glen to work each day. The Jag continued to give good service on the daily commute. In the mid-70s Jim bought a house in Malibu near the ocean and continued his commute to LA. Through several smaller companies Jim continued to work in the same area through the mid-80s.
In 1984 Jim was finally transferred to Houston, Texas, which is a bit inevitable in the oil industry. He shipped the Jag to Texas but now began to drive a company car to work and keep the Jag for pleasure driving. He also bought a Catalina 36 sailboat (serial number 39 out of about 30,000 built). In 1987 he was divorced. His new girlfriend made a big impression about a year later. She backed his van out of the driveway and hit the Jag, causing some damage (he married her soon after in spite of this!). Although the car was still in good shape his mechanic suggested a complete restoration. Jim’s company was sold and he received a pay out. He figured maybe the time was right but he decided to manage the project himself. He commissioned the mechanic to do the motor, a painter for the body and paint and another gentleman for the interior. It took most of 1988 but the results were spectacular.
In 1989 Jim finally started his own company and began spending a lot of time cruising in the Jag, going to some shows and competitions, and sailing. It was about this time that I met him as he really needed a regional map of Latin America for some presentations. I work in the oil data business and allowed him to borrow a map. Our meeting would have been brief except for the fact that he had a die cast of an XKE on his desk. That started a conversation that lead to a friendship. In 1990 there was a hurricane that damaged the sailboat and it was restored as well at that time. About this time his wife was diagnosed with cancer. With the success of his own company he decided it was time to go home. In 1993 he shipped the sailboat to Ventura harbor and his wife lived on the boat and commuted across the harbor each day to supervise the building of their dream house in Ventura Keys. The next year with the house finished he shipped the Jag back to California after a 10 year stint in Texas. Unfortunately his wife died in 1998. In 2005 he completely restored his sailboat.
We now find the Jag back home in California, looking and driving as good as new, and always ready for a spin up Highway One along the coast. Jim comments that the only thing more challenging than owning a vintage car is owning a vintage sailboat as well. I have heard a few people ask from time to time how it was that Jim never sold the car to buy a more modern sports car. Jim said the answer was simple, his two sons would kill him if he ever sold it. I think this car is going to stay in the family for a long time. And so the relationship continues after 42 years with the Lady in Red!
Please follow me on facebook under Paul McNabb and also my first soon to be published book, THE JAGUAR CONSPIRACY (visit facebook and like!) coming in May, 2012, a murder mystery about a missing C-type Jaguar.
