Jaguar E-Types Rally Through Tasmania's West Coast

The Route

Starting from Hobart, the three-day rally wound through some of Tasmania's most spectacular driving roads — the Lyell Highway, Queenstown's hairpins, and the sweeping curves along the Gordon River. Total distance: just over 800 kilometres.

The Jaguar Drivers' Club of Tasmania organised the event in collaboration with mainland chapters, drawing cars from Victoria, South Australia, and even one from Western Australia that was trailered across.

The Cars

Twenty-two E-Types made the start — a mix of Series 1, 2, and 3 cars spanning roadsters, fixed-head coupes, and two glorious 2+2s. Colours ranged from Opalescent Silver to Carmen Red, and mechanical conditions ranged from concours-perfect to "characterfully patinated."

Remarkably, all twenty-two finished without a single breakdown. The Jaguar Car Club attributes this to a mandatory pre-rally inspection that weeded out potential issues before the start.

Highlights

The consensus favourite stretch was the run from Strahan to Cradle Mountain — sixty kilometres of empty road winding through ancient rainforest. "You could hear the straight-sixes echoing off the hills," one participant told us. "Absolutely magic."

Evenings were spent at local pubs and lodges, with the cars drawing crowds in every small town they passed through.

Next Year

The success of this year's event has already sparked plans for 2027, with the club considering a route through the northeast — Ben Lomond, the Tamar Valley, and the Bay of Fires. Expressions of interest are open to all Jaguar owners.