Giving back old Jaguars their roar

Laranzo Dacres, Sunday Gleaner Writer

Sixty-three-year-old Errol Cummings is a diehard Jaguar lover and for almost four decades he has been sought after for his expertise in servicing the prestigious vehicles. Even with the passage of time, the cars of yesteryear are still in demand by local collectors of classic cars.

Based on Retirement Road in Kingston, Cummings' business establishment - Reliable Motors - is where the magic happens. And there is evidence of this with the number of vintage Jaguars parked on the premises awaiting repairs or to be picked up by their owners. They range from a 1967 E Type to a 1974 XJ6.

"I started the business in 1969-1970 ... thereabouts. At that time, I used to work on Ballater Avenue and there were a lot of Jaguars on the road those days," Cummings said.

Nowadays, however, he said, most Jaguar owners tend to drive their vehicles on special occasions only, so he has to supplement his earnings by offering repair services for other makes of vehicles.

"Business has slowed on Jaguars, if you compare the number of jobs I used to get in the '70s and '80s ... but I am surviving," Cummings said.

According to him, as the price of gas has increased steadily over the years, those persons who used to drive luxury cars every day now park them for most of the time and use more fuel-efficient vehicles for daily travel.

"But, I still have some of my customers from the good old days, most of whom still have their Jaguars. Plus, there is always someone restoring an old one."

Cummings also told Automotives that some of his customers are members of the Jamaica Classic Car Club.

"Quite a few of the members of the club are Jaguar owners and they come to my business place to get their vehicles serviced regularly."

Well taught

The mechanic explained that he has continued to offer service to Jaguar owners over the years because his mentor, Robby Young, taught him well and he grew to love that brand of vehicle.

"Jaguars are still around and someone with my know-how about that make of vehicle needs to be around to offer the expertise. So I am here."

Cummings owns a gold 1966 Jaguar Mark 2, which he is currently restoring.

"We have to order most of the parts from abroad because dealers here only stock parts for the newer models. Jaguars might be considered expensive, but they are durable and reliable vehicles," he said.