Malcolm Sayer
Encyclopedia
Malcolm Sayer was an aircraft and car designer. His most notable work being the iconic E-Type Jaguar
. He spent the last twenty years of his life working at Jaguar Cars and was one of the first engineers to apply principles of aerodynamics
to car design.
, Norfolk
, and Educated at Great Yarmouth
Grammar School
(where his father taught Maths and Art) and later at the then Loughborough College
. He worked for the Bristol Aeroplane Company
during the Second World War, which exempted him from conscription
by way of reserved occupation
protection. Following the war he married Pat Morgan in 1947,and after his daughter was born then went to Iraq
in 1948 to work at Baghdad University; this turned out to exist only on paper, so he worked instead maintaining the fleet of government vehicles.
He returned to the UK in 1950 and joined Jaguar in 1951. Some of his particular contributions were the introduction of slide rule
and seven-figure log tables to work out formulae he invented for drawing curves, work which is now undertaken by complex Computer Aided Design software.
Even today, many of the design elements associated with the E-type Jaguar can be found on the company's cars. The long bonnet, haunches over the rear wheels and the stance are all features incorporated into Jaguar's XK8 coupe designed by the late design director Geoff Lawson, which have continued on in the current production version modified by his successor Ian Callum.
According to Porter & Skilleter's biography of the founder of Jaguar, the legendary Sir William Lyons
, Sayer was credited with playing a leading role in the unfolding story of Jaguar.
To surpass the C Type, Sayer then designed the revolutionary D Type Jaguar that was one of the most successful racing cars of all time - winning Le Mans in 1955, 1956 and 1957. On the Mulsanne straight, D type could achieve a speed of 192.4 mph.
, a mid-engined Jaguar sports racing car that was intended for competition at Le Mans. Cost constraints and a rule change at Le Mans meant the XJ-13 was never driven in international competition, but it exemplified all of the classical Sayer sophistication in aerodynamics as his earlier designs. In 1971 the XJ 13 prototype was brought out of storage to help promote the new V12 E-Type when it was largely written off in a major crash. The car was rebuilt in 1972/73 albeit with changes from the original - losing some of Sayer's classic lines in the process.
. The XJS never achieved the same iconic status as the XKE but it was acclaimed for its comfort, luxury and grandeur as a grand tourer. The XJS remained in production for 20 years.
He was also a musician, playing piano, guitar and other instruments. Sayer described himself as an aerodynamicist rather than a stylist and the aerodynamics quality of the cars was his prime concern.
Jaguar E-type
The Jaguar E-Type or XK-E is a British automobile, manufactured by Jaguar between 1961 and 1975. Its combination of good looks, high performance, and competitive pricing established the marque as an icon of 1960s motoring...
. He spent the last twenty years of his life working at Jaguar Cars and was one of the first engineers to apply principles of aerodynamics
Aerodynamics
Aerodynamics is a branch of dynamics concerned with studying the motion of air, particularly when it interacts with a moving object. Aerodynamics is a subfield of fluid dynamics and gas dynamics, with much theory shared between them. Aerodynamics is often used synonymously with gas dynamics, with...
to car design.
Background
Sayer was born in CromerCromer
Cromer is a coastal town and civil parish in north Norfolk, England. The local government authority is North Norfolk District Council, whose headquarters is in Holt Road in the town. The town is situated 23 miles north of the county town, Norwich, and is 4 miles east of Sheringham...
, Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
, and Educated at Great Yarmouth
Great Yarmouth
Great Yarmouth, often known to locals as Yarmouth, is a coastal town in Norfolk, England. It is at the mouth of the River Yare, east of Norwich.It has been a seaside resort since 1760, and is the gateway from the Norfolk Broads to the sea...
Grammar School
Grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
(where his father taught Maths and Art) and later at the then Loughborough College
Loughborough University
Loughborough University is a research based campus university located in the market town of Loughborough, Leicestershire, in the East Midlands of England...
. He worked for the Bristol Aeroplane Company
Bristol Aeroplane Company
The Bristol Aeroplane Company, originally the British and Colonial Aeroplane Company, was both one of the first and one of the most important British aviation companies, designing and manufacturing both airframes and aero engines...
during the Second World War, which exempted him from conscription
Conscription
Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in some sort of national service, most often military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names...
by way of reserved occupation
Reserved occupation
A reserved occupation is an occupation considered important enough to a country that those serving in such occupations are exempt - in fact forbidden - from military service....
protection. Following the war he married Pat Morgan in 1947,and after his daughter was born then went to Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
in 1948 to work at Baghdad University; this turned out to exist only on paper, so he worked instead maintaining the fleet of government vehicles.
He returned to the UK in 1950 and joined Jaguar in 1951. Some of his particular contributions were the introduction of slide rule
Slide rule
The slide rule, also known colloquially as a slipstick, is a mechanical analog computer. The slide rule is used primarily for multiplication and division, and also for functions such as roots, logarithms and trigonometry, but is not normally used for addition or subtraction.Slide rules come in a...
and seven-figure log tables to work out formulae he invented for drawing curves, work which is now undertaken by complex Computer Aided Design software.
His work at Jaguar Cars
His designs include:- Jaguar C-typeJaguar C-TypeThe Jaguar C-Type is a racing sports car built by Jaguar and sold from 1951 to 1953. The "C" designation stood for "competition"....
(also called XK120-C, due to its being based on the Jaguar XK120Jaguar XK120The Jaguar XK120 is a sports car which was manufactured by Jaguar between 1948 and 1954. It was Jaguar's first sports car since the SS 100, which ceased production in 1940.-History:...
) - Jaguar D-typeJaguar D-typeThe Jaguar D-Type, like its predecessor the C-Type, was a factory-built race car. Although it shared the basic straight-6 XK engine design with the C-Type, the majority of the car was radically different...
- Jaguar E-typeJaguar E-typeThe Jaguar E-Type or XK-E is a British automobile, manufactured by Jaguar between 1961 and 1975. Its combination of good looks, high performance, and competitive pricing established the marque as an icon of 1960s motoring...
- Jaguar XJ13Jaguar XJ13The Jaguar XJ13 was a prototype racing car developed by Jaguar to challenge at Le Mans in the mid-1960s.It never raced, and only one was ever produced...
Racing Prototype - Jaguar XJSJaguar XJSThe Jaguar XJ-S is a luxury grand tourer produced by the British manufacturer Jaguar from 1975 to 1996. The XJ-S replaced the E-Type in September 1975, and was based on the XJ saloon. It had been developed as the XK-F, though it was very different in character from its predecessor...
(although the car launched several years after Sayer's death)
Even today, many of the design elements associated with the E-type Jaguar can be found on the company's cars. The long bonnet, haunches over the rear wheels and the stance are all features incorporated into Jaguar's XK8 coupe designed by the late design director Geoff Lawson, which have continued on in the current production version modified by his successor Ian Callum.
According to Porter & Skilleter's biography of the founder of Jaguar, the legendary Sir William Lyons
William Lyons
Sir William Lyons , known as "Mr. Jaguar", was with fellow motorcycle enthusiast William Walmsley, the co-founder in 1922 of the Swallow Sidecar Company, which became Jaguar Cars Limited after the Second World War....
, Sayer was credited with playing a leading role in the unfolding story of Jaguar.
Racing Glory - the C Type and the D Type
Sayer's first design for a sports racing Jaguar was the immensely successful and extremely beautiful C Type that won Le Mans in 1951 and 1953.To surpass the C Type, Sayer then designed the revolutionary D Type Jaguar that was one of the most successful racing cars of all time - winning Le Mans in 1955, 1956 and 1957. On the Mulsanne straight, D type could achieve a speed of 192.4 mph.
The XJ 13
In 1965, Sayer designed the Jaguar XJ13Jaguar XJ13
The Jaguar XJ13 was a prototype racing car developed by Jaguar to challenge at Le Mans in the mid-1960s.It never raced, and only one was ever produced...
, a mid-engined Jaguar sports racing car that was intended for competition at Le Mans. Cost constraints and a rule change at Le Mans meant the XJ-13 was never driven in international competition, but it exemplified all of the classical Sayer sophistication in aerodynamics as his earlier designs. In 1971 the XJ 13 prototype was brought out of storage to help promote the new V12 E-Type when it was largely written off in a major crash. The car was rebuilt in 1972/73 albeit with changes from the original - losing some of Sayer's classic lines in the process.
The XJS
At the request of Sir William Lyons, Sayer designed the 12 cylinder Jaguar XJSJaguar XJS
The Jaguar XJ-S is a luxury grand tourer produced by the British manufacturer Jaguar from 1975 to 1996. The XJ-S replaced the E-Type in September 1975, and was based on the XJ saloon. It had been developed as the XK-F, though it was very different in character from its predecessor...
. The XJS never achieved the same iconic status as the XKE but it was acclaimed for its comfort, luxury and grandeur as a grand tourer. The XJS remained in production for 20 years.
Personal life
His son was born in 1953 and another daughter in 1956.He was also a musician, playing piano, guitar and other instruments. Sayer described himself as an aerodynamicist rather than a stylist and the aerodynamics quality of the cars was his prime concern.