Dönni Classic Car: A flying visit to the Jaguar Pope

Well, is that all? Anyone who drives up to Dönni Classic Car in the tranquil village of Roggliswil LU, which has a population of 800, is initially amazed at the supposedly modest size of the business. Is this where the «Jaguar pope» Georg Dönni is supposed to reside and restore? After entering, the first workshop hall appears. Another one. The body shop. The warehouse. Another and another. The showroom. And, and, and - because the garage is built into the mountain. Hardly any appearance, but a lot of being.

Welcome to the hallowed halls of all Jaguar fans. We walk around with open mouths. E-Type, XJ and XJS, Mark I and Mark 2, parts, memorabilia, models and of course the 13 hard-working employees, including Dönni's wife Simone. She shows us a huge Daimler DS420 Vanden Plas with a partition to the rear and amusingly demonstrates how a home-made muffler on the XJR-5, a racing car from 1985, muffles its roar.

A hearse full of spare parts
«We're all a bit of a flick here,» Georg Dönni greets us with a laugh: a firm handshake, anecdotes from Jaguar history always on his lips. Dönni, who once took part in winter rallies with Simone in an open (!) XK from the 1950s, completed his apprenticeship in a Jaguar garage. Dönni bought an old Jaguar and then trained as a qualified restorer in England. Following requests from the local Jaguar scene, he began delivering spare parts in an old Jaguar hearse.

Renowned not only in Switzerland
After returning to Switzerland, Dönni Classic Car AG (jaguarclassic.ch) was founded in 1988. The rest is history: Dönni is internationally renowned as the «Jaguar Pope» and is known above all for its perfection. Around 200 customer cars are serviced and repaired every year, and there are always around ten vehicles for sale - and 25,000 items from the spare parts warehouse. Why do Jaguar fans come here? «We are a one-stop store,» emphasizes Dönni, «we have and do everything and we know our trade.» From what car age does Dönni take care of Jaguar, S.S. (predecessor brand) and Daimler cars? «As soon as the car has escaped the wrecking ball, you want to keep it and let it mature into a classic,» says Dönni.

In between, Dönni takes a look at the rare S.S.1 Airline from 1935: The wooden frame and bodywork are rebuilt. When it comes to originality and perfection, Dönni's phone rings. One example: the legendary world premiere E-Type from the 1961 Geneva Motor Show was restored here. Why Jaguar, Mr. Dönni? «It's the only real car brand.»