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As of April 26, 2026, the classic-car moment that Cumbrians are still talking about is not a parade or a concours. It is a 1966 Jaguar Mk2 3.8-litre manual that came back to Kendal after six decades away, then stopped in the Booths car park and would not restart. The visit was intended as a quiet homecoming, but the result was the opposite: a car surrounded by admirers, local mechanics and one very determined RAC patrol engineer.
The car arrived in the Cumbrian market town on a Saturday early in October, after a three-year restoration in the Cotswolds. Its owner, Rob Broadhurst, grew up in Ulverston and now lives in Worcestershire. He had spent years bringing the Jaguar back to a standard that would later earn national awards. But the most important part of the plan was always this trip: driving the car down Highgate, past the building where Loxhams Jaguar had sold it new on July 20, 1966. That building is now Comida; sixty years ago it was the address where a famous Kendal company purchased the car.
The buyer was Somervell Brothers, the partnership behind K Shoes. Robert and John Somervell started the business in 1848, and their shoemaking operation grew into one of Kendal's most important employers. K Shoes remained a familiar name in the town until production ended in 2003. For Broadhurst, that link with a major local employer made the Jaguar far more than a fast old car.
The homecoming almost did not happen on the day. After driving along Highgate, Broadhurst pulled into Booths car park, where the engine stopped. The fuel pump had failed. It was the sort of small but stubborn fault that can sideline a classic car for days. Instead of being towed away, the Jaguar became the centrepiece of an impromptu gathering.
People of all ages crossed the car park to look at the car, take photographs and ask questions. A local mechanic offered assistance. The manager of the Booths store let Broadhurst leave the car there free while he worked out what to do. Darrel, an RAC engineer, rebuilt the fuel pump on the spot. Broadhurst said the repair made the car "as good as new" and it completed the 180-mile journey back to Worcestershire without further problems.
Broadhurst described the public reaction as extraordinary. "What I will remember most about the visit isn't the breakdown, but the wonderful reaction of the people of Kendal," he said. "When I explained its connection with K Shoes, people seemed genuinely interested that this beautiful old Jaguar had once belonged to a famous Kendal business. That made the whole journey worthwhile and reminded me how friendly it is up North."
The Jaguar Mk2 is a model that carries cultural weight. The 3.8-litre version, with its XK straight-six engine, was the fastest of the range and could outrun many sports cars while remaining a refined four-door saloon. Collectors have long admired the combination of walnut, wood-rimmed steering wheel and purposeful performance. This particular car kept its original engine and manual overdrive gearbox throughout the restoration, which makes it especially rare.
The restoration project was thorough. The body shell was mounted on a rotisserie so every lower panel and floor section could be reached and repaired properly. The interior’s American burr walnut woodwork was restored to match the factory finish. Mechanical work focused on rebuilding the original engine and gearbox rather than replacing them with later parts. That attention to originality helped the car win a National Transport Trust award in 2025, presented by television engineer Edd China and Lady McAlpine.
Before the Kendal visit, the Jaguar had also been selected for display at Salon Privé, held at Blenheim Palace. It was one of only five Jaguar Enthusiasts Club cars invited into the Great Court. Broadhurst viewed those events as public recognition, but Kendal was the true destination. He said the trip was about reconnecting a piece of British engineering history with the town and the people who were part of its industrial story.
The car's original log book still carries the signature of a "Mr Robinson." Broadhurst believes Robinson was a sales executive at Somervell Brothers. That piece of paperwork matters. It links the Jaguar to the same Highgate counter, delivery day and company as the original invoice. Together with the car's originality, the provenance makes the Mk2 a time capsule from a period when Kendal was a centre of production and Coventry was the motor industry's heart.
Broadhurst also recalled the importance of K Shoes to the town's prosperity. "The Jaguar Mk2 was built at a time when British manufacturing was something we were incredibly proud of, and Kendal was very much part of that Britain," he said. "The Jaguar is more than a restored classic car. It is a time capsule from 1966, still powered by its original engine and gearbox. Bringing it back to the streets where its story began was a very special moment for me."
The visit also highlighted how quickly strangers can warm to a story. The breakdown in Booths car park caused no anger, no frustration, only help. The RAC engineer who rebuilt the fuel pump could have opted for a tow. Instead, the car left Kendal the same way it had entered: under its own power.
K Shoes is no longer made, but the memory of the company remains part of Kendal's identity. The Jaguar serves as a physical reminder of the town's manufacturing past. Broadhurst, who has strong family ties to the area, said he wants the car to be remembered as more than a private collector piece. In his eyes, it belongs to the story of Kendal as much as it belongs to him.
Since returning to Worcestershire, the Jaguar has remained on the road rather than being hidden away. Broadhurst says it has behaved itself since Darrel's roadside repair, and he hopes to keep using it. The October breakdown, far from being a blemish, became a story of its own. For classic car enthusiasts, that is often the best kind of trip.
