By the way all the stories about Norman Dewis are true. I had moved on from a BL dealership to work for BL at the Midland Service Centre at Bickenhill (just behind airport). After 9 months I had been offered an instructors job at the product training school but had to wait for the next person to leave as it was headcount restrictions period.
The only other staff job open to me (union would not allow anyone offered a staff job to return to shop floor with the hourly paid staff) was a test driver at Jaguar Experimental, but I was told I had to pass the assessment.
One day I was called to reception to give a chap a lift to Browns Lane and it was no other than Norman Dewis, we jumped into an S3 XJ12 and he said ‘right lad, give it some and tell me what’s wrong with it’...... I nearly cra**ed myself but felt a rear rumble, just down the road was Stonebridge Island which I went round twice and the noise changed....
As I parked up at Browns lane Mr Dewis (never ever Norman! to us testers) said ‘well lad your like a f****ing accident waiting to happen’ and I just said N/S/R wheel bearing plus it smells like a coolant leak (sweet sickly pear drop smell)...
As he got out he mumbled ’I suppose you will do’.
When I got back to Bickenhill I was told I had passed the assessment but would have to go on the MIRA high speed course the following week ;-)
Never spoke to the great man again as the plant was very hierarchical and 12 months later I was working at the training school.
BR
Colin
