Jaguar - original vintage 1960s chequerboard growler keyring with repaired leather badge strap - collector's item

A rare original vintage Jaguar keyring which will have been produced in the 1960s .

We have just this one example of this keyring in this condition to offer – when this keyring has been sold this listing will be cancelled .

This is only the 2nd example of one of these keyrings which we have listed over the years – this one is in good serviceable condition whilst the other one was not suitable for further use in a car due to it’s condition .

Please note that we have replaced the little leather strap which secures the badge to the keyfob ( the original one was almost worn through and the badge was in danger of becoming lost )  This has involved re-stitching the top stitching line by hand .

If we had not revealed this is it is very unlikely that you would have noticed !

This is an original vintage Jaguar keyring dating from the 1960s .

This keyring is in used  condition with a nickel plated vitreous enamel badge mounted onto a keyfob in genuine black leather .

The badge is in excellent condition .

The genuine black leather keyfob is also in very good condition and has become worn in and polished with use over the years like a cherished pair of leather shoes.

The leather keyfob has ‘ MADE IN ENGLAND ‘ gold embossed on the reverse whilst the badge has ‘ R. & S.    N.Y.C   TRACKSTAR ‘ marked on the reverse.

A bit of a puzzle !

It appears that the badge was produced by a New York City manufacturer in USA whilst the leather keyfob was produced in England .

Maybe the USA manufacturer sent the badges to England for mounting onto leather keyfobs ?

Heath Machin of Walsall did mount badges onto leather keyfobs for other manufacturers – but not too sure if that extended to American manufacturers as well !

Maybe we shall never know and the keyring can keep it’s secret ?

Venerable old keyrings like this one were brand new around 60 years ago and dangled from the ignition of a similarly brand new Jaguar motor car as the ignition was turned on for the very first time .

Fast forward almost a lifetime and that keyring will now now travelled countless thousands of miles probably in several Jaguar cars but often with the same driver .

It has only been as a result of repairing many hundreds of keyrings for customers over the years that we have begun to realise the significance of these aged jewels and the sentimental importance that they are held in by their owners irrespective of condition .

A well worn-in keyring like this one which has ‘ had a life ‘ but is still in good serviceable condition with many miles left in it yet is to our eyes far more precious than a mint unused example which has lain forgotten at the back of a drawer for 60 years .

Keyrings like this one have often become talismans which have accompanied their owner on all their journeys through life .

If only a keyring like this one could talk…………….

An almost identical keyring is featured in Bud Marston’s ‘Vintage Jaguar keyrings ‘ book .

The chequerboard design of this badge carried forward to represent Jaguar E-type and it is thought that this badge will have been produced in the time slot between Jaguar XK150 and the first E-type.

In his ‘Vintage Jaguar Keyrings’ book featured at the beginning of our Jaguar section in this website shop, Bud Marston describes these badges as ‘Jaguar flat growler checkerboard ‘ .

By ‘flat growler’ he means that the Jaguar emblem is not in raised 3D as it is in many vintage Jaguar badges .

Bud dates badges like these as having been produced in the early 1960s

The keyring in the photos is the actual one which you will receive