painted by the talented William Kelly
The following is an interview done by Jaguar’s Howard Walker with Brian about his new car!
Rock legend and AC/DC frontman Brian Johnson explains why he’s added a new Jaguar F-TYPE Project 7 – Jaguar’s limited production all-aluminum, fully road-legal two-seater roadster – to his car collection.
How are you enjoying your F-TYPE Project 7 so far?
I love it. It’s a proper supercar and boy oh boy does it have some grunt to it. While it’s blisteringly fast, I feel so safe in it. I love the steering, the handling, and those carbon ceramic brakes are amazing. The discs are as big as the wheels on my racing Mini. Just listen to that noise from the exhaust, who needs a stereo when you have a soundtrack like this?
Have you taken it out on the track yet?
Not this car. Last year I did an episode of my TV show Cars That Rock sitting in the passenger seat of a Project 7 while it was being hammered around Jag’s Gaydon test track in the UK by chief engineer, Mike Cross. It was un-believable. He was throwing it sideways to show the control, hammering down the straights at 125mph. It just felt like a rocket.
What was it about the F-TYPE Project 7 that appealed to you?
I think it’s because it pays homage to one of my favorite Jags of all time, the Le Mans-winning D-type. You see the D in that lovely fairing behind the driver’s seat. It’s also a pretty rare car; they’ve only built 250, with just 50 of those coming to the States. I literally had to beg them to buy one. Of course they asked me what color I wanted. I told them: Is there any other color than British Racing Green?
Is this the first Jaguar you’ve owned?
Not at all. My first was an old Mk II saloon I bought in 1971. It was silver-blue with a red interior and wire wheels. I was 24 at the time and paid £200 for it – that’s about $350. It was fantastic. The band I was in at the time wasn’t cutting the custard, so I had to sell it. It broke my heart. Then, I had an old XJ, which was the car I drove in down to London for my audition with AC/DC in 1980. That was a lovely motor. When we moved to Florida, I got myself a 1973 E-type V12 convertible. It was silver with red interior and wide wheels. For years, my brother-in-law, who’s a doctor in Norway, kept pestering me to sell it to him. Ten years ago I finally let him have it. He still owns it and loves it.
Will the F-TYPE Project 7 stay in the garage as an investment, or will you drive it?
The Jag is too much fun not to drive. In fact, when I’m at home in Florida, I drive all my cars at least twice a week. These are living things that need to be exercised. My favorite drive with the Project 7 is my local State Road 64 from Bradenton over towards Sebring. It’s full of bends, elevation changes and lovely long straights. You can really open it up.
Brian and AC/DC have just kicked off the U.S. leg of their 2016 ‘Rock or Bust’ tour that ends April 4 at New York’s Madison Square Garden.
One of our dearest friends and a soul brother to my husband passed on yesterday..
Brendan Healy brought so much joy ,laughter and music to our lives and his passing has left a huge void. It’s so very sad that his brilliant wit,his comic genius and generous heart are gone….You realize how fleeting time is when you lose someone so close to you..But..we had so much more to share…..I have so many years of memories of Brian and Brendan beneath the stairs in our home composing music on the piano together into the wee hours of the morning….He brought magic to our lives with his engaging energy and humor. The two boys played off each other with stories of life that would bring you to tears with laughter.
I was so lucky to have seen him last week in his home with Steph……Brian was on tour in America and couldn’t get away…It was a special hour of sharing life when you realize the time is running out. We will miss you dear friend and brother…but fear not because your “Soul brother”…my Brian ,will continue to tell your stories and sing your songs forever
And you will live in our hearts till we meet again. RIP Brendan Healy
Brenda And Brian Johnson
Brendan Healy my friend and brother has left us, my sincerest condolences to his entire family who i know and love. I feel a terrible loneliness now that he has gone, we wrote beautiful music together and had great times together, I count myself lucky to have known him.
And on behalf of the whole of AC/DC, our condolences to all of Brendan’s many friends back in Newcastle, in Britain and around the world at this sad sad time. Rest in Peace old friend. Brian