continuous and verifiable provenance. They still compete in historic events despite the youngest being nearly seventy years old (as of 2018). Jaguar In 1938 he joined SS Cars Ltd, later Jaguar Cars, as development engineer at Coventry. When the war started (1939) he moved to Bristol and worked on aero engine development for the Bristol Engine Company. At the end of the war he returned to Coventry to continue to work with Bill Heynes on what became the XK engine. This engine remained in production with various displacements from 1948 until 1992. This XK engine powered the winning car at Le Mans in 1951, 1953, 1955, , and 1957. Coventry Climax In 1950 Hassan joined Harry Mundy at Coventry Climax, and they designed the FW series (featherweight) lightweight overhead camshaft engine intended for fire pumps but further developed for motor racing. In Colin Chapman's cars they had great successes in the Le Mans 24 Hours, Formula 2 and Formula 1, twice bringing the world championship to Jim Clark and Team Lotus. This engine was also used in cars like the Lotus Elite. Jaguar V12 Coventry Climax was bought by Jaguar in 1963. Bill Heynes and Claude Baily, the original V12 engine designers, were then joined by Hassan and together they went on to develop the Jaguar V12 engine. In later years, Le Mans-winning Jaguars were powered with a modified V12 racing engine. A 7.0-litre V12 based on the production 5.3-litre engine powered the winning Jaguar XJR-9 in June 1988. A Jaguar XJR-12 powered by a 7-litre 60 degree SOHC V12 won in June 1990. During that race it covered 4882.4 km at an average speed of 204.036 km/h / 126.782 mph with a maximum trap speed of 353 km/h / 219 mph. Retirement Hassan married Ethel Murray in 1933 and they had a daughter and three sons. He retired on 28 April 1972 at the age of 67 and was awarded the OBE for his services to motor sport. After Ethel's death he lived with his son, Bill, at Kenilworth though he later moved to the Motor Industries Benevolent Home and died at Easenhall, Warwickshire, on 12 July 1996 aged, 91 years old. External links Walter Hassan page at the Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust site References British people of Irish descent English people of Irish descent Officers of the Order of the British Empire British automotive engineers 1905 births 1996