Instant Classic

A NEW PERFECT ROAD-GOING LIGHTWEIGHT E-TYPE CLONE HAS BEEN CREATED BY CONCOURS SPORTSCAR RESTORATIONS

- Les. Hughes

IT'S DIFFICULT TO APPRECIATE TODAY WHEN 'ordinary' E-Type values are soaring, and the former Bob Jane Lightweight racer sold early in 2017 for just under AUD$10,000,000, that the Lightweight E-Type racing programme was a not a huge success in its day.

There were only twelve genuine Lightweight E-Types built by Jaguar for racing in the early 1960s, although more are being built by Jaguar Classic today. They though will not have the same value and regard as the originals, and in truth there are also superb clone Lightweights being built by others. None are better than those built in Australia by Concours Sportscar Restoration north of Sydney.

The great Enzo Ferrari declared the E-Type was the most beautiful car ever built, so success on the track is almost irrelevant. The sheer modified beauty of the wide alloy wheeled, engined and bodied Lightweight E-Type takes them into an entirely different strat again in terms of automobile desirability.

The Lightweight racing programme was not officially a factory one, although the 1963 Cunningham team of three cars was prepared and run essentially by Jaguar Cars and its 1950s winning crew.

From the moment the E-Type emerged in March 1961, and with its D-Type pedigree, wealthy racers eyeballed the model for racing. Jaguar's racing boss Lofty England, appreciating the opportunity, had seven of the first Roadsters prepared for racing in the Competition workshop as project 'ZP537124' modified. They were sold mostly to his favoured racers, including John Coombs, Tommy Sopwith, Bruce McLaren and Peter Berry to be driven by the likes of Graham Hill and Roy Salvadori. The John Coombs' (chassis #6) and Tommy Sopwith's Equipe Endeavour (#5) cars thrilled crowds from the debut at Oulton Park in April 1961.