For those with a yearning to go historic motor racing, a competition E-type is an excellent place to start. Fast, drop-dead gorgeous and straightforward to drive, the cars are also eligible for many events worldwide. We found this one from Classic Driver dealer Taylor & Crawley, a perfect car for the 2013 season.
The famous ‘Lightweight’ series of cars produced by Jaguar in the early 60s has passed into legend. Nowadays, entry to the ‘Lightweight E-type club’ has a hefty multi-million-dollar price tag, and they are rarely seen outside the Goodwood Revival or Pebble Beach.
Original Lightweights aside, with their all-aluminium bodywork, 5-speed gearboxes, alloy blocks and fuel-injection, the model was raced in various stages of tune all over the world throughout the 1960s.
And it’s a potent force in today’s historic racing, with the Jaguar factory-supported E-type Challenge providing thrilling racing for spectator and competitor alike.
This car has been fully race-prepared at Blakeney Motorsport and is an accurate recreation of one of the most famous original Lightweights, the Lindner/Nocker streamlined ‘Low Drag Coupé’ that raced at Le Mans, the Nürburgring and Montlhéry.
Under the bonnet lies a 340bhp, 3.8-litre straight six with a ‘wide-angle’ head and dry sump lubrication. Its monocoque tub and bodywork, by RS Panels, is in aluminium, and the car has a Premier FIA safety fuel cell as well as an FIA-standard fire system.
What more do you need.
What’s that, 'a trailer'? No, the FIA-papered car is road-registered so you can 'do it the old way'; get up early and drive to Silverstone for an action-packed day on the track and then drive home again. With a big smile on your face, obviously.
| Related links You can find out more about this Jaguar E-type 3.8 SI ‘Low Drag Coupé’, as well as all the cars offered by Taylor & Crawley, in the Classic Driver Marketplace. |
Text: Classic Driver
Photos: Taylor & Crawley
