JAGUAR E-TYPE ‘EVOLUTION’ ROADSTER

There’s not a lot that can be written about the Jaguar E-Type that hasn’t already been said a thousand times by a thousand different motoring journalists. Originally released in 1961 the E-Type would enjoy a 14 year production run, since it was first shown to the public it’s graced the top spot in innumerable lists of “the world’s most beautiful cars” and in the mid-60s even Enzo Ferrari referred to the E-Type as “The most beautiful car ever made”.

The E-Type you see here is an ‘Evolution’ Roadster built to modern specifications for British motoring legend John Coombs, sadly Coombs passed away in his Monaco home before taking delivery of the car but the fact that it was built to order for him gives it a remarkable pedigree.

John Coombs was a successful British racing driver inn the 1950s and 1960s, among his many achievements was the first ever Formula 1 win for Lotus. Coombs had a deep love for motor racing and he switched from driving to preparing cars on behalf of Jaguar for drivers like Graham Hill, Jackie Stewart and Bruce McLaren – he also prepared E-Types for racing, making many of the same modifications that have been made to the car you see here.

As John was a resident of Monaco he specified that the car should be switched from right hand drive back to its original left, he had the suspension lowered by an inch and the fenders slightly widened. The engine has been rebuilt to “fast road” specification which included 10:1 compression flat-top pistons, high-lift D-Type profile camshafts, a gas-flowed cylinder head with 1⅞” diameter inlet valves, a 6-branch exhaust manifold and a lightened/balanced flywheel. The transmission is a high-performance 5-speed unit with a lightweight alloy casing supplied by Guy Broad.

The brakes have been upgraded at the front with 4-pot callipers and vented discs. Other noteworthy features include 7″ wide Turrino wire wheels with alloy rims, a stainless steel exhaust system, modern electric power assisted steering and a a full leather interior by Moto Trim.

If you’re in the market for a well-sorted E-Type and you have somewhere in the £70,000 range to spend on a car, you might want to click here to register for The Goodwood Festival of Speed Sale. It’s due to take place on the 27th of June 2014 and will be held by Bonhams.

via Silodrome

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Henry Segrave, Gentleman Driver

Anyone looking to create a template for the archetypal 'gentleman driver' could do worse than to copy Major Sir Henry Segrave's curriculum vitae...

Born in the U.S. to an American mother and an Irish father, he was raised in Ireland, educated at Eton, commissioned into the Army at the outbreak of World War One and, having been badly wounded in hand-to-hand combat, became a fighter pilot with the Royal Flying Corps. And all that before his 21st birthday.

The first Brit to win a Grand Prix in a home-grown car

Post-War, his gung-ho attitude to life gave him the edge as a racing driver and helped him to win the inaugural Brooklands 200-mile race in 1921. More significantly, however, it made him the first Brit to win a Grand Prix in a home-grown car when he took the chequered flag in the French GP of 1923 behind the wheel of a Sunbeam. Remaining loyal to the marque, he set his first land speed record in 1926 driving 'Ladybird', a four-litre Sunbeam Tiger in which he scorched along the Southport sands at more than 152mph. 

A short-lived glory

Segrave's glory was short-lived, however, as he lost the record just six weeks later, relinquishing it to Welshman J.G. Parry-Thomas who topped it by 17mph - but within the year, the indomitable Segrave had outdone both Parry-Thomas and Sir Malcolm Campbell by becoming the first person to break through the 200mph barrier in his 1,000 horsepower Sunbeam 'Mystery.'

Riding the Golden Arrow

The car he's most associated with, however, is the remarkable Golden Arrow. I still remember encountering it for the first time, at Beaulieu's National Motor Museum in 1969. The true meaning of Segrave driving it to 231.45mph at Daytona 40 years before was somewhat lost on me, but I knew I was looking at something special. It was the hero's last attempt at being the fastest man on land. He was put off by witnessing the death of Lee Bible who rolled the Triplex Special at almost 200mph on Ormond Beach, Florida, just two days after the Golden Arrow record was established.

From land to water

As a result, Segrave directed his need for speed towards the water, swiftly becoming the first person in nine years to beat U.S. water speed king Garfield Wood in a powerboat race. But it was, ironically, a boat that caused Segrave's demise. Just three months after giving up on land speed attempts he was killed when his 3,600 horsepower, aero-engined powerboat Miss England II capsized on Lake Windermere after making two runs at a record average speed of 98.76mph.

The date was Friday, 13 June. Segrave was just 33 years of age.

Photos: Getty Images / Rex

This article is part of the 'Gentleman Drivers' feature series that is presented and supported by EFG Bank.

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