Innholdsfortegnelse for April - May 2021 i Classic Jaguar

E-Type special In the very same month that this issue of Classic Jaguar goes on sale, the E-Type – or XKE as it’s known in the USA – is about to turn sixty. It’s a sobering thought, particularly for those of us who remember the 30th, 40th and 50th anniversary celebrations of Jaguar’s most famous sportster. But there we are… time marches on. And I’m delighted to be a part of the E-Type’s latest major anniversary as editor of this marque-tribute magazine. I make no apologies for dedicating so much of this issue of Classic Jaguar to the E-Type. It’s a hugely important model for just about every Jaguar enthusiast, and we couldn’t miss this timely opportunity, especially given our on-sale date. And so we wanted to pay full tribute,…

HARDLY-USED E-TYPE Among a number of Series I E-Types being offered via Silverstone Auctions’ Race Retro online sale (taking place on 27th March) is this fascinating project. When it was just three months old, this 1964 4.2-litre roadster suffered a sideways impact at Snetterton race circuit. Repairs were carried out but the car was never used again, hence its from-new mileage of just 2805 – making it potentially one of the lowest-mileage E-Types in existence. Having only ever been driven by its original owner, the car is in need of total restoration. It last sold in 2016, when it achieved over £115,000. The Silverstone Auctions estimate this time round is £70,000-90,000. For more details, go to www.silverstoneauctions.com.…

E-TYPE SPECIAL BUYING GUIDE BUY INGAN E-TYPE For anyone tempted by an E-Type during its 60th anniversary year, Rob Hawkins brings us in-depth buying advice with the help of some of today’s experts PHOTOGRAPHY: ROB HAWKINS & KELSEY ARCHIVE The old saying that you should never meet your idols could easily apply to the Jaguar E-Type, especially if you don’t know what to look for when buying one. Hopefully, therefore, the following pages will help anyone wishing to buy what many people regard as their dream car – the most famous Jaguar sportster of all time. For the majority of potential E-Type buyers, price dictates your choice of model. The cheapest roadworthy examples are often last-of-the-line examples, usually in the form of the Series III V12 coupé, a car with obvious…

E-TYPE SPECIAL BRIGGS CUNNINGHAM AMERICAN INFLUENCE Campaigned by American racing entrepreneur Briggs Cunningham and his team, this particular car helped persuade Jaguar to develop the E-Type for competition use, as Richard Heseltine explains PHOTOGRAPHY: MICHAEL FURMAN It’s a musty old maxim, and one that has long been attributed to Briggs Swift Cunningham Jnr: “How do you make a small fortune in motor racing? Start with a large one…” Chances are, this revered American never coined this oft-repeated witticism but you could be forgiven for believing he did. The adage fits the image. Long before Carroll Shelby and Ford set about taking the fight to Ferrari and other continental blue bloods on their own turf, this old East Coast gentleman was blazing trails even if it meant he got burned every…

JAGUAR HISTORY XJ-S MARKETING END OF THE LINE…

UP FRONT NEWS AND VIEWS C-TYPE CONTINUATION Jaguar’s Classic division is marking the 70th anniversary of the C-Type with a run of eight faithfully reproduced continuation models. Designed by Malcolm Sayer, who would later pen the E-Type and XJ13, the C-Type was one of Jaguar’s most successful racers, winning the Le Mans 24 Hours in 1951 and again in 1953, as well as achieving success in the Mille Miglia, the 12 Hours of Reims and various other national and international sports car events. The C-Type Continuation will be hand-built to 1953 Le Mans-winning specification, which means it will feature disc brakes all round. Power will come from the 3.4-litre XK engine fed by a trio of period-correct Weber 40DC03 carburettors for a total output of 220bhp. With the car’s kerb…

FEATURE CAR JAGUAR 240 FINAL FLOURISH We take a trip to Essex to meet the proud owner of this handsome Jaguar 240 – the company’s most affordable saloon for a brief period in the late 1960s WORDS: PAUL GUINNESS PHTOGRAPHY: MATT RICHARDSON For perhaps the majority of Jaguar aficionados, the 1967-on 240 saloon isn’t exactly the most desirable member of the Mk2-derived family. Launched as a stop-gap model, the entrylevel 240 was hardly a trendsetter, arriving eight years after the debut of the original Mk2. And with it employing the smallest version of the XK engine, as well as suffering various downgrades in terms of finish and equipment, it wasn’t likely to be voted the most desirable Jaguar of the ’68 model year. As far as the owner of the…

BEAUTIFUL PARTS FOR BEAUTIFUL CARS As a company founded on the love for the E-type, SNG Barratt has come a long way in the last 40 years or so. When Stephen Barratt bought a donor car to use as spares for his beloved E-type, he decided to sell the remaining parts in the small ads. Once the demand for car spares was recognised, the rest as they say is history. Today SNG Barratt is the world’s largest independent manufacturer and supplier of Jaguar classic car parts with sites in the UK, France, the Netherlands and the USA. Things quickly moved on from the ensemble of scattered parts strewn across the kitchen table and garden at the home of founders Stephen and Hazel Barratt. As donor cars became more scarce and…

THE LIGHTWEIGHTS Following the success of early E-Types in competition, with Jaguar supporting a number of private teams from 1961, the company took the step of sanctioning a full Lightweight programme for the ’63 season. Twelve true Lightweights were built (out of the eighteen originally planned), enabling the E-Type to make up for its previous weight disadvantage against Ferrari’s mighty 250GTO. By pressing the entire body from aluminium, and with the engine block also revised via a completely new casting making use of LM8 aluminium, considerable weight savings were made. Jaguar was able to borrow John Coombs’ Ferrari 250GTO, and Malcolm Sayer immediately got to work on evaluating the car’s aerodynamics. Crucially, despite its live rear axle, chief engineer and tester Norman Dewis felt that the Ferrari cornered better than…

E-TYPE SPECIAL EARLY SI ROADSTER THE PURSUIT OF PERFECTION As you’d expect of this issue’s front cover star, the Series I E-Type shown here is something special – a particularly early example that’s now restored to the highest of standards thanks to the experts at E-Type UK WORDS: PAUL GUINNESS PHOTOGRAPHYS: MATT RICHARDSON It’s not unusual to find that an early Series I E-Type has been restored to an exceptional standard. Such is the scarcity and desirability of the flat-floor earliest-spec models, owners are increasingly willing to spend whatever is necessary to attain the highest standards of workmanship and finish. And that’s certainly the case with the example shown here, a prize-winning car that has benefited from the attention of marque specialist E-Type UK in recent years Known as #54…

TECHNICAL IGNITION CHECKS TECHNICAL MISFIRE MISHAPS If your classic Jaguar’s engine is struggling to fire on all cylinders or refusing to start, check out our explanation of common issues and appropriate fixes WORDS & PHOTOGRAPHY: ROB HAWKINS A spluttering engine, occasional backfire, lack of power, misfire under load or simply a powerplant that won’t fire into life can have you running round in circles. In many cases, you’ll probably find there’s no quick fix, although a methodical approach to checking components and looking for problems should have the headache eventually resolved. If you’re confident that there’s fresh petrol in the fuel tank and it’s being fed into the engine, then the issue of a non-starting or rough-running unit is likely to centre around the ignition system, which is what this…

JAGUAR HISTORY XJ-S MARKETING THE LIFE AND TIMES OF THE XJ-S With the help of period ads and marketing material, we pay tribute to the XJ-S and explain some of the major upgrades introduced during its long career WORDS: PAUL GUINNESS PHOTOGRAPHY: KELSEY ARCHIVE There’s no denying that the official launch of Jaguar’s long-awaited new XJ-S in September 1975 brought controversy, not least when it came to the newcomer’s styling. The threat of American safety legislation ensured that Jaguar’s latest sportster was available only as a hard-top coupé. And sadly, not everyone appreciated its distinctive rear buttresses, which swept down from the back window and stretched their way along the rear wings. Then there was the fact that the XJ-S would feature Jaguar’s lessthan-frugal 5.3-litre V12 engine, with no alternative…

SPORTING TRIO E-Type UK is celebrating the 60th anniversary of Jaguar’s most famous sportster via three highly impressive examples of the Series I, all of which are now in the company’s showroom and available for sale. Among them is a 1961 roadster, the 407th left-hand drive example and featuring the early flat-floor design. Now restored to an extremely high standard and finished in period-correct Gunmetal, the car also boasts a number of reliability upgrades, including a new aluminium radiator and power-assisted steering. Also in the showroom are two fixed-head coupés from 1965, with the Carmen Red example having been restored by E-Type UK in 2016. It also benefits from various upgrades, including four-piston front brakes, electronic ignition and uprated cooling, and is described by the company as “box fresh” and…

MK2 EVOLUTION Following on from what we now refer to as the Mk1, the new-for-1959 Jaguar Mk2 took what was already a successful model and transformed it into one of the most desirable, most exciting saloons of the 1960s. The biggest visual changes were above the waistline, which saw a dramatic increase in glass area; the side windows were deeper, the windscreen was larger and the rear screen was of a wrap-around design. Combined with a redesigned grille and new-look lights, the overall effect was quite dramatic, with the Mk2 having the appearance of a genuinely new car. Mechanically, meanwhile, there were plenty of familiar features, including continued use of 2.4- and 3.4-litre six-cylinder XK powerplants, now complemented by a range-topping 3.8-litre version. Other improvements included Dunlop disc brakes, as…

E-TYPE SPECIAL DEVELOPMENT & LAUNCH HOW THE ‘E’ CAME TO BE From 1956 through to the E-Type’s remarkable birth, there were plenty of fascinating might-have-beens and extraordinary exploits, as Richard Gunn explains PHOTOGRAPHY: KELSEY ARCHIVE How long does it take to come up with a motoring masterpiece? Well, in Jaguar’s case, it depends on which particular motoring masterpiece you’re talking about. The XK120, the first sign that the company was going to be a post-war force to be reckoned with, was famously designed and built in about three months at the beginning of 1948. It was a rush job, so that the marque had something to showcase its new XK engine in at that year’s Earl’s Court Motor Show. But when the car that replaced the XK model range –…

E-TYPE SPECIAL SERIES I TO SERIES III EVOLUTION OF THE SPECIES With the E-Type undergoing upgrades and improvements throughout its lengthy career, we take a look at the most signifi cant – as well as the car’s transformation from raw sportster to sophisticated grand tourer WORDS: JIMPATTEN PHOTOGRAPHY: KELSEY ARCHIVE Developing a sports car that generates headlines and brings orders flooding in from the moment it’s launched is one thing, but keeping that same car competitive throughout a lengthy production run is another… and arguably just as challenging. Once the initial excitement has subsided and the waiting list that built up in the early days has been satisfied, the pressure is on to maintain momentum and ensure your new car stays in demand. And no matter how much publicity the…

E-TYPE SPECIAL EARLIEST E-TYPES LEGENDS OF GENEVA Well-known among Jaguar aficionados are these two earliest surviving E-Types, each of which holds a unique place in Jaguar folklore and history, as Richard Gunn and Paul Guinness explain PHOTOGRAPHY: GERARD HUGHES & MATT RICHARDSON Anyone with even a basic knowledge of classic Jaguars will recognise the registration numbers of the two E-Types featured here: 9600 HP and 77 RW, the earliest fixed-head coupé and roadster respectively. Both cars were famously involved with the E-Type’s official unveiling at the 1961 Geneva Salon, making them among the most historically significant road-spec E-Types in existence. The metallic Gunmetal Grey preproduction FHC that still bears its original 9600 HP registration was the car that effectively launched the E-Type at Geneva, and went on to be featured in…

E-TYPE SPECIAL MALCOLM SAYER MALCOLM SAYER STYLE & SUBSTANCE The man largely responsible for how the E-Type looked was Malcolm Sayer, who combined advanced mathematics and artistic appreciation in his styling but received little recognition at the time WORDS: RICHARDGUNN PHOTOGRAPHY: KELSEY ARCHIVE Malcolm Sayer is probably the most famous car designer that many people have never heard of. Naturally, he’s known and acclaimed by every classic Jaguar enthusiast because of the sensual, streamlined shapes he created: the C, Dand EType, as well as the oneoff XJ13. But in the wider world, he’s less wellknown than such contemporaries as Sir Alec Issigonis, Giorgetto Giugiaro or Battista ‘Pinin’ Farina. The Jaguar that Sayer worked for – from 1950 to 1970 – was a world where celebrity was largely confined to the marque’s…

E-TYPE SPECIAL LIGHTWEIGHT LEGEND ULTIMATE CHALLENGE After its fatal crash and subsequent storage of the wrecked bodyshell, this historically significant Lightweight is now fully restored – with its original monocoque reinstated, as Ivan Ostroff explains PHOTOGRAPHY: GLENN LINDBERG Imagine the scene: the date is 11th October 1965, the place is L’autodrome de Linas-Montlhéry, the banked circuit situated around thirty kilometres south of Paris. Having started from 20th position on a 39-car grid, the low-drag Lightweight Jaguar E-Type, registered 4868 WK and shared between owner Peter Lindner and his friend, Peter Nöcker, has managed to claw its way up to fifth position. Then the rain starts. Heavy rain, making visibility extremely difficult due to the spray; and with the wind gusting fiercely, things get even trickier on the banking. On lap…