Jaguar is to build six perfect reproductions of the lightweight E-Type, the model it built for motorsport 50 years ago.
They will be built to the original specifications, right down to the 3.8-litre, all-aluminium straight-six engine and aluminium bodywork. The engine was said to deliver around 200kW.
The use of aluminium for the 1963 racers was one of many measures Jaguar used to cut 114kg from the road-going E-Type’s weight. The rebuilding process gave the car its ‘lightweight’ handle. Jaguar set out in 1963 to build 18 examples but only completed 12, of which 11 are believed to survive today. The six new models will be given the chassis numbers of the cars that never saw the light of day.
British auction house Bonhams has said an original lightweight model with a proven Le Mans pedigree might fetch NZ$10 million.
The remaining originals appear in classic events and inspired modern Eagle E-Type recreations. Jaguar says it “expects a high demand” for the six. “Established Jaguar collectors, especially those with historic race car interests, will be prioritised amongst hose potential customers who express interest”, it said.
The original lightweight models were raced by drivers such as Formula One world champions Jackie Stewart and Graham Hill. It is believed Hill is behind the wheel of car number 43, pictured here at Silverstone in Britain in 1963.
• The Jaguar E-Type was produced between 1961 and 1975. Just over 72,500 were built.
