The $8.2 Million E-Type
After 4 years and thousands of hours of labour the restoration of an E Type Low Drag lightweight has finally been completed. Peter Neumark, the owner of Classic Motor Cars in Britain has painstakingly restored the 1963 E Type at his Shropshire garage.
This car was one of only 12 lightweight models to be made by Jaguar and was an unofficial entry for the 1964 Le Mans 24 hour race. In preparing the car, Jaguar’s Browns Lane factory fitted Malcolm Sayer’s specially designed Low Drag body, making it one of a kind.
Running in a shakedown race at the circuit of Montlhery, 24 ks outside Paris, the car crashed killing driver Peter Lindner, another driver Franco Patria and 3 flag marshals.
After the crash the E Type was impounded by the authorities. French law dictated that the car could not be touched for 10 years. In 1976 a restoration team led by Guy Black attempted to repair the car. At the time the damage to the bodywork was so severe that a different body was used.
Classic Motor Cars, the specialist Jaguar restorers for private clients bought the car 4 years ago along with the crashed body and set about a full restoration. Peter Neumark claims that over 90% of the original parts were used, taking over 7,000 hours to complete the job. During the restoration welding equipment worth over $50,000 was required to be purchased. Also the unique aluminium rivet system used on the original car was faithfully followed.
As this E Type was one of the original 12 lightweights made in 1963 it was important that it be repaired to the exact standard it was manufactured to. The scarcity of these 12 has made them extremely valuable.
However, Jaguar discovered that originally 18 cars were to be made, which meant that 6 others had been registered in 1963 but not manufactured. They are now producing these other 6 which are said to be an exact copy of the original 12. Obviously using modern materials they are as near as possible.
The making of these cars can be seen in the video below.
Referred to as the million dollar E Types the video shows the extreme lengths taken to make the last 6 as close as possible to the original lightweights.
However, Lord March, the owner of the famous Goodwood property and Hill climb in England, has said that only original classic cars will be allowed on his track. There is some conjecture as to whether these cars are copies, replicas, clones, counterfeit or reincarnated artefacts. The Jaguar Heritage who built these last 6 lightweights prefers to call them a continuation model.This suggests that the blokes on the assembly line have taken a tea break for the 60 years.
In any case these cars will be spectacular and will add to the great Jaguar history.
By Neville Barlow