Jaguar Will Finish Lightweight E-Type Project 50 Years After It Began
Those with enough money their pockets and desire a new Jaguar E-Type could opt for the restomod offerings from Eagle, and would likely be happy with what they receive. However, an exclusive few may manage to snag a new E-Type directly from Jaguar as soon as this summer, when the automaker finishes the final six of 18 Lightweight E-Types after a five-decade pause in production.
Autoblog reports the program — begun in 1963 — will pick up where it left off in 1964, when the last of the first 12 of the all-aluminium cars rolled out of the factory. At the time, the remaining sextet of E-Types had chassis numbers ready to go, only for life to take Jaguar elsewhere.
With the numbers found, however, the automaker will at last build the missing cars. The work will occur in-house, with its craftsman hand-building each one to the exact specs as the original 12, all of them powered by an aluminium 3.8-liter I6. The cars will weigh 250 pounds less than the standard E-Type.
As for when and where the first Lightweight will roll off the line, Jaguar says the car could arrive sometime this summer, though “established Jaguar collectors, expecially those with historic race car interests,” will have first dibs on the six vehicles. No price has been stated thus far.
Seattle-based writer, blogger, and photographer for many a publication. Born in Louisville. Raised in Kansas. Where I lay my head is home.
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Are there any 3.0cs's in BMW's lockers? That would be really awesome.
Five decade pause in production? Perhaps that's how long it took to get the Lucas electrics sorted.
I would bet that most if not all of them will be vintage raced. The demand for vintage race cars eligible for the best historic events FAR exceeds the supply. Why would anyone not expect them to be built well? This sort of hand built race car is what the British do better than anyone else on the planet. I expect them to be exquisite. And very, very, very expensive. I assume as with most continuation cars they will be sold as 1964 models, not that it really matters that much in Europe anyway. I doubt any of them will make it to the US, all the best vintage events are in Europe, and that is where the demand is.
The old E-Type convertible is arguably the best looking car ever made. I certainly think so. So how come Jaguar changed its look back in the day? Remaking that lovely thing today strikes me as a really good promotional idea.