Beschreibung:

Perhaps no other mass produced sports car raised more eyebrows and testosterone levels than the legendary Jaguar E-Type when the Coventry instant classic debuted in March 1961. A combination of styling, performance and cost equated to an industry box office hit with ultimately 70,000 sold through its production run of 1961-74 including 3.8 and 4.2 liter straight six-cylinder models as well as the later 12-cylinder variants. A measure of its affect on the senses was summed up by no less than Enzo Ferrari who called it, "The most beautiful car ever made.” Better known in the U.S. as the “X-KE” it still retains both its mystique and desirability having stood the test of time as evidenced by the March 2008 issue of the Daily Telegraph which ranked it first among the 100 Most Beautiful Cars of All Time, an accolade echoed by numerous other European and U.S. publications over the years. The cars would also prove formidable competitors in a variety of racing venues, many modified by their owners, a very few purpose built for racing by the factory. Case in point Jaguar E-Type #880115 seen here. Ordered directly from the factory in late 1963, the specially prepared competition semi-lightweight model featured a 3.8 competition engine with high compression head, lightened flywheel, competition clutch, close ratio gearbox, racing specification cool-ducted larger front brakes and special offset wheels. It was thus prepared to compete in the 1964 24 Hours of Le Mans Grand Prix of Endurance by Toronto-based Hugh Sutherland who had previously driven for the Aston Martin team at Le Mans and the Austin Healey factory team at Sebring. Included in the detailed order was an additional “Lightweight” specification aluminum bonnet, hood, boot-lid, and doors as well as a 5-speed gearbox (rather than the standard 4-speed, non-synchro production transmission). Documentation to that effect includes 26 pages of correspondence with the Jaguar factory and others involved in its race preparation. The car bears the factory registration numbers “6321WK” a designation usually reserved for factory team cars. As fate would have it, Sutherland’s Le Mans sponsorship didn’t materialize and the car did not compete, the car’s special lightweight components uninstalled. However that changed when the car was eventually restored by its new owner Hans Glaser in Southern California. Eventually the special E-type went to by R. John McCaw who initiated further work under Dominic Dobson’s supervision, all within period specification. In 2004, the car was purchased by the vendor who then invested an additional $90,000 “getting the car just right” including its Opalescent Dark Green exterior and green suede leather interior. A short list of its many enhancements includes: 1. New Guy Broad engine, full race with billet crankshaft, Carrillo rods, D-Type valve covers 2. Triple Weber DCOE-9 45mm carburetors 3. Brand new ATL fuel cell (original fuel tank still in place and usable for tours) 4. Lightweight specification alloy wheels 5. Front brake calipers rebuilt, rear calipers replaced with new stainless steel units from Bill Terry Jaguar. 6. Interior roll bar as per lightweight and set-up for Hans device plus on-board fire extinguisher system 7. Original engine and gearbox restored and crated as spare 8. Four additional crates of spare parts from restoration process 9. Two sets of competition special offset wire wheels 10. Huge history file with all documentation regarding original order with factory specifications as provided by the factory and also list of the additional lightweight items purchased from the factory for Le Mans entry 11. Current FIA Historic Technical Passport (HTP) papers 12. Glove box autographed by Norman Dewis, Jaguar’s famous test driver/engineer The car was a participant in the Monterey Historic Automobile races 2005 and 2007. Fully sorted, safe and extremely reliable this quintessential E-Type is an absolutely turn-key race car ready for rally or street us