Jaguar E Type Lightweight and…

Please excuse my english, we do our best…..

Talking about E Type lightweight is as complex as talking about contemporary art. When the period begins, what is art, what did the artist want to express, etc..

As for E Type, the big question is: what is a lightweight? Everyone agrees on one point: 12 lightweights have left the factories. It’s a good start. Although the Jaguar plant only had more direct involvement in a racing stable following the victories of the C and D Type, she wished nonetheless offer a sharp weapon to private teams.

So apart from the 12 lightweight, there were semi-lightweight … then semi-lightweight converted to lightweight, then heavyweight converted to lightweight at the time and finally the E Type Gt currently transformed into semi lightweight.

In addition, except for the 12 original lightweight chassis, engine specifications of some cars do not always seem to coincide in function sources and documents.

To summarize the lightweight is integrally made of aluminum, this including the monocoque. The semi-lightweight has a steel monocoque and jail and the other parts of the body are made of aluminum (hoods, trunks, doors, hard top). The mechanical transformations of these are « a la carte » and differ from one chassis to another.

The 12 lightweight were built by Jaguar Competition to fight against the Ferrari 250 GTO and the Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato. These cars are roadsters which, thanks to the aluminum panel bodywork and the removal of chrome and other accessories, are going to be 115 kilos lighter than a conventional E type. (Heavyweight)

Their engine block, from the 3.8l, was also made of aluminum. Note that the latter proved too fragile and caused many dropouts, it will be replaced by a cast iron block developing 300 hp. (against 265 hp for the basic E Type). This engine has a typical ‘wide angle’ cylinder head like the D Type three Weber carburetors 45DCO3 and a box of race speed 4-speed complete the picture. Note that at the end of their career some E Type lightweight opted for a 5-speed ZF gearbox.

The lightweight integrated the rear suspension of the improved MK X, Dunlop special alloy rims, a low rack and of course the latest generation disc brakes.

Of the 12 cars, 2 will be transformed into low-drag.

Note: There is currently a 3rd Low-Drag, registered CUT7 but it was created on a basic jaguar heavy-weight. This work was carried out at the factory which gives this car a very specific specificity.

To date I could cross 3 lightweight E-Type original. Here is their historical and some photos of these cars then and today.

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YVH210 #S850666 ex Peter Sutcliffe

This lightweight E-Type is considered the most successful E Type still existing.

S850666 is the ninth E Type lightweight car built by Jaguar Competition. English driver Peter Sutcliffe bought it in 1963 and competed in the Mallory Park race « Whit-Monday », where he finished 5th in the Grovewood Trophy.

He piloted YVH210 at Snetterton, at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone and at Goodwood where he finished in 2nd place behind Jackie Stewart. He also raced the 3 hours of Snetterton where he also finished 5th behind two Ferrari 250 GTOs and the low-drag driven by Dick Protheroe.

In 1964, YVH210 participated in more international races. She finished 2nd in the 500 km from Spa behind the Cobra by Bob Bonduran and won the Prix de Paris disputed on the Montlhery circuit. She also competed in the 1000 Km of Nurburgring, the 12 hrs of Reims and Zolder where he beat the GTO.

To end the 1964 season, the car also participated in the RAC Tourist Trophy at Goodwood, Brands Hatch and the Autosport 3 Hours in Snetterton.

For the winter season the car was sent to the southern hemisphere, where she ran the Kyalami 9 Hours of. (3rd of the general and 1st of their category). The car, driven always by Peter Sutcliffe, ran in Bulawayo in Rhodesia where she finished 2nd and back to Kyalami to compete in the rally Rand Grand Prix where she finished second also.

For the 1965 season, back in England, YVH210 was sold to Charkes Bridges of the Red Ros Racing Team, which had already acquired the Lightweight ex-John Coombs (4WPD – # S850006).

On English soil the car participated in 9 national races, it won one and finished 2nd twice.

In 1967 the car was sold to Bob Vincent with whom she participated in many hill races at Castle Howard, Woburn, Prescott where the car won frequently.

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The car today :

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5114WK #S850664 Bright S Cunningham

In 1962 Cunningham bought 3 Type E lightweight from the factory, they will be registered 5114WK 5115WK and 5116WK.

The first Cunningham lightweight, # S850659, 5115WK, was the second lightweight produced by Jaguar Competition. It will be driven by Cunninghan and Grossman at the 24h of Le Mans 1963 wearing number 15 and will finish 9th overall.

The Second Cunningham lightweight, # S850664, registered 5114WK is the one in these photos. This is the seventh lightweight product.

1963 at the 24h of Le Mans it will be driven by Hansgen and Pabst wearing the n ° 14, it will give up at the first hour (gearbox). The car will then be placed at the Costa Mesa museum and will be sold to Anthony Bamford in 1973.

The third Cunningham Lightweight, # S850665, registered 5116WK, is the eighth lightweight produced. Driven by Salvadori Richards n ° 16, it will be seriously injured at the sixth hour of the race and will serve as a reserve of parts for the two other cars,

12h de Sebring 1963, Bruce McLaren- Walt Hansgen num 20 – 8ème

24h du Mans 1963, num 14 Augie Pas – Walt Hansgen (essais : 13eme 4:06:900 – abandon boite de vitesses)

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The car today:

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49FXN. #S850663 one of the two Low Drag Lightweight

Delivered in May 1963 to Peter Lumsden who entered it in the 1000 km Nürburgring. Unfortunately the car was damaged and will return to the factory to replace the monocoque chassis. She will still participate in the TT at Goodwood where Peter Lumsden will finish 9th.

When season 63 ended, Lumsden, Sargent and Sami Klat, aerodynamic engineer, began to think about possible improvements to the car. The entire rear of the latter will be redesigned and after numerous tests the car will be re-cossossed in « Low Drag ». Other items will also be changed on the car at the motor, distribution and finally a ZF box was installed there in 5 reports.

The Goodwood Sussex Trophy will be the first race to see modified 49FXN. The car finished in an encouraging 7th place. But it will be especially during the test days for the 24 hours of Le Mans that the car will reveal its full potential by finishing second in its class and 6th in the general classification.

The car will once again participate in the 1000 km Nürburgring and the 24h of Le Mans, driven by the pair LumsdenSargent. Unfortunately they will not finish either of these two races. In 1964, the car will still run at Brands Hatch where it will finish 2nd and at the Goodwood TT which it will finish in 4th place.

1965, Lumsden finished 4th at Goodwood and then sold the car to John Scott Davies.

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The car today :

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Note: The second low drag lightweight, 4868WK, is that of the German pilot Peter Knocker and Peter Lindner. This slightly different body from that of Sami Klat, was the work of Malcolm Sayer. It was undoubtedly the fastest type E with an engine developing 344 hp. Unfortunately a tragic accident in Montlhery in 1964, killed Peter Lindner and destroyed the car. It took Classic Motor Cars 7000 hours of work to rebuild the car at the request of Jaguar in 2014.

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Toute reproduction interdite sans l’autorisation de l’auteur – Reproduction prohibited without permission of the author

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