Lightweight Jaguar E-Types Revealed

Jaguar’s E-Type is an icon. ECD Automotive Design Not in the empty-praise Instagram comment section kind of way but as an actual bona fide icon that has influenced other cars and turned its own shape into an enduring design language. Its shape turns heads, it makes a glorious noise and Il Commendatore himself called it “the most beautiful car ever made”.

However, the E-Type wasn’t a success on the racetrack. It competed but never won the big races like Le Mans, Sebring and the Nurburgring – a few stock E-Types did finish near the podium but were no match for the purpose-built racing models like the C-type and D-type.

E-Type Enthusiasts Unite: Showcasing Unique Builds and Customizations

That’s why in 1963 Jaguar began working on a Lightweight E-Type; a stripped down racer homologated at 960kg using a hand built aluminium body and a dry-sump version of the 3.8-litre straight six. Six chassis numbers were assigned but lay dormant for fifty years – until now.

Thankfully, Jaguar Heritage – a relatively new operation opened under JLR’s Special Vehicle Operations umbrella – has revived those unused chassis numbers and will complete the original run of 18 Lightweights. This is an example of what we’re calling sympathetic upgrading, a mix of restoration and special-edition bespoking that celebrates the legacy of these historic cars.

Jaguar says it’s making these cars to exacting standards; a concours-winning standard, if you will. It’s not easy to achieve such perfection but it’s possible thanks to Jaguar’s in-house team of engineering wizards. The seats are soft and supple, the leather is blemish-free and smells just right, the switches do their thing with a satisfying click and everything fits together precisely.