Saturday 9th November 2019

Jaguar E-Type Semi-Lightweight | Pic of the Week

Autumn weather plus Semi-Lightweight Jag E-Type equals all sorts of awesome

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Doesn’t the car that Enzo Ferrari famously labelled as the prettiest in the world look fantastic in Lightweight spec? Or, in the case of this one, Semi-Lightweight spec? Because the E-Type you see here is actually a recreation produced by Zealia Engineering - and therefore one to be driven no matter the weather.

We were certainly grateful for that last Monday, when PH got behind the wheel of this £168k special as the autumnal weather descended. The car in question is for sale, so we were on hand to see just exactly how it stacks up as a modern remake of a vintage motorsport legend, XK 4.2 and Weber carbs combined with a synchromesh gearbox and modern suspension. Clue: it’s really very good, although not without many old school charms.

We’ll delve into far more detail on next week - but for now, it’s here for your desktop background.

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Photo: Dafydd Wood

[Jellgtr]

Yup, that’s definitely a semi .......

[lotuslover69]

I assume it is considered only a semi because it is still in road trim and not full race trim.

[A1VDY]

£168k for a recreation with few original parts when an original std E type would sell for much less..

[Weekendrebuild]

Driven an original twice really wanted to love it but Jesus i found it awful. Terrible brakes couldn’t corner to save its life was like driving an old speed boat did look lovely tho !

[WJNB]

Weekendrebuild said:

Driven an original twice really wanted to love it but Jesus i found it awful. Terrible brakes couldn’t corner to save its life was like driving an old speed boat did look lovely tho !

Never was the saying 'Don't meet your heroes'' was so true.
Lusted after an E from the day they were launched.
Eventually got to drive a well restored one about 5 years ago. Did about 30 miles on mixed roads & that was more than enough.
Horrible driving position with a too big a steering wheel. Awkward indicator stalk. Clunky gearbox. Huge nose so judging how not to thump the car ahead in a queue tiresome. A pain to get in & out of. It went Ok enough given its age. A worry to own with so much unreliability & dripping oil everywhere. Pretty to look at & a perfect pose but nothing else so no thanks.

[foggy]

I couldn’t care less for a standard E type, they just look all wrong to me with the skinny tyres tucked too far inboard under the arches, wobbly old bus.

But in race spec, hunkered down with a fatter wheel and tyre combo pushed outwards filling the arches, I find them stunning!

[anonymous-user]

Weekendrebuild said:

Driven an original twice really wanted to love it but Jesus i found it awful. Terrible brakes couldn’t corner to save its life was like driving an old speed boat did look lovely tho !

Nooo! It was so much better in the old days!

(I like modern cars. They go. And they steer. And they stop.)

[Turbobanana]

To those commenting in the "vintage" nature of the drive (at least, of an original E-Type): have you driven anything else to compare it to? That is, anything else dating from the late fifties / early sixties?

I ask because around 15 years ago I was fortunate to get a drive in an Aston Martin DB2/4 MkIII from, IIRC, 1958/9. It was wonderful: modern feeling, easy to drive, decent brakes & steering (once we'd freed the brakes: the servo pushrod was a bit too long post-rebuild), quick and comfortable. Easily capable of being driven daily.

I'd just inherited a small amount of money from the death of a relative and, if I scraped together everything I had, I could have just about afforded to buy it as the owner needed to sell urgently. I didn't, of course, and it's done rather well at a couple of auctions since.