RE: Proteus C-Type | Driven

RE: Proteus C-Type | Driven

Sunday 4th August 2019

Proteus C-Type | UK Review

Jaguar's Le Mans-winner has been reimagined by Proteus since the 80s; today it seems more appealing than ever



It won't have escaped anyone's attention that restomods are a big thing nowadays; Singer Vehicle Design is the obvious one, and has been plying its trade for a decade now, but companies have also dedicated their efforts to the likes of Nissan's 240Z and BMW's E30 M3 to name just two. The appeal is obvious, as they represent the best of both worlds: the compact dimensions, delicate styling and memorable engines of yore, brought up to date with modern reliability, dependability and some useful extra technology. Who wouldn't want something like that?

But what if there aren't any ropey examples of the car you're after knocking about, waiting to be restored? And the cars that do come up for sale are far too valuable for most people to afford, let alone contemplate tinkering with. Then a modern replica is your only option.

Enter Proteus, which began building its Jaguar C-Type homage in 1980 and has since turned out hundreds of the curvaceous cars. These days no more than 10 are constructed a year to maintain exclusivity, the tubular steel chassis and modern superformed aluminium panels being created at ADV Manufacturing in Coventry, with the final assembly taking place at Hofmann's in Henley - the UK Proteus dealer. More than a thousand hours goes into each C-Type, with every one built to each customer's bespoke requirements, though all are powered by a rebuilt, reworked 4.2-litre XK straight-six - which sounds rather appealing, does it not?


It seems odd, in all honesty, that the C-Type doesn't feel as fondly lodged in the collective memory as its successors. Perhaps it was the D-Type's incredible looks - plus the XKSS mystique - as well as the E-Types spectacular popularity on and off circuit relegated the C; fact is it's hard to imagine anyone thinking of it first when considering the iconic Jag sports cars. Which seems a little unfair, give the C-Type's achievements: it took Jaguar's inaugural Le Mans victory in 1951, it pioneered the use of disc brakes in sportscar racing and it was the first Le Mans winner to average more than 100mph.

The market is aware of its importance, at least. This Works Lightweight car sold for $13.2m back in 2015, that price reflective of its exalted status as one of just three such cars built in that spec. One for the very, very select few, then, but if the vast majority of that experience could be had for a fraction of the price...

The C-Type design isn't far off 70 years old now, but Proteus' car remains unerringly faithful to it, the Malcolm Sayer lines surely having aged just as well as those of the later D and E. Simpler, yes, and arguably purer as result, curvaceous and pretty yet with real intent for something created so long ago. It turns heads now; imagine what it looked like in a Great Britain still coping with rationing.


The Proteus is crammed full of lovely details, too; the thin Moto-Lita wheel, side-exit exhausts, intricate wire wheels with Wilwood calipers just visible behind and Smith's dials set the scene perfectly. It feels every millimetre the classic Jag racer, even if it's basically brand new. Right down to the key that looks fit for a shed.

The first surprise is just how easy this car is to get underway and drive slowly - something of a relief when every eyeball is on you. Pedal response is precise, that lusty straight-six draws on vast reserves of torque and the new, five-speed Tremec manual gearbox is slick, accurate and weighted beautifully. Phew.

The second surprise is just how fast this car is. Now, of course, the feeling is enhanced somewhat by being so exposed - plus the sweet raucousness of those side pipes - though there's no arguing with 260hp moving just 1,000kg. A Lotus Elise Cup is slightly lighter but also a tad less powerful, to give some context - the C-Type is more than fast enough to entertain. The throttle response is a joy after modern vehicles, too, spongey pedals and lethargic pick up replaced with bountiful torque and immediate delivery.


The Proteus' ease of use comes in handy when trying to take photos of it, endlessly trundling along, turning around and waiting for traffic to clear. Beyond keeping water handy for the driver because of the heat soak from that engine, it's a piece of cake: temps are stable, control weights consistent and no fuss is created. It's not easy, far from it, though miles from the overwhelming, recalcitrant, only-fit-for-Spitfire-heroes drive you might expect.

Moreover, because the Proteus C-Type is so (relatively) approachable, takes up so little space on the road and relays everything that's happening so faithfully, it doesn't take long before the inner Duncan Hamilton you propedals just a bit harder. It's truly brilliant driven in - what could be appropriately called here - spunky fashion; endlessly absorbing, exciting and challenging to punt along in a little quicker. While that wheel, to modern tastes, might look more at home on the sea than in a sports car, it controls a steering rack more responsive than might have been predicted. With so little mass, too, the C-Type takes precious little goading into a bend. That's assuming you've stopped it, however; while the Wilwood disc brakes are superb, they've more power than the period-correct tyres can really deal with. Again, something to be mindful of, as opposed to the blind, absolute faith that can be placed in a modern car to tidy up after your mistakes.

Still, once into a bend, the C-Type is amenable to any which whim you decide on. That wheel becomes a secondary steering device to the right pedal, throttle setting the corner arc in that wonderfully natural way that only seems to happen with classics. The initial understeer encouraged by those front tyres and the hearty lump of engine up front can be overcome with a lift to tuck the nose in, or powered through with all that straight-six gusto to four-wheeled drift neutrality and beyond (that being Buzz Lightyear's forgotten catchphrase).


Like all the best driver's cars, the C-Type's traits feel like they would take learning to properly exploit, years of practise with throttle, steering and braking inputs to fully master the technique - and have a great deal of fun in the process. In addition, because speeds are so much lower than they would be in a contemporary road car, and there's no aerodynamic grip to factor in, the experience is that much more friendly, that much less intimidating than anything newer. But it's not so old and outdated, thanks to those more modern techniques and upgrades, as to feel deathly slow or - just as bad - uninterestingly plain.

That the Proteus C-Type is also a car universally well received, one that people will take time out of their day to talk to you about, only deepens the affection. Because that doesn't happen in many other £200k alternatives, whatever the situation. And while the C-Type wouldn't see which way a supercar went down a road - it would probably struggle with a well driven hot hatch - as an experience the Proteus has it trounced. Contemporary fast car concerns centre always on a dearth of involvement, the feeling that the driver is largely secondary to the experience and the car almost too capable for its own good. At the point the driver is entertained, the speed is at a socially (or most often legally) unacceptable point. And where's the fun in that?

The Proteus hits the sweet spot emphatically: it draws positive attention like the very rarest and coveted modern supercars, yet drives with the honest, transparent charm of a classic brought just sufficiently up to date, with the gearbox and brakes most notably. And starts on the button, every single time. This is not a price anyone would class as a bargain, though for its workmanship, quality, style and dynamic class, a Proteus C-Type feels worth every last pound it costs. Sometimes the old ways really are the best, especially so when sprinkled with a little garnish of the new.















Pics: Dafydd Wood

Author
Discussion

Andrewph75

Original Poster:

48 posts

150 months

Saturday 3rd August 2019
quotequote all
Excellent. JLR classic do a Le Mans driving experience that includes C-Type replica, had great fun driving it at MIRA.

A1VDY

3,575 posts

126 months

Saturday 3rd August 2019
quotequote all
As nice as it is to look at its a fake, a knock off, a copy... the very same as a 'Bolex' watch..


Blackpuddin

16,410 posts

204 months

Saturday 3rd August 2019
quotequote all
Just lovely. The steering wheel is a work of art.

ntiz

2,328 posts

135 months

Saturday 3rd August 2019
quotequote all
As lovely as this is I can’t get past that for 200k you can buy real racers from this era!

Lotus 11s are 150-200k you could go racing and get the real experience of this era of racer.

Nerdherder

1,773 posts

96 months

Saturday 3rd August 2019
quotequote all
ntiz said:
As lovely as this is I can’t get past that for 200k you can buy real racers from this era!

Lotus 11s are 150-200k you could go racing and get the real experience of this era of racer.
It's price in relation to the real thing also seems a bit off to me, but still, what a thing.

AlexC1981

4,904 posts

216 months

Saturday 3rd August 2019
quotequote all
A1VDY said:
As nice as it is to look at its a fake, a knock off, a copy... the very same as a 'Bolex' watch..
Oh in that case I'll just nip down to the local Jaguar dealer and buy a new C-Type from them.

Think of it more like art. You absolutely love the Mona Lisa. The style, the expression, all the little details. You could get an entirely different painting of a woman, or get a copy of the painting you actually like.

anonymous-user

53 months

Saturday 3rd August 2019
quotequote all
What a fantastic looking car.

Julian Thompson

2,490 posts

237 months

Saturday 3rd August 2019
quotequote all
Oh my that’s fantastic. What a wonderful car.

tiggyzak

203 posts

192 months

Saturday 3rd August 2019
quotequote all
Oh dearie me. Not too sure how this could be described as similar to a "Bolex" watch.


sideways man

1,307 posts

136 months

Saturday 3rd August 2019
quotequote all
That’s three dream cars featured this month for me; XJ 13, GT40 and now a c type.
I wish I was rich...

DonkeyApple

54,929 posts

168 months

Saturday 3rd August 2019
quotequote all
tiggyzak said:
Oh dearie me. Not too sure how this could be described as similar to a "Bolex" watch.

It’s probably better described as someone taking the Rolex design and building a slightly better watch.

These are beautifully made objects.

bigdog3

1,823 posts

179 months

Saturday 3rd August 2019
quotequote all
sideways man said:
That’s three dream cars featured this month for me; XJ 13, GT40 and now a c type.
I wish I was rich...
All three are absolute classics, but my preference is still the beautiful C-Type thumbup

bigdog3

1,823 posts

179 months

Saturday 3rd August 2019
quotequote all
Is there an electric powertrain option just like the ridiculous Electric E-Type? hehe

Drooles

1,361 posts

55 months

Saturday 3rd August 2019
quotequote all
I always thought the C Type was one of the best looking cars ever built. Achingly beautiful.

bigdog3

1,823 posts

179 months

Saturday 3rd August 2019
quotequote all
Drooles said:
I always thought the C Type was one of the best looking cars ever built. Achingly beautiful.
Malcolm Sayer was a genius bow

Drooles

1,361 posts

55 months

Saturday 3rd August 2019
quotequote all
I agree. XJ13 a thing of absolute beauty too!

GT119

6,350 posts

171 months

Saturday 3rd August 2019
quotequote all
A1VDY said:
As nice as it is to look at its a fake, a knock off, a copy... the very same as a 'Bolex' watch..
After you comment on the XJ13 thread about Ecurrie Ecosse I think maybe it's best if you avoid the classic Jaguar threads!

Diesel Meister

2,044 posts

200 months

Sunday 4th August 2019
quotequote all
A lovely thing.

To those who see it as expensive for a facsimile, it is not really meant for you. I would imagine most prospective purchasers would not consider many other things for such a specific job. You might want a C and cannot quite stretch — mentally as much as, if not more than, financially — to the best original with the provenance that you seek. In the alternative, perhaps you already have a C, or something like it, but keep a Proteus as a more usable example. It may well be the same for many cars of this kind.

anonymous-user

53 months

Sunday 4th August 2019
quotequote all
Echo the above.

What’s fantastic is the fact that cars like the Proteus allow people to enjoy such a classic on the roads, instead of tucked away in storage.

It’s a cheap shot calling it a fake.

bigbadbikercats

630 posts

207 months

Sunday 4th August 2019
quotequote all
bigdog3 said:
Is there an electric powertrain option just like the ridiculous Electric E-Type? hehe
The battery and motor package in the E-Type is pretty much a straight bolt-in for anything with an XK motor, and probably quite a few other things as well - I wouldn’t be at all surprised if the conversion Aston Martin have been showing for classic DB 4/5/6 series cars turned out to have quite a bit in common.

So yes, assuming the JLR heritage people were willing to cooperate it absolutely is an option, and I’d absolutely love one to go alongside a matching ICE powered example...