It was bound to happen soon enough. Following on from the 'First Reborn'
Series I Land Rovers
and original Range Rovers,
JLR Classic
has now turned its attention to the E-Type. The very first car, a Series 1 4.2 FHC, will be shown at Techno-Classica next week.
Not a bad spec to be starting with...
Looks rather lovely, doesn't it? This Opalescent Grey car was first exported to California 52 years ago, where it was driven for 78,000 miles before going into storage in 1983. It appealed to the Classic crew because of its matching numbers body, engine and gearbox.
The 'Reborn' process involves rebuilding those original components to factory specification, using build records and diagrams from the 60s to ensure accuracy and, apparently, a concours-standard build. Originality is the aim, of course, up to and including new body panels from Jaguar Classic's reverse engineered panel programme and the spot welding technique used five decades ago. All safety critical parts are replaced with new items.
Beyond that it's down to the buyer, with a range of "sympathetic upgrades" available on each car; listed already are improved cooling (with parts from the Lightweight), an all-synchro gearbox if there wasn't one originally fitted and front calipers from the S2.
JLR Classic will be offering an "initial batch" of 10 restored S1 cars from the factory in Coventry, presumably with more to follow if the demand is there and the supply of donor cars remains healthy. Prices start at £285,000 and are dependent on specification; while clearly a lot of money it doesn't look outrageous in the context of Series 1 E-Type values for a full factory restoration. This LHD S1 3.8 Roadster has recently been renewed and sits with a £238,000 asking price, for examples. Get in line now!