1963 Jaguar E Type

The E Type returned to the UK from the United States of America in 2006, our seller bought it a year later and it’s been in his capable hands ever since.

Converted to club racing standards – we’ll go into the details later – ‘PAG 622A’ has been rolling road-tested to 331bhp and 364lb.ft. and has been successfully campaigned in historic racing in events such as the Roger Bennington Heritage GT Series, the HRCA events in the Republic of Ireland, and the Classic Sports Car Club’s (CSCC) Swinging Sixties.

The seller has just hung up his racing helmet, which is the only reason he’s selling his beloved E Type. But, the good news for the winning bidder is he has spent the past 16 years honing and refining its specification, so it’s in race-winning form and needs nothing other than another pair of capable hands to continue its winning streak.

The body is an original steel shell with a fibreglass front end and flared rear wheel arches, both of which are sensible – some would say essential – modifications given the car’s role since 2006.

Other changes include a Perspex rear window with holes drilled in it for through ventilation, a sliding Perspex window in the driver’s door plus a pair of plastic side rear windows and a heated windscreen.

Details like this are what differentiate the great cars from the merely very good. Feast your eyes then on the alloy bonnet louvres that have been rivetted into the fibreglass bonnet. And the twin wire pull handles that activate the underbonnet fire extinguisher and cut off the flow of angry pixels from the battery without the need for drilling holes in the bodywork.

Note too the sticker on the bonnet that saves weight while still informing anyone who might not recognize it that the car is a Jaguar, and the front and rear towing straps.

Oh, and the LED rear fog light.

This is a car whose details get better and better the closer you gaze.

Faired-in headlamps, a trio of racing roundels, and a pair of silver and black numberplates complete the look.

Of course, part of its appeal is also in what it lacks. Like front or rear bumpers, the absence of which gives the E Type and even meaner and sleeker look than usual.

The deep-dish Dunlop-style alloy wheels on the front axle would be classified as wide on anything else but they are dwarfed by those on the rear. All four are in great shape and fitted with 275/50ZR15 Hoosier tyres on the rear and 225/50ZR15 from the same firm on the front.

The E Type also comes with another set of matching alloy wheels and these are fitted with Hoosier tyres for use in wet weather races.

We will never get tired of telling you that experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly. Their presence does not, of course, preclude the need for a thorough inspection - something the vendor would welcome, by the way – but it does perhaps give you a shortcut into their attitude towards maintenance.

As for flaws, this is a racing car so you can’t expect a concours finish and the Opalescent Silver Blue paintwork has the usual racing chips and scuffs.

That said, the two holes on either front wing where mirrors used to live could be tidied up without losing any of the car’s hard-won racing credibility.

There are some rust bubbles on the lower edge of the driver’s door too, plus some micro-blistering, which is probably down to contamination when the car was painted.

The weight saving we saw on the exterior continues inside; as you open the door the first thing you see are the ‘door cards’, which are simple sheets of unadulterated alloy. These not only save weight and but also look absolutely wonderful, proving the engineering adage that if it looks right then it probably is.

A pair of blue Willans harnesses and a hefty roll cage join two Sparco race seats as the first line of defence against the consequences of an off.

A deeply dished Momo steering wheel provides the next point of contact between the driver and the E Type. As lovely to hold as it is behold, the blue alloy finish picks up the colour of the harnesses.

Instrumentation comes via a number of manufacturers with Smiths providing information on speed, Stack monitoring the engine revolutions with Racetech picking up the baton for oil pressure and temperature, water temperature, and battery voltage. The gauges are all housed in bespoke aluminium surrounds.

More aesthetically pleasing and useful items include a gloriously simple handbrake, a Zero Lifeline fire suppression system, an Otto Racing lap counter, and cut-off switches for the ignition and fuel systems.

We are told the only things it needs to be race-ready are a new fire extinguisher and a new harness as this one is out of date.

Built by Mike Wilkinson (of M and C Wilkinson Ltd. of Everton near Doncaster) for his son Michael to race, the car and driver combination proved so successful – faster even than Mike’s own lightweight AFW – that Michael ended up running the lightweight in FIA events, a promotion that freed this car to be sold to our vendor.

The paperwork for the work they carried out in 2009, a couple of years after he bought it, is attached but the headlines are it was stripped to its constituent parts and develops 331bhp and 364lb.ft of torque, all for a final bill of £5,750, or £8,725 in today’s money. A proper job, then.

The car was built as a ‘club racer’ rather than strictly adhering to FIA (Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile) specification, aiming for the sort of modifications an original E Type racing car would have been built to in-period.

The seller has carried out extensive improvements to the E Type over the years including:

• Fitting an alloy radiator and header tank plus a new water pump

• Stripping and cleaning the exhaust manifolds

• Having the gearbox refurbished

• Stripping down the cylinder heads and removing the pistons before rebuilding them with a honed block, new bearings and gaskets, a machined head, and freshly ground valves.

Other mechanical highlights include Coopercraft brakes all round, a wide rear axle and a stainless-steel exhaust.

We also spotted a Filter King fuel filter and pressure gauge under the bonnet plus anodized fittings and braided hoses as well as an MSD ‘Soft Touch’ rev controller.

The floor was modified too, as was the front crossmember but fear not because the original crossmember, which is stamped ‘889456’, comes with the car.

To make for easier maintenance the transmission tunnel can be removed, which allows ready access to the gearbox from inside the car. The rear brakes are inboard and routine jobs like bleeding them can be achieved using fittings installed in the aluminium-lined boot.

As for the rest of the numbers, the chassis plate shows ‘889456’, conforming to the original crossmember supplied alongside the car. The plate states engine number ‘RA 4289-9’. The cylinder head is stamped ‘7E4452-9’ – and the engine block is also stamped with ‘4452-9’, which matches the cylinder head. All the numbers are easily visible and can be confirmed.

M and C Wilkinson have been charged with looking after the car with thousands being spent with them over the years in maintenance, modification and testing.

It’s been worth it though as a rolling road session confirmed 331bhp and 364lb.ft of torque and while the intake roar through the triple Weber carburettors is nothing short of magnificent, it’s the exhaust note that really captures the imagination being gruff and urgent.

As you can see – and hear – it fires into life with alacrity and makes very good oil pressure, 80psi showing on the Racetech gauge.

The underside is nicely prepared but the underseal is flaking in places and there’s a little surface corrosion that could do with being taken care of.

The car comes with “numerous” spares.

The E Type doesn’t have a current MoT certificate but then we wouldn’t expect to see one on a racing car like this.

The Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust Production Record Trace Certificate that comes with it confirms its specification and lists its first owner as a Mr. Bayne M. Hutcheson of Downey, California.

The recent Vehicle History Check is clear.

Our guide price of between £75,000 and £85,000 means you’re getting one of the most beautiful racing cars of all time for only a little more than it would cost you to buy a standard road-going car – and given the extra fun you’ll be able to have, that makes it a bit of a bargain in our eyes.

Because this is a race-proven car with a proper pedigree that could be raced next season with only minimal expenditure on a fire suppression system and new harnesses o bring it back into spec.

That it should continue to hold its value is the icing on an already very attractive cake.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are strictly by appointment. To make a booking, please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, and read our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.