JAGUAR E-Type Semi-Light 1962

When Jaguar unveiled its E-Type at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1961, it came as a complete surprise. It came as a surprise because no-one had had any prior information about the Coventry-based marque's future Grand Tourer, and also because the E-Type's styling totally blew people away. A design by William Lyons, a sporty yet comfortable chassis and first-class performance were the hallmarks of the new Jaguar E-Type. Not to mention an unbeatable price, three times less than a Ferrari and half that of a Maserati...

Since the end of the war, Jaguar has been the epitome of British grand touring. The entire pedigree of XK roadsters (120 to 150) has largely contributed to building this sporting image, in addition to the numerous victories in major competitions. But at the dawn of the 1960s, despite all their qualities, the XKs could not hide their age. So, in secret, Coventry worked on a replacement. Journalists at the time were kept completely in the dark, and the few perspective drawings that were unveiled were far from reality. At the Geneva Motor Show on 15 March, journalists flocked to the Parc des Eaux-Vives. They all wanted to get a sneak preview of Coventry's new star. Then it was off to the Geneva Motor Show. The comments and reactions were rave reviews. Every time a Jaguar E-Type appeared in the street, there was a stampede. Françoise Sagan, Johnny Halliday, Bernard Consten, Charles Trenet, Pierre Bardinon, Robert Hirsch, not to mention the crowned heads. But not content with its breathtaking looks, the Jaguar E-Type also boasted a chassis that was far ahead of its time...

The design of the Jaguar E-Type has often been attributed to Sir William Lyons. But as with every car genesis, there is a captain at the helm, and a whole team behind him working in his shadow. Malcolm Sayer, an aerodynamicist from the aeronautics industry, was responsible for the design. Covering a very light tubular chassis, our British designer gave the Jaguar E-Type an immensely long and flat bonnet, which quickly contributed to the magnetism exerted on the public by the noble GT from Coventry. The bonnet is completely open, with the entire engine block tilting forward to reveal the entire powertrain. At the front, a small radiator grille resembles a suggestive half-open mouth, leaving the door open to the most fertile imaginations. Two round headlights are recessed under globes. The rear end is of the fastback type, with the roof sloping down to the slim taillights. The glass surfaces are distinguished by very slim, elegant chrome-clad pillars. Lastly, the rear of the Jaguar E-Type is distinguished by its sharply curved wings. As you'll soon realise, there's a great deal of charm and femininity in this design. The finish on board is not open to criticism, quite the contrary, and a substantial boot means that long journeys can be envisaged. And isn't that what a GT car is all about?

Jaguar owes so much to the XK engine that we can't talk about it without recalling its history. When the Jaguar XK120 roadster was presented at Earls Court in 1948, the British motor show, the public fell in love with it immediately. The name "XK 120" came precisely from its engine and its performance. Equipped with the XK block, this Jaguar-designed in-line six, it gave the Jaguar XK120 Roadster a top speed of... 120 miles per hour! A 3.4-litre engine with a cast-iron block and aluminium cylinder head, it was distributed by two overhead camshafts. Not bad for 1948! Coventry fitted the Jaguar E-Type with a re-bored version of the XK engine. The in-line 6 now had a displacement of 3.8 litres (87x106 mm) and retained its long-stroke engine character. More torque from the lowest revs. The factory claimed power of 265hp SAE at 5,500rpm and torque of 35.9mkg at 5,500rpm. To this day, the performance provided by the XK 3.8 engine in the Jaguar E-Type is uncommon, with a top speed of 240 km/h and a 0-100 km/h time of less than 8 seconds.

The Jaguar E-Type's chassis has been the subject of the most careful attention. In fact, many solutions have been taken from the competition. For example, for the new Coventry GT, the chassis engineers (Bob Knight and Norman Dewis) designed a cradle independent of the body. It houses the rear suspension, brakes and differential. This isolates the passenger compartment from any interference from the suspension and/or uneven road surfaces. The front end is almost a 'copy and paste' of the D-Type's racing structure. Two triangulated levers are stacked one on top of the other, with the lower lever housing the front end of the longitudinal torque arm. To slow down its sharp-clawed feline, Jaguar adopted the principle of disc brakes, successfully introduced in the Jaguar C-Type at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June 1953. All four wheels were fitted with disc brakes, and a separate dual braking circuit was installed. Weighing in at just 1,220 kg, the Jaguar E-Type boasted a very flattering power-to-weight ratio, making it a genuine sports car. The handling is very modern, and it's above all the driving comfort that is astonishing. It's easy to see why Jaguar has carved out a reputation for itself in the chassis sector.

Unlike the D-Type, the E-Type was not initially designed as a racing car, but that didn't stop the factory from supporting a number of well-known privateers. Graham Hill for Equipe Endeavour with ECD400 and Roy Salvadori for John Coombs with BUY1 had some success in 1961 against the dominant Ferrari 250 GTs, but it was clearly a competition between a road car (the E-Type) and a lighter Ferrari racer built to win. No Jaguar appeared at Le Mans in 1961. But that same year, John Coombs' car was in fact a factory development car. It was built with a thinner steel monocoque. It reappeared at the start of the 1962 season registered 4WPD, with a Type D wet sump engine, improved brakes and suspension and an aluminium hardtop. The car, which was destroyed during the Easter Cup at Goodwood (driven by Salvadori), was rebuilt by the factory to the specification that would henceforth be known as 'Lightweight'. A further 11 E-Type Lightweight roadsters were subsequently built, plus two more coupes and around ten semi-lightweights.

The true Lightweight specification included an all-aluminium monocoque, all-alloy 3.8-litre dry sump engine, Type D Wide Angle cylinder head, Lucas mechanical fuel injection, ZF 5-speed gearbox, Mk IX disc brakes, hardtop, aluminium doors and boot, wider rear track with modified Mk X wishbones, anti-dive front suspension geometry, lower steering rack, sports seats, special Dunlop alloy wheels similar to D-Types. The result was a weight reduction of 270kg, and with more than 340hp, the E-Type became a real challenger to the Ferrari 250 GTO. But reliability problems meant that most of ZF's alloy engines and gearboxes were soon replaced by Jaguar cast-iron blocks and in-house gearboxes. Despite this, the factory never really supported the racing programme, and by 1964 it was all over. The Lightweight arrived 2 years too late, and was never sufficiently developed.

Today, Jaguar E-Types in their FIA versions are raced around the world with ever-increasing success. The sporting qualities of the E-Type make it a formidable car today, whether in the rugged stages of the Tour Auto, the hotly contested TT race at Goodwood or in endurance races such as the Sixties' Endurance or the Spa 6 Hours.

Assembled on 7 March 1962, this Jaguar E-Type 3.8 Roadster left the Coventry assembly lines before being delivered to Jaguar's New York distributor on 4 April. In its original configuration, as attested by its Jaguar Heritage Trust certificate, it sports an elegant Opalescent Silver Blue colour, combined with a red leather interior and a navy blue soft top. A combination as rare as it is refined.
After crossing the Atlantic and returning to Europe, the E-Type's trajectory takes on a whole new dimension. Far from remaining a mere collector's roadster, it was destined to become a racing machine in its own right: sharper, more powerful, more radical, and above all immediately recognisable thanks to a livery that set it apart from the rest of the field.

This metamorphosis is the fruit of the vision and experience of French driver Jean-Pierre Lajournade. His career speaks for itself: he started out in the Renault Elf Gordini Cup in 1975, winning it in 1978, before moving on to Formula Renault with Elf and Motul in 1980 and 1981. After a rich professional career, he very quickly established himself as one of the great names in historic competition, notably in the Tour Auto, where he boasted a remarkable record with three overall wins, five second places and one third place, not to mention numerous successes in the Asave.

Winner of the Tour Auto Optic 2000 in 2010 at the wheel of his Lotus Elan 26R, against much more powerful rivals, Jean-Pierre Lajournade decided in 2013 to acquire the Jaguar we are presenting today from the renowned British tuner Denis Welch. It was a strategic choice, guided by a clear ambition: to design the most accomplished E-Type ever seen in semi-lightweight configuration.
Although semi-lightweight Jaguar E-Types are now well represented on historic racetracks, it was precisely this car that paved the way, triggering the craze and demonstrating the real potential of the model at the highest level of competition.


Conceived from the outset as a genuine rally weapon, this E-Type was designed without compromise, with a constant obsession for performance and reliability, particularly for events as demanding as the Tour Auto. Its first owner imagined a complete overhaul of all the components, drawing on decades of rallying experience to anticipate the specific constraints of road racing without sacrificing performance on the circuit: mechanical endurance, dynamic behaviour over long distances, ease of maintenance and unfailing robustness.
The car thus became the first semi-lightweight Jaguar E-Type Roadster developed in France. Fitted with a roll cage designed by Matter Compétition, in Saint-Brice-sous-Forêt. In accordance with the regulations, the monocoque remains in steel, while the body components - bonnet, hard-top, boot and doors - are in aluminium. Drawing on its expertise, the Matter team has optimised the structural reinforcements to achieve a rigidity perfectly suited to intensive use in competition.
Denis Welch is in charge of the mechanical aspects, including the engine, gearbox, axle and rear axle. The final assembly is carried out by the team that has accompanied the driver for over thirty years, made up exclusively of former Renault F1 members, a guarantee of method, precision and reliability.
In all, the transformation represents more than 440 hours of bodywork. The weight was reduced by 215 kg to 1,060 kg, while the six-cylinder engine develops almost 380 bhp, combined with a fully synchronised four-speed gearbox. Completed in February 2015, the project resulted in the only semi-lightweight Jaguar E-Type Roadster designed and built in France at the time.

From its very first outings, the hierarchy was turned upside down. In April 2015, the car won the Tour Auto Optic 2000, before repeating the feat the following year, beating Ludovic Caron's AC Cobra. It went on to put in a string of first-class performances at the Grand Prix de l'Âge d'Or, the Spa-Classic, the Dix-Mille Tours and the Grand Prix de Pau Historique.
It became the first semi-lightweight Jaguar E-Type Roadster to win the Tour Auto, and to date remains the only car to have won it three times, a shining symbol of its faultless preparation.
In 2023, the Jaguar was entrusted to a new top-class driver, Emmanuel Brigand, a former racing driver who returned to historic racing, winning numerous titles in the French and European championships. A multiple winner of the GHI category at the Tour Auto, he is driven by a clear objective: to aim for victory in the overall VHC standings. The car was taken in charge by Crubilé Sport, at Gazeran (78).
At the same time, Peter Auto adopted the FIA's international regulations, authorising the replacement of the cast-iron engine block with an aluminium one. The result: 37 kg less weight on the front axle, lighter steering, more incisive handling and a much livelier car. The result was not long in coming: a third win, achieved by a comfortable margin in Biarritz.
The result of more than €500,000 of development work, this Jaguar is now accompanied by an FIA International PTH valid until 31/12/2026. It has consistently demonstrated an exemplary level of performance and reliability.

Supplied with several sets of wheels, spare rear differentials and a large stock of parts, it can tackle the most demanding events with a level of preparation rarely seen before.
Ready for the 2026 season, this semi-lightweight Jaguar E-Type Roadster has established itself as one of the absolute benchmarks of historic competition, as formidable on the racetrack as it is perfectly equipped for the extreme constraints of major road events.