Lot 233 - 1967 Jaguar E-Type Series I Roadster to Lightweight Specification

• Beautifully restored and prepared for touring in the style of 1960s Lightweights
• Extensive history files
• Very powerful with uprated Coopercraft brakes

According to the Jaguar Heritage Trust certificates, chassis 1E15625 was originally sold through Jaguar Cars in New York to Shirley Edghill in 1967. Little is known during the intervening years until the story is picked up again in the 1990s. It was exported from the USA to Toulouse in France in 1996 by Jacques Baron working in collaboration with Mr. Bouzignac of Etablissement Bouzignac, the initial restorer of the car. French import duties and taxes were paid at the time of import and so can travel unhindered within the E.U.

At that time, Mr. Baron made the decision to restore and convert the car to a lightweight racing style replica. The first restoration by Mr Baron together with Mr. Bouzignac included a complete rebuild of the engine with a crank re-grind and new shells, a re-bore, pistons and rings, oil pump and the cylinder head refurbished with new valves, guides, and springs, as necessary. The gearbox and final drive were rebuilt with new bearings and seals, worn parts replaced as required. The suspension, steering, brakes, and electrics were also restored at this time, including the fitting of a kilometre/speedometer reading zero.

The restorers sold the Jaguar to Mr. Labourie in 2000 using the car lightly mostly between his yacht and his home. In 2009, he then sold it on to Stéphane Berteil who sent it to the same workshops then run by Laurent Peyrouzet (the nephew of M. Bouzignac). The car then underwent its second comprehensive renovation of the bodywork, interior and electrics with a refresh of the engine, gearbox, suspension, steering and brakes. The renovation also entailed a complete strip down of the car and eradication of any corrosion.

 The bare metal re-paint also included an interior re-trim and electrical re-build. The mechanical renovation at this time included a rebuilt cylinder head with new hard valve seats for unleaded fuel and a brake rebuild using uprated Coopercraft discs and calipers. The car had a complete nut and bolt reassembly with any worn parts rebuilt or replaced. Mr. Bouzignac, the restorer, verbally confirmed the work and there is a comprehensive photographic library to support the second renovation. With the total accumulated mileage of only 13,500km in 12 years by the two French owners, Mr. Berteil recognised that he was using the E-Type insufficiently and sold it through Biarritz Sports and Classic Cars to the current English vendor in 2014. Subsequently registered in the UK in 2018.

In the spectacular style of the 1960’s lightweight racers, the car’s integrity is no less interesting, the body itself is all steel with professionally made composite rear wheel arch extensions, and integrated front spotlights. With standard E-Type Jaguar suspension, period correct tall profile tyres and a mildly tuned engine the drive is sporty but smooth and relaxing. The option to fit the hardtop, the new softtop or neither is open to the owner depending on the long-range weather forecast. The interior has been freshly re-trimmed with special low seats so that (normal height) occupants are below the top of the windscreen rail with a 14” special wood rimmed, Moto-Lita steering wheel and original E-Type boss/horn push with which to direct operations. Additionally, a Rundenmeister mechanical clock and stopwatch are also fitted for national or international rallying and an integrated hidden/discreet Bluetooth music streaming (from mobile phone) set-up and Lifeline fire extinguisher can be found. Standard contact breaker, points, coil, and condenser ignition are also present to ensure historic competition eligibility.

 The engine is a standard straight six, 4.2 litre unit with triple HD4 2” SU carburettors. Interestingly though, there is an aluminium attaché case with touring short inlet trumpets, K&N air filters or optional long 1960’s race-style inlet trumpets. Both with the appropriate carburettor needles. Pushing out approximately 265bhp with a fabricated stainless steel tubular exhaust manifold feeding all the way back, power is fed through a four-speed all synchromesh gearbox with a Rob Beere Racing adjustable steering load valve added to the steering rack. Significant thought has gone into the wheels. First of all, they are bolt-on modular Minilite alloy wheels, 9 x 16” to the rear with optional and removable aluminium wheel spinners. The front sport 8 x 16” items, all shod with Toyo Proxes performance tyres. Included also is a correctly sized spare stored in the boot alongside a large quick-release aluminium ‘Monza’ fuel filler cap.

 This beautifully presented Jaguar has been prepared for sale, including extensive paperwork files, by the vendor in his own temperature controlled and dehumidified workshop and it might interest any potential buyer that the vendor is indeed a F1 racing car designer by trade. His knowledge of the preparation and racing of sportscars is encyclopaedic. Needless to say, this is a very toned-down version of the hardware he is used to, it is fully trimmed and insulated, a practical and eminently usable road car which looks and drives fantastically well.