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Jaguar/Daimler: Jaguar’s ‘new’ Lightweight E-Type

16 June, 2014

 


Back in the ’60s, Jaguar built 12 examples of marque’s famous Lightweight E-Type — a car that featured an all-aluminium body and engine block and a stripped-out interior. At the time, Jaguar had expected to construct a series of 18 examples between 1963 and 1964 but, at the time, they only got around to producing 12 — finally, fifty years later, Jaguar’s Heritage division is planning to complete the originally proposed run of 18 by building six more Lightweight E-Types using chassis numbers assigned but unused in the 1960s.

Originally produced specifically for racing, the Lightweight E-types were designed to take the fight to rivals from Ferrari on the track.

The six ‘new’ models will be built to the exact specifications of  ’60s originals – including the all–aluminium 3.8-litre straight–six engine and aluminium body.

Pricing information will be revealed closer to the car’s launch later this summer but don’t expect these cars to be cheap, bearing in mind that one of those genuine Lightweight E-Type from the ’60s would set you back several million bucks.

“Gotcha!’’ The continuing tale of a Nissan/Datsun tragic – part two

8 May, 2026

In 1996, I was on a mission to buy a suitable pavement scorcher and visited the now-defunct Manukau City Car Fair. Unbelievably, among the sea of four-door utilitarian Japanese compacts was the absolute jewel in the crown, my automobile wet dream — a 1985 two-door R30 RS Nissan Skyline FJ20 Turbo five-speed manual in nice condition. The owner wanted $10,000 — a great deal.
But what did I do? I bailed out, paralysed by indecision. The money would have been a stretch, but it was the worst automotive choice I ever made. Instead, I went for a rusty Toyota Sprinter 8 Valve Twin Cam Coupé, which was pretty terminal from the get-go. I know. We’ve all done it, but there was really no excuse for passing up the Skyline, and I was haunted by that for years.

Last Tango in the Fast Lane

30 April, 2026

In the mid ’80s, I locked into a serious Nissan/Datsun performance obsession. It could have kicked off with my ’82 Datsun Sunny, though this would have been a bit of a stretch of the imagination, given its normally aspirated 1.2-litre motor — not the sort of thing to unleash radical road warrior dreams. But it did plant a seed, and it was a sweet little machine and surprisingly quick, in contrast to all the diabolical English offerings I had endured.
I was living in South Auckland at the time and was an unrepentant petrolhead. Motor racing was my drug of choice, and I followed the scene slavishly. Saloon car racing, with the arrival of the international Group A formula, was having a serious renaissance here and in Australia and Europe. There was suddenly an exotic air in local racing that had been absent for 15 years.
I was transfixed by this new frontier of motor racing that had hit our tracks in 1985–87 and the new array of machinery on display. In 1986, the Nissan Skyline RS DR30 made a blinding impression on me. The Australian Fred Gibson-run, Peter Jackson-sponsored team of George Fury and Glenn Seton were the fastest crew of the 1986 Australian Touring Car Championship. But Kiwi legend Robbie Francevic snuck through to win the Aussie Championship in his Volvo 240T after a strong start and consistent finishes.