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Jaguar Land Rover Special Operations department is still flaunting the unique qualities of its ‘new’ Lightweight E-type – hand-built by highly skilled Jaguar craftsmen in a new facility at Browns Lane.
The car, which was conceived as period competition vehicle and suitable for FIA homologation for historic motorsport purposes, was unveiled August 14 at the opening reception of the Pebble Beach Automotive weekend, the world’s most prestigious classic car event.
The new Lightweight E-type is the first recreation to come from Jaguar Heritage, which operates within the Jaguar Land Rover Special Operations division . Just six customer Lightweight E-types were built – each assigned one of the remaining chassis numbers originally allocated in 1963 to the intended 18-car ‘Special GT E-type’ project, of which just 12 were built.
In recreating the Lightweight, Jaguar Heritage has drawn on Jaguar’s unique engineering and design resources, including the company’s world-leading aluminium body technology .
The specification includes an aluminium bodyshell with doors, trunklid, hardtop and bonnet also in aluminium, and is assembled to exacting standards • The six-cylinder XK engine mirrors the original power units, with an aluminium block, ‘wide angle’ aluminium cylinder head and dry sump lubrication .
Only 12 of the original Lightweight E-types were built, all but one leaving Jaguar’s Browns Lane competitions department in 1963 (the last car was delivered in 1964) .
