Ecstasy
If the Fifties were in black and white, then the Sixties were in Technicolor. The ‘Swinging Sixties’ remain the defining decade for Britain. The Beatles reined the radio waves and miniskirts adorned every young girl on the streets of London and if you wanted to make the ultimate statement of sixties excess you drove a Jaguar E Type! Britain was abuzz with excitement and color, the swinging sixties was upon them. It was the age of fun, freedom and rock and roll!
At a time when most cars had drum brakes, live rear axles, and mediocre performance, the E-Type sprang on the scene with 150 mph and a sub-7 second 0-60 time, monocoque construction, disc brakes, rack and pinion steering, independent front and rear suspension, and unrivaled looks.
The E type's formidable handling characteristics were down to its race car chassis, based on Jag’s Le Mans winner the D Type, the E was a hardcore racer wearing a pretty dress. Oh and what a dress it was. Coined the ‘most beautiful car ever made’ by the il Commendatore (Enzo Ferrari) himself! The E Types lines have managed to capture the imagination of both the young and old.
The beautiful example we see here is owned by avid car enthusiast and car collector Mr. Sidath Fernando. This been the more sought after series 1 E Type. Over the years, the E type became fatter and longer to make it more practical, thus losing its original jaw dropping curvaceous lines.
Much time and money has been spent restoring this car to near concourse standards. The results are quite stunning!
One look at the meticulously clean wire wheels gives you an idea of how well looked after this car is.
The beauty that lies within a classic car are the details. Even the side mirror bears resemblance to a leaping Jaguar!
While the car has retained most of its originality a few changes have been made to make it easier to live with in modern traffic.
A period correct Air conditioning system has been fitted and a nifty power steering unit has been installed too.
This means the E type gets a smaller diameter steering wheel making entry and exit of the vehicle a little bit more dignified.
Under the massive clam shell bonnet lives the famed 4.2 liter straight six twin cam engine that has powered many jags to victory. Three big SU carburetors feed fuel into the hungry engine helping to produce quite the awe inspiring noise.
Even by modern standards this car is no slouch, with 256bhp and 384nm on tap 0-60mph is achieved in a mere 6.4 seconds. This kind of speed is quite blistering in 2016, just imagine how people felt in the 60s when this car was launched. And all of this Ferrari beating power and beauty could be had for a small sum of 5620 British Pounds!
The combination of the pepper grey and lovely red leather trim on this car makes it stand out from miles away. A feast for all your senses! The interior is laid out in typical classical fashion with lashings of chrome and leather.
A gear knob resembling an 8 ball mounted on a polished lever sits high and mighty in the center of the cabin. Also note the chrome hand brake handle.
A barrage of Smiths gauges takes up most of the space on the dash board and black rocker switches and push buttons give a very old school aeronautical feel. A beautiful chrome and wood rimmed steering wheel finishes off the tastefully done interior.
It’s an amazing sight to see a car like this on our roads. Among the sea of econoboxes and blandly styled cars of today that lack creativity and sexual appeal the E type takes the cake when it comes to attracting gaping mouthed teenagers, wide eyed adults and excited kids alike.
It was a showstopper now as much as it was back in the 60’s. Credit to Mr. Sidath for restoring cars to such a high caliber and then using them on a regular basis for mere mortals to enjoy.
Seeing an E type on a computer screen or in a glossy magazine is tantalizing enough, but been able to see it in person is such a momentous occasion for anybody of any age or gender!
By Charith Kulasiri
Whoa. Great job, great tribute.
ReplyDeleteSidath is well known for setting a very high standard when it comes to restoring his cars. However, he has taken restoration to yet another level with this rare classic.
ReplyDeleteThis has probably been his most challenging project to date, and the meticulous attention to detail, the passion and relentless effort over a very long period to get it perfect has really paid off - just look at the results...
Congratulations Sid. Fantastic job, well done.
Laurensz Manricks
Brisbane, Australia