In a shock move Jaguar has announced it is to build six brand new Lightweight E-types from scratch to replace the "missing" cars that were intended to be manufactured in period to fulfil the planned 18-car quota.
Mimicking the Aston Martin exercise of sanctioning 'new' DB4GT Zagatos, the company promises that the new all-aluminium Lightweights will be built as "perfect reproductions and to the exact specifications of the original 12 cars first produced in 1963". They will be assigned the chassis numbers originally allocated, but never used. The first of the cars is due to be completed this summer.
This is the first re-creation project from the company and it promises the cars will be "hand-built in-house by Jaguar's finest craftsmen". The main modifications from a standard road car included all-aluminium monocoque and aluminium body panels, aluminium-block, wide-angle head, dry-sumped 3.8-litre XK engine with fuel injection, and aluminium hardtop.
That means the cars weighed some 250lb less than a standard E-type and Jaguar pledges that "established Jaguar collectors, especially those with historic race car interests, will be prioritised amongst those potential customers who express interest".
The main image shows Graham Hill piloting a Lightweight E-type at Silverstone in 1963.
