Jaguar E-Type Lightweight
Jaguar's factory competition E-Type of 1963–64: an open two-seater with an aluminium hardtop, an aluminium monocoque and an aluminium-block, fuel-injected engine, built for private racing teams. Jaguar built new Lightweights in 2014–15, on chassis numbers it had left unused in 1963.
5114 WK (S850664), one of Briggs Cunningham's Lightweights and 9th at Le Mans in 1963 with Cunningham and Grossman, at the Concours of Elegance, Hampton Court, in 2024.MrWalkr, CC BY-SA 4.0
At Sebring, Florida, on 23 March 1963, two new E-Types ran in the 12-hour race. One, entered by Kjell Qvale, finished 7th and won the GT class for cars up to four litres; the other, Briggs Cunningham's, was 8th. It was the first race for Jaguar's Lightweight, the factory's answer to Ferrari's GTO.source 1source 2source 3source 4
What the Lightweight was
Jaguar called the project "Special GT E-type Cars", and it began in February 1963 with a plan to build 18. To race in the GT category, the car had to count as an E-Type, and it did:
The Lightweights were homologated for GT competition by being designated a 'standard' roadster E‑type fitted with a number of options.
Underneath, little was standard. The monocoque and the body panels were aluminium, and so was the hardtop, so that a Lightweight was an open two-seater with a fixed aluminium roof, not a coupé. The engine was the XK 3.8 with an aluminium block, a wide-angle cylinder head, dry-sump lubrication and Lucas fuel injection; Motor Sport wrote in 1984 that the aluminium block, cast in the same mould as the iron one, was not stiff enough for racing. The suspension was stiffened with lighter parts, the brakes were larger, and the wheels were alloy ones as used on the D-type. There was no trim inside and no chrome outside, and every car's chassis number carried an S prefix. By Jaguar's figure the car weighed about 114 kg (250 lb) less than a standard E-Type.
It grew from the racing E-Types of 1961–62: the tuned standard cars that Jaguar prepared for private teams in 1961, John Coombs's car, lightened through 1962, and Malcolm Sayer's Low Drag Coupé. The reason, Motor Sport explained in 1984, was weight: the steel cars were too heavy to beat the light Ferraris. Jaguar had no full works team, so the Lightweights were built for and sold to private entrants in Britain, America, Germany and Australia.
The cars and their racing
The Coventry Racers register lists the cars, and by its count they are John Coombs's 1961 car, rebuilt to the specification, and 11 new cars, S850659 to S850669; there is no S850670. Whether Jaguar's own papers count Coombs's rebuilt car among them is not settled in the sources read. Jaguar built all but one of them in 1963 and delivered the last in 1964, and said in 2014 that 11 were believed to survive.
| Chassis | Registration | First entrant | In period |
|---|---|---|---|
| S850006 | BUY 1, later 4 WPD | John Coombs | Graham Hill's four British wins, 1963 |
| S850659 | 5115 WK | Briggs Cunningham | 8th at Sebring, 1963 |
| S850660 | 5113 WK | Kjell Qvale | 7th at Sebring, 1963, and the GT class win |
| S850661 | 86 PJ | Tommy Atkins | 3rd in the 1963 Tourist Trophy, with Roy Salvadori |
| S850662 | 4868 WK | Peter Lindner | won at the Avus, 1963, driven by Peter Nöcker; low-drag body, 1964 |
| S850663 | 49 FXN | Peter Lumsden and Peter Sargent | low-drag coupé body, 1964 |
| S850664 | 5114 WK | Briggs Cunningham | 9th at Le Mans, 1963 |
| S850665 | 5116 WK | Briggs Cunningham | retired at Le Mans, 1963 |
| S850666 | YVH 210 | Peter Sutcliffe | 3rd in the Kyalami 9 Hours, 1964, and first in GT |
| S850667 | BEN 152 | Bob Jane | Australian GT Championship, 1963 |
| S850668 | 2 GXO | not established | no result found |
| S850669 | PS 1175 | not established | no result found |
Their best days were in British national races and in the GT classes. Graham Hill won four times in Coombs's car in 1963, at Snetterton, Goodwood, Silverstone and Mallory Park; at Goodwood at Easter he beat Mike Parkes's Ferrari GTO by 1.4 seconds. Bob Jane won the Australian GT Championship. In the long international races the GTOs were faster: at Le Mans in 1963 Cunningham's three cars ran, and the one he shared with Roy Grossman finished 9th, and in that year's Tourist Trophy, won by a Ferrari GTO, the Lightweights were 3rd and 4th. At Bridgehampton the Cobras finished ahead of them. Lindner's car, given a low-drag body in 1964, was badly damaged at Montlhéry in October 1964, in the accident in which Lindner died; the Lindner-Nöcker Lightweight tells its story. Racing has the races in full. Motor Sport's verdict in 2011 was short: "It's mean, it's gorgeous, and it wasn't quick enough."
The production readings below lead with the count Jaguar and Motor Sport gave, in 1975 and again in 2014, and show older, wider counts beside it. In 1984 Motor Sport added three more cars built on steel centres with Lightweight parts, among them a road car for Sir Hugh Ropner and a coupé for Pierre Bardinon, and Jack Lambert's early car, which the factory rebuilt to the same specification on its steel shell. The register lists Ropner's road car of July 1964 with the others. These steel-centred cars are sometimes called semi-lightweights; the word is now also used loosely by sellers.source 7source 8source 1source 9source 10source 11source 12source 13source 14source 15source 16source 2source 17
The 2014 continuation
On 14 May 2014 Jaguar announced that it would complete the run. Of the 18 planned in 1963, it said, the remaining chassis numbers had "lain dormant", and new Lightweights would now carry them. Jaguar Heritage, then part of Jaguar Land Rover's Special Operations and later called Jaguar Classic, built them in 2014–15:
To be able to complete the intended production run of 18, some 50 years after the last Lightweight was completed, was an opportunity we couldn't miss.
First came a prototype, Car Zero, which Jaguar said would not carry one of those numbers. It was shown at the Pebble Beach weekend in California on 14 August 2014. An original body was laser-scanned to make the new ones; Jaguar says about three-quarters of the panels were pressed at Whitley, the cars painted at Gaydon and assembled at Browns Lane, near where the originals had been built. RS Panels of Nuneaton told Motor Sport in 2018 that it built Car Zero, which Jaguar then scanned. Jaguar avoided modern materials, which would have been untrue to the original and to the historic racing rules.
The new cars were delivered in 2015 as cars for historic racing. Jaguar has published none of their chassis numbers; in 2016 it called them "13 to 18", which reads as their places in the 18-car run rather than as numbers. One, which Jaguar calls chassis 15, raced at the Le Mans Classic on 9 July 2016 with Chris Harris driving. Jaguar's word for them by then was continuation cars: they are new cars on numbers allocated in 1963, not replicas, and the replicas page sets out the difference.source 3source 5source 18source 19
Specification: Lightweight
Production
Sources for Production, Lightweight
- Built
- One good source.Eleven in 1963, the last delivered in 1964. Jaguar Land Rover (Jaguar media newsroom), "The Lightweight E-type is Reborn" (press release), 14 May 2014source 3
- Built at
- One good source.Jaguar Land Rover (Jaguar media newsroom), "Jaguar Land Rover Special Operations Reveals 'New' Lightweight E-type" (press release), 12 Aug 2014source 5
| Built | built 1963, "the last in 1964" |
|---|---|
| Built at | the 2014 cars assembled at Browns Lane "close to where the original Lightweight E-types were assembled in 1963/64" |
Engine
Sources for Engine, Lightweight
- Engine
- One good source.As read in versions-lightweight.md (S4004). Gordon Cruickshank, "Jaguar's Lightweight E Types", Motor Sport, Sep 1984, p. 33source 2
- Engine maker
- One good source.Jaguar Land Rover (Jaguar media newsroom), "The Lightweight E-type is Reborn" (press release), 14 May 2014source 3
- Capacity
- One good source.The period capacity in cc is not printed for these engines; 3,868 cc is the 2014 cars' (ERRATA-competition C36). Jaguar Land Rover (Jaguar media newsroom), "The Lightweight E-type is Reborn" (press release), 14 May 2014source 3
- Block
- One good source.Jaguar Land Rover (Jaguar media newsroom), "The Lightweight E-type is Reborn" (press release), 14 May 2014source 3
- Cylinders
- One good source.As read in outlaw8-tree.md (S2512). Jaguar Land Rover (Jaguar media newsroom), "The Lightweight E-type is Reborn" (press release), 14 May 2014source 3
- Lubrication
- One good source.V2 with jaguar-2014-05-lightweight-reborn (ERRATA-competition §5). Gordon Cruickshank, "Jaguar's Lightweight E Types", Motor Sport, Sep 1984, p. 33source 2
| Engine | 3.8-litre XK, aluminium block, wide-angle head, dry sump, fuel injection |
|---|---|
| Engine maker | built by Jaguar's competition department |
| Capacity | 3.8-litre (L) |
| Block | "all-aluminum body and engine block" |
| Cylinders | 3.8-litre six with "all-aluminum body and engine block" |
| Lubrication | aluminium block, wide-angle head, dry sump, fuel injection |
Performance
Sources for Performance, Lightweight
- Power
- Several figures in print.Motor Sport, "Jaguar E-type: the end of production and end of an era – but not of a legend", May 1975, p. 29source 4
| Power | about 300 bhp "the norm" Power, Lightweight Several figures in print.
|
|---|
Running gear
| Gearbox | four-speed competition box on 11 of the 15 lightweights and semi-lightweights; ZF five-speed on four |
|---|---|
| Wheels | "alloy wheels as used on the D-type" |
Body and chassis
Sources for Body and chassis, Lightweight
- Body
- One good source.Open two-seaters with aluminium hardtops; homologated as a "standard" roadster with options (jaguar-2014-05-lightweight-reborn). Motor Sport, "Jaguar E-type: the end of production and end of an era – but not of a legend", May 1975, p. 29source 4
- Body material
- One good source.Motor Sport, "Jaguar E-type: the end of production and end of an era – but not of a legend", May 1975, p. 29source 4
- Panels
- One good source.Motor Sport, "Jaguar E-type: the end of production and end of an era – but not of a legend", May 1975, p. 29source 4
- Chassis material
- One good source.Motor Sport, "Jaguar E-type: the end of production and end of an era – but not of a legend", May 1975, p. 29source 4
- Chassis
- One good source.Motor Sport, "Jaguar E-type: the end of production and end of an era – but not of a legend", May 1975, p. 29source 4
| Body | "Only 12 full lightweights were built, all hardtop roadsters with alloy monocoques and body panels" |
|---|---|
| Body material | "alloy monocoques and body panels" |
| Panels | "alloy monocoques and body panels" |
| Chassis material | "alloy monocoques" |
| Chassis | "alloy monocoques" |
Specification: Continuation
Production
Sources for Production, Continuation
- Built
- One good source.Jaguar Land Rover (Jaguar media newsroom), "The Lightweight E-type is Reborn" (press release), 14 May 2014source 3
- Built at
- One good source.Panels pressed at Whitley, paint at Gaydon. Jaguar Land Rover (Jaguar media newsroom), "Jaguar Land Rover Special Operations Reveals 'New' Lightweight E-type" (press release), 12 Aug 2014source 5
| Built | six new Lightweights announced 14 May 2014 |
|---|---|
| Built at | assembled at Browns Lane "close to where the original Lightweight E-types were assembled in 1963/64" |
Engine
Sources for Engine, Continuation
- Capacity
- One good source.Jaguar Land Rover (Jaguar media newsroom), "Jaguar Land Rover Special Operations Reveals 'New' Lightweight E-type" (press release), 12 Aug 2014source 5
- Block
- One good source.Jaguar Land Rover (Jaguar media newsroom), "The Lightweight E-type is Reborn" (press release), 14 May 2014source 3
- Valve gear
- One good source.Jaguar Land Rover (Jaguar media newsroom), "Jaguar Land Rover Special Operations Reveals 'New' Lightweight E-type" (press release), 12 Aug 2014source 5
- Bore × stroke
- One good source.Inches converted. Jaguar Land Rover (Jaguar media newsroom), "Jaguar Land Rover Special Operations Reveals 'New' Lightweight E-type" (press release), 12 Aug 2014source 5
- Compression ratio
- One good source.Jaguar Land Rover (Jaguar media newsroom), "Jaguar Land Rover Special Operations Reveals 'New' Lightweight E-type" (press release), 12 Aug 2014source 5
- Fuel system
- One good source.The standard specification; Car Zero had the optional injection. Jaguar Land Rover (Jaguar media newsroom), "Jaguar Land Rover Special Operations Reveals 'New' Lightweight E-type" (press release), 12 Aug 2014source 5
- Carburettors
- One good source.Jaguar Land Rover (Jaguar media newsroom), "Jaguar Land Rover Special Operations Reveals 'New' Lightweight E-type" (press release), 12 Aug 2014source 5
- Cylinders
- One good source.Jaguar Land Rover (Jaguar media newsroom), "The Lightweight E-type is Reborn" (press release), 14 May 2014source 3
- Lubrication
- One good source.Jaguar Land Rover (Jaguar media newsroom), "Jaguar Land Rover Special Operations Reveals 'New' Lightweight E-type" (press release), 12 Aug 2014source 5
| Capacity | 3,868 cc (236.0 cu in), 88.0 x 106.0 mm |
|---|---|
| Block | "all-aluminum body and engine block" |
| Valve gear | 2 valves per cylinder, DOHC |
| Bore × stroke | 88.0 x 106.0 mm |
| Compression ratio | 10:1 |
| Fuel system | 3 x Weber 45DCO3; Lucas mechanical injection optional |
| Carburettors | 3 x Weber 45DCO3 |
| Cylinders | 3.8-litre six |
| Lubrication | dry sump lubrication |
Performance
Sources for Performance, Continuation
- Power
- One good source.Jaguar's figure; PS converted. Jaguar Land Rover (Jaguar media newsroom), "Jaguar Land Rover Special Operations Reveals 'New' Lightweight E-type" (press release), 12 Aug 2014source 5
- Torque
- One good source.Both printed; kgf-m converted. Jaguar Land Rover (Jaguar media newsroom), "Jaguar Land Rover Special Operations Reveals 'New' Lightweight E-type" (press release), 12 Aug 2014source 5
| Power | 340 hp (253.5 kW) at 6,500 rpm |
|---|---|
| Torque | 280lbs ft/380Nm at 4,500 rpm (lb ft) |
Running gear
Sources for Running gear, Continuation
- Steering
- One good source.Jaguar Land Rover (Jaguar media newsroom), "Jaguar Land Rover Special Operations Reveals 'New' Lightweight E-type" (press release), 12 Aug 2014source 5
- Gearbox
- One good source.Jaguar Land Rover (Jaguar media newsroom), "Jaguar Land Rover Special Operations Reveals 'New' Lightweight E-type" (press release), 12 Aug 2014source 5
- Gears
- One good source.Jaguar Land Rover (Jaguar media newsroom), "Jaguar Land Rover Special Operations Reveals 'New' Lightweight E-type" (press release), 12 Aug 2014source 5
- Rear brakes
- One good source.Front discs 12 in in the table, 12.25 in in the text (ERRATA-competition C37, unresolved): no front value written. Jaguar Land Rover (Jaguar media newsroom), "Jaguar Land Rover Special Operations Reveals 'New' Lightweight E-type" (press release), 12 Aug 2014source 5
- Tyres
- One good source.Jaguar Land Rover (Jaguar media newsroom), "Jaguar Land Rover Special Operations Reveals 'New' Lightweight E-type" (press release), 12 Aug 2014source 5
- Wheels
- One good source.Jaguar Land Rover (Jaguar media newsroom), "Jaguar Land Rover Special Operations Reveals 'New' Lightweight E-type" (press release), 12 Aug 2014source 5
- Clutch
- One good source.Jaguar Land Rover (Jaguar media newsroom), "Jaguar Land Rover Special Operations Reveals 'New' Lightweight E-type" (press release), 12 Aug 2014source 5
| Steering | Standard E-type rack-and-pinion |
|---|---|
| Gearbox | Jaguar four-speed all-synchromesh close-ratio |
| Gears | Jaguar four-speed all-synchromesh close-ratio |
| Rear brakes | rear discs 286 mm (11.25 in) |
| Tyres | Dunlop 6.00L15 / 6.50L15 CR65, front / rear |
| Wheels | 15 x 7.0J / 15 x 8.0J magnesium, front / rear |
| Clutch | Clutch: Single dry plate |
Body and chassis
Sources for Body and chassis, Continuation
- Body
- One good source.Jaguar Land Rover (Jaguar media newsroom), "Jaguar Land Rover Special Operations Reveals 'New' Lightweight E-type" (press release), 12 Aug 2014source 5
- Body material
- One good source.Jaguar Land Rover (Jaguar media newsroom), "The Lightweight E-type is Reborn" (press release), 14 May 2014source 3
| Body | the body to "original Lightweight E-type Chassis no. 12 condition" |
|---|---|
| Body material | "all-aluminum body and engine block" |
Dimensions and weight
Sources for Dimensions and weight, Continuation
- Length
- One good source.Jaguar Land Rover (Jaguar media newsroom), "Jaguar Land Rover Special Operations Reveals 'New' Lightweight E-type" (press release), 12 Aug 2014source 5
- Width
- One good source.Jaguar Land Rover (Jaguar media newsroom), "Jaguar Land Rover Special Operations Reveals 'New' Lightweight E-type" (press release), 12 Aug 2014source 5
- Height
- One good source.Jaguar Land Rover (Jaguar media newsroom), "Jaguar Land Rover Special Operations Reveals 'New' Lightweight E-type" (press release), 12 Aug 2014source 5
- Wheelbase
- One good source.Jaguar Land Rover (Jaguar media newsroom), "Jaguar Land Rover Special Operations Reveals 'New' Lightweight E-type" (press release), 12 Aug 2014source 5
- Fuel tank
- One good source.Jaguar Land Rover (Jaguar media newsroom), "Jaguar Land Rover Special Operations Reveals 'New' Lightweight E-type" (press release), 12 Aug 2014source 5
| Length | 4,453 mm (175.3 in) |
|---|---|
| Width | 1,700 mm (66.9 in) |
| Height | 1,181 mm (46.5 in) |
| Wheelbase | 2,440 mm (96.1 in) |
| Fuel tank | 64 litres (14 gal), mesh-filled |
Production
Production: how far the sources agree
- 12, Lightweight, "Only 12 ... were eventually built, the last in 1964", of a project of February 1963 to build 18 "Special GT E-type Cars"; ERRATA-competition C1: twelve; the older counts (15 with three steel-centre cars, Motor Sport 1984; 13 on the register, with S850817) are rows
- Good sources agree.
- 15, Lightweight, 12 alloy-centre + 3 steel-centre (14 raced, 1 road car)
- One good source.
- 13, Lightweight, register entries incl. S850817, the Ropner road car
- One good source.
- 6, Continuation, "Just six customer Lightweight E-types will be built", each "assigned one of the remaining chassis numbers originally allocated in 1963"; the prototype Car Zero "will not carry one of the six Lightweight chassis numbers" and is not counted; V2 with jlrna-2016-07-jaguar-classic-xkss-lightweight ("the famous 'Missing Six'")
- One good source.
12Lightweight, "Only 12 ... were eventually built, the last in 1964", of a project of February 1963 to build 18 "Special GT E-type Cars"; ERRATA-competition C1: twelve; the older counts (15 with three steel-centre cars, Motor Sport 1984; 13 on the register, with S850817) are rows
Jaguar Land Rover (Jaguar media newsroom), "The Lightweight E-type is Reborn" (press release), 14 May 2014source 3; Motor Sport, "Jaguar E-type: the end of production and end of an era – but not of a legend", May 1975, p. 29source 4
15Lightweight, 12 alloy-centre + 3 steel-centre (14 raced, 1 road car)
Gordon Cruickshank, "Jaguar's Lightweight E Types", Motor Sport, Sep 1984, p. 33source 2
13Lightweight, register entries incl. S850817, the Ropner road car
collectordata.com (the XKEdata family of registers), Coventry Racers: Jaguar C-Type, D-Type, XKSS and Lightweight E-Type registersource 7
6Continuation, "Just six customer Lightweight E-types will be built", each "assigned one of the remaining chassis numbers originally allocated in 1963"; the prototype Car Zero "will not carry one of the six Lightweight chassis numbers" and is not counted; V2 with jlrna-2016-07-jaguar-classic-xkss-lightweight ("the famous 'Missing Six'")
Jaguar Land Rover (Jaguar media newsroom), "Jaguar Land Rover Special Operations Reveals 'New' Lightweight E-type" (press release), 12 Aug 2014source 5
Sources
Sources are given as plain text; their addresses are on the sources page.
- Primarymade at the time, by the maker or by people who were there
- Referenceserious later work: clubs, specialists, magazines, books
- Databaseresults and listings, entry by entry
- racingsportscars.com, Sebring 12 Hours 1963, results, results, 23 March 1963. Database
- Gordon Cruickshank, "Jaguar's Lightweight E Types", Motor Sport, Sep 1984, p. 33, p. 33, the class win at Sebring; the project; p. 33: the engines, gearboxes, suspension and wheels; why the cars were built; p. 33, the steel-centred cars and Lambert's car; para 3; para 8; paras 4, 7. Reference
- Jaguar Land Rover (Jaguar media newsroom), "The Lightweight E-type is Reborn" (press release), 14 May 2014, editors' notes: the project of February 1963; editors' notes: homologation, construction, weight, the S prefix; the announcement and the remaining chassis numbers; editors' notes; para 2; text; release, 14 May 2014; editors' notes; para 2. Primary
- Motor Sport, "Jaguar E-type: the end of production and end of an era – but not of a legend", May 1975, p. 29, "Only 12 full lightweights"; the hardtop roadsters with alloy monocoques; para 33; para 31. Primary
- Jaguar Land Rover (Jaguar media newsroom), "Jaguar Land Rover Special Operations Reveals 'New' Lightweight E-type" (press release), 12 Aug 2014, the original cars: the weight saved; fuel injection; Car Zero, the build, John Edwards's words; final assembly; specification table; text. Primary
- Doug Nye, "The Jaguar Competition Department's true character simply shines" (Doug Nye on Peter D. Wilson's Strictly No Admittance!), Motor Sport, Jan 2023, p. 23, the review of Wilson's book: the project. Reference
- collectordata.com (the XKEdata family of registers), Coventry Racers: Jaguar C-Type, D-Type, XKSS and Lightweight E-Type register, car pages S850006, S850659–S850669, S850670 (none) and S850817; model search. Reference
- racingsportscars.com, "Jaguar E-Type – All Results", results by car, 1963–64. Database
- racingsportscars.com, Le Mans 24 Hours 1963, results, results, 15–16 June 1963. Database
- Denis Jenkinson, "The 24 Hours of Le Mans (June 15/16th)" ("Ferraris all the way"), Motor Sport, Jul 1963, p. 14, the race report. Primary
- Motor Sport, "Tourist Trophy" ("Ferrari's fourth successive victory"), Oct 1963, p. 22, the race report. Primary
- Motor Sport, "Easter Goodwood International 100 Race", May 1963, p. 56, the race report. Primary
- racingsportscars.com, DARM GT Avus 1963, results, results. Database
- racingsportscars.com, Australian GT Championship 1963 (Calder), results, results, the Australian GT Championship. Database
- racingsportscars.com, Kyalami 9 Hours 1964, results, results, the 9 Hours. Database
- racingsportscars.com, Bridgehampton 500 Kilometres - Grand Touring 1963, results, results. Database
- Gordon Cruickshank, "Ferrari vs Jaguar – Such a perfect day", Motor Sport, Sep 2011, p. 56, the verdict. Reference
- Jaguar Land Rover North America (JLR media newsroom), "Jaguar Classic Announces XKSS Launch And Lightweight E-TYPE Race Plans" (press release), Coventry, 5 Jul 2016, "13 to 18"; delivered in 2015; chassis 15 at the Le Mans Classic. Primary
- Gordon Cruickshank, "Master craftsmen: RS Panels", Motor Sport, Dec 2018, p. 112, RS Panels and Car Zero. Reference