United Kingdom (£)
Well, what do we have here? On the surface, it's a 1960s Jaguar E-Type Semi-Lightweight, which, according to Mr Enzo Ferrari, is the most beautiful car ever built, and who am I to argue?
If we dive a little deeper, it’s a pretty unique thing. This one-of-a-kind E-Type is the result of over 5 years of hard graft from Leigh Jones of W.D Wins, a specialist car sales and coachbuilder based just over the hill from us near Cowbridge.
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What started life as a 1960s chassis, this E-Type has been on some journey, as this build aims to blend the “style and romance of mid-century British Automobile Race Engineering with the efficiency, performance and reliability of contemporary techniques and materials. Hand-built to exceptional standards”.
So, what does that mean? Well, this car walks the tightrope between resto-mod and coach-built. It retains its unquestionable beauty and its raw Le Mans style performance, with the added benefit of the car becoming “faster, lighter, more efficient, and safer”. This car is built from a steel chassis, and surrounded by all hand-built, new aluminium panels like the bonnet, hardtop, boot-lid, and doors. Although technically new, these panels were made to an OEM specification, even to the detail that only the outside of the body panel is painted to save weight, just as Jaguar would have in the 1960’s. Open up the bonnet, and you’re greeted with a beautiful raw aluminium engine bay… and a bloody lovely engine too.
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The beating heart of the re-engineered E-Type is a reworked 4700cc inline six-cylinder engine featuring twin overhead camshafts. Upgraded from the original 3781cc unit, it replaces traditional triple HD8 SU carburettors with Jenvey throttle bodies, ECU-controlled fuel injection, and fly-by-wire throttle management. The transmission has also been modernised, swapping the original 4-speed single helical synchromesh manual for a 5-speed Tremec full synchro gearbox. To maintain optimal running temperatures, the vehicle utilises a custom aluminium radiator fitted with an electric fan, replacing the older mechanical setup.
If you expected it to be a stripped-out race car inside, you’d be wrong. Swing open the door, lower yourself into the handcrafted, leather-clad aluminium bucket seats, and you’re greeted with the most gorgeous wooden steering wheel, centered around a golden Jaguar crest. Beyond that is a custom dashboard housing Smiths Digital gauges alongside an updated switchgear.
It almost feels period-correct, until you notice the W.D Wins signature, a little screen which is snuck just below the dashboard running Apple CarPlay. That has all the modern functionality you'd ever want, without it being too intrusive. It's also hooked up to a big subwoofer in the rear, and some properly good speakers… If you’re driving this car, you certainly won't be listening to Radio 3.
Specs
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Original |
Revised |
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Power |
265bhp |
400bhp |
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Acceleration 0-62 |
7.2 Seconds |
4.7 Seconds |
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Weight |
1225kg |
1000kg |
Although certainly unique, it’s one of those projects that’s never quite finished. With 3D-scanned bodywork and plans to start playing with Carbon Fibre.
Please reach out to leigh@wdwins.co.uk if you’d like to find out more about the build, or if you’d like a special E-Type of your own, and make sure to come down to Old Post to see it for yourself!
Adam