Bosch European Motors

ALTHOUGH automotive styling is subjective, the one vehicle that seems to top more opinion polls naming the most beautiful car in the world, the Jaguar E-type. So, when the XK150鈥瞫 production ceased in October 1960, the world with baited breath to see what Jaguar could come up with as a replacement. After all, the C- and D-types were proving devastatingly effective on track - and what fans were expecting was something equally dominant for the road. The team that would create the E-type needed little encouragement. Under Heynes, work proper commenced on the E-type in December 1956. The first prototype was completed in May 1957, and had the official title of E-type 1 Aluminium, or E1A. The E1A was smaller than the production E-type, at 14ft 2in in length, but larger than the D-type. Its construction was largely derived from the D-type, and featured a central monocoque tub. However, where it differed from the D-type, was in its use of a new independent rear suspension system. The E1A was extensively tested by Jaguar鈥檚 team of drivers, but in May 1958, Heynes decided to lend E1A to the editor of The Motor magazine, Christopher Jennings, for an independent appraisal.

Jennings was impressed by the car鈥檚 ability to cover distances rapidly, even with just 120bhp. By this time, Jaguar had built a second E-type prototype for the road, and which more closely resembled the production car. The E-type gradually evolved during 1958, a year when Jaguar also began work on the Zenith project, which became the big top of the range MkX saloon. Both cars would feature independent rear suspension designed by Bob Knight (in an amazing 27 days) as part of a bet with Jaguar boss Sir William Lyons. By July 1959, Jaguar had a third E-type prototype on the road. In 1960, the public had their first view of the style of the next Jaguar sports car when the E2A sports-racer was unveiled. It was planned to unveil the E-type at the 1961 Geneva Motor Show Prior to this, Jaguar would loan the two major UK weekly motoring magazines, The Autocar and The Motor a car to test. These road tests would go on to prove pivotal in marketing the E-type, but a press embargo was in force until the actual unveiling of the new sports car.

Jaguar already had one car on the company鈥檚 stand in Geneva, but it was decided that another E-type was required for Sir William Lyons to show to the media. So what was the technical specification of this sensational new Jaguar sports car? The powertrain, which was carried over from the XK150S, was a 3781 cc XK engine mated to a four-speed Moss transmission, without overdrive. Jaguar claimed the E-type engine produced 265bhp (SAE) at 5500 rpm, but this was - to say the least - an exaggeration. The cast iron cylinder block was actually manufactured by Leyland Motors in Lancashire, a task it had performed since 1948, predating its involvement in the management of Jaguar. The aluminium cylinder head came from two sources, West Yorkshire Foundries of York and William Mills of Wednesbury, Staffordshire. The XK engine was fed by triple 2in SU HD8 SU carburetors. The body employed a central monocoque made of steel, a year before the monocoque chassis made its appearance in Formula One racing. The Bob Knight designed independent rear suspension, and the careful use of rubber, helped suppress noise and vibration.

Initially, the car was available in two forms, the roadster - styled by Malcolm Sayer - and the fixed head coupe (FHC), featuring an opening rear hatchback, which also had some input from Sir William Lyons and Bob Blake. The E-type was the only Jaguar car produced during Lyons鈥?active involvement in the running of the company, not wholly styled by the boss himself. So far the looks and price of the E-type had set pulses racing, but later in March 1961, came the publication of the road tests. The Motor magazine tested 77 RW, a roadster, and the second E-type to be built by the production department. This car could reach 60mph in 7.1 seconds and attain a maximum speed of 149mph. TheMotor men assigned to the task were John Anstice Brown and Charles Bulmer, who would go on to become the magazine鈥檚 editor. An indication that perhaps the results attained by the Motor men were not typical of the standard production cars was the decision to equip the test car, 77 RW, with Dunlop R5 racing tyres.

Certainly, Charles Bulmer later felt that 77 RW had a more powerful engine than standard cars. The Autocar tested 9600HP, which was in fact the seventh E-type prototype, the second FHC, and the car Bob Berry drove to Geneva. To evaluate the car鈥檚 performance the magazine used two journalists, one with an interesting past and one with an interesting future: Maurice A Smith DFC was concurrently both editor of The Autocar and Flight. During the WW2, he had completed a tour of operations with 619 squadron, RAF Bomber Command before becoming one of Five Group鈥檚 master bombers. The Autocar team, again using Dunlop R5 racing tyres, managed to achieve 150.4mph and a 0-60mph time of 6.9 seconds. The all-important 150mph barrier had been breached, and Jaguar Cars marketing machine exploited it. The main criticisms of the E-type were reserved for the seating, the high oil consumption, lack of space, poor braking and the ageing Moss gearbox, which lacked synchromesh on first gear. The E-type was launched at a time when the UK motor industry was coming out recession and bedeviled by unofficial strikes, with BMC particularly afflicted.