Million squid shaguar

[xtriple]

I was in a bit of a grump when I first posted, so perhaps a tad 'harsh' in my comments. 

 

The engines are made by Craithwaite engineering ( Crossthwaite? Something like that - I can't be arsed to look it  up!) and cost £60K alone apparently! No idea where the rest of the bits come from, but I bet they are all brand new...

 

As an engineering exercise, I bet everyone involved loved it and I thought there was real passion for the cars there. The PR bods had the job of keeping the mega rich knobs happy and seemed to do their job well. The case was a bit... but the VIN plate holder and stuff was lovely and that watch... Bremont don't half know how to charge, so you can bet that watch was £10K plus! Amazing how fast you can spend money when you try! 

 

I used to be a Jaguar fanatic (to the point I used to get all stroppy if anyone called them 'Jags' ) and thought about going on Mastermind with Bill Lyons life and works as the subject!  Yes, I know, truly sad and I have forgotten so much over the years, but I do still love Jags (sic!) but lost interest in them when they became otherwise owned! I like British companies to remain British. I was the same when TVR, Rolls Royce/ Bentley et al got flogged off.

 

I can't get so excited about stuff once it's pretending to be British when it's German, Indian, Russian or whatever. I hated Vickers for what they did to RR/B and wasn't that keen on RR for what they did to Bentley!

 

Those E types were a thousand times better built than the originals, I liked the way they made three bonnets for each car as ' with them racing, bound to get a few bent!'. When Aston Martin did the same with the Zagatos twenty years ago, there was much more of a furore over them and Aston called them 'continuations' which is precisely what these are: unused (but allocated) chassis numbers so a 'proper' replica as made by the original manufacturer.

 

The other thing about the originals is that they have 'work hardened' over the years and are now quite fragile. The alloy beyond being just beaten back into shape with a  bit of heat and a sandbag. Most of the originals have been crashed and repaired so many times (one was burnt out completely and only 'restored' a few years ago as its value made it worthwhile) they are like Triggers broom with bugger all of the car as it left Browns lane. But, that's the life of racing cars!

 

They are made to be used, abused, thrashed and crashed. That is part of their heritage and mystique and one of the reasons they are 'worth' 5 - 7 Million!

 

As I said, I'd have one in a shot but lack the 1.2 million required!

 

I like E types, but prefer the earlier Xk series, the original 120 was a fantastic achievement and was never meant to be a series produced car, just a showcase for the new engines!  'C' and 'D' types are just fantastic and have a 'proper' racing history. Car magazine did a 'roadtest' of a 'C' type versus a GT40 about thirty years ago and it was a fascinating read. The 'C' type had real patina and looked well used with faded paint, dents, scuffs and oil leaks. It looked bloody awesome! The values then were rather different to the values today!

 

Sorry, tl:dr.

[RoadworkUK]

I'd quite like a continuation XJS....

[xtriple]

I'd quite like a continuation XJS....

Now there's a car that knows how to rust!

 

I like them as well....

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

The E Type fully deserves it's status.  In 1961 it was the price of four 850 Minis (so about 40 grand in todays Money) and it went twice as fast as the average 1500 saloon. It arrived the same year as the Austin A60 and must have looked like a spaceship - the inset wheels reminded everyone of the D Type and XK-SS. I don't like XK's much (I had a completely fucked 150S once) - one of those old cars I appreciate rather that actually like. Most E TYpes looked tatty at ten years old, but subject a 250GT Ferrari to the same treatment and out would be fucked in five. I do like the V12's but it would been to be a Regency red (maroon) FHC Auto 2+2 with chrome steels fior proper seventies Leyland effect.

 

Otherwise, a late 3.8 FHC with the deeper front floors so you can actually sit in it. The Moss gearbox is a sonorous thing of music and not that bad to use. I'd have a concours example, then proceed to waxoyl it to buggery and use it - it would never be seen in public without a good coating of brake dust on the wires and a hundred or mores dead flies on the front.

 

Given the choice between an E Type and an early manual XJ-S, I would probably plump for the latter.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

 

I dont really understand why they are replicating them now though

 

 

Because they can. Jaguar is an up and coming firm now, having spent decades living off their old reputation. This, the new XE and the F Type are going to do their reputation no harm at all. I'd much rather they did this that conceive another bastard 4x4 diesel soft roader.

The time must come when Audi, Merc and BMW buys think 'hang on. Why the fuck am I buying this when i could have that instead?".

 

Fair play to them I say.

 

As for not being able to road register them - someone will find a way!

[fairkens]

Tbh I think they were just a bit jealous of the love the eagle was getting off Clarkson et al and thought they'd get themselves a piece of the action. As a jag fan (we lived on browns lane for part of my childhood) it was an interesting program and the vet man is a good presenter of stuff like that

[forddeliveryboy]

Whether or not the E-type is a 'good' car or not, I like it when we (well, the Indians) celebrate our history and don't undervalue it - it's rare that we do, decently.

 

I forsee a future for Britain in which its real heritage is brought to the fore by foreign corporations trying to increase the intrinsic value of their products/service.

[mat_the_cat]

I think you are all wrong: the E type is a thing of beauty and was originally a world beater.

 

I agree that it is a (conventionally) beautiful car, just that it doesn't 'do' it for me. I would honestly go for an XJS instead, or if I had complete choice of any sports coupe, a Lamborghini Espada.

[HMC]

I'd quite like a continuation XJS....

 

For this project to be truely authentic to the spirit of the early XJS, and jaguar/BL in the 70s staff would be required to down tools and strike at various critical points of the assembly process.

[Jerzy Woking]

My mate had an Espada in his paint shop a few weeks ago. I had never heard of one, let alone seen one before. It was quite striking in a way, as it would easily seat four adults.

 

No reverse snobbery from me- I appreciate the Jaguar build, mainly for the passion and skill displayed by the builders, not because it is an E type. I just don't like the look of them.

[Inspector Morose]

Whether or not the E-type is a 'good' car or not, I like it when we (well, the Indians) celebrate our history and don't undervalue it - it's rare that we do, decently.

 

I forsee a future for Britain in which its real heritage is brought to the fore by foreign corporations trying to increase the intrinsic value of their products/service.

I find it quite sad that were in such a state as a nation that it takes foreign owners to realise how good we really were in the past. We're too busy trying to sell the family silver to realise what we are giving away.

[Uncle Jimmy]

Verdict- Rich people are nutters.

[fred]

Verdict- Rich people are nutters.

No rich people can order bespoke shite - we the great unwashed have to make do with shite cast away by rich folk then cast away by middle class folk, we get the moldy cheese nibblets - its a class thing ya know!

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

For this project to be truely authentic to the spirit of the early XJS, and jaguar/BL in the 70s staff would be required to down tools and strike at various critical points of the assembly process.

 

And a cheese and tomato sandwich in the door.

 

Given the $$$ I'd have one built. Start with a pre '80 Nevada import and start from there -all new panels, 6.0 V12 with 350+ bhp, 5 speed manual, uprated suspension - but Prairie yellow, Kents, black leather sans wood and black rubber bumpers.

 

 

 

That, Sir, would be a motor.