Blue Oval Under the Bonnet: Stunning Jaguar E-Type Restomod
The auction listing might be goofy, but this Jaguar E-Type restomod is absolutely spectacular.
When you think of James Bond, you probably don’t think about him driving a Jaguar — because he never did. In Ian Fleming’s novels, Bond drove a Blower Bentley, and in the movies, he’s most associated with Aston Martin.
But those facts didn’t stop the owner of this 1964 Jaguar E-Type from adding some 007-style touches to his ride. Honestly, the Bond mentions, and the promise to include cardboard cutouts of Sean Connery and Daniel Craig, made for the goofiest auction I’ve even seen on Bring a Trailer. But the car itself looks like a masterpiece, and while purists might squeal about the fact that there’s a 302 V8 from Ford Racing sitting underneath that gorgeous bonnet, given Fleming’s opinions on cars, it’s safe to suggest he’d have appreciate the upgrade.
“I like a car I can leave out in the street all night and which will start at once in the morning and still go a hundred miles an hour when you want it to and yet give a fairly comfortable ride. I can’t be bothered with a car that needs tuning, or one that will give me a lot of trouble and expenditure.”
Now, as I’ve said here before, I’m far from a purist. My XJ6 had a small block Chevy engine under the hood, and I just did a post on how much I love replicas of old Jaguar race cars. So while I might have gone with a monster mill from the mad scientists at V12LS for my dream E-Type build, I’m 100% down with the engine swap here, and love the idea of rowing gears with its modern five-speed Tremec transmission.
To start, the body was taken down to bare metal, acid-dipped, and lovingly massaged to a better state than it was in when it left Coventry. Just like Bond’s famous Aston Martin DB5, the exterior was sprayed in silver, and whether it’s an original factory hue or not, you have to admit the finished product looks magnificent.
There’s something about seeing a car in such a raw state that makes my inner gearhead swoon, so I’m stoked that the listing featured a bunch of shots of the restoration — it drives home just how much work went into this silver stunner.
Though there are no power figures mentioned, the engine has a hot cam, Edelbrock electronic fuel injection, and multiple tunes which can be dialed in from the cabin.
Since even the mildest of Ford Racing’s V8 setups are packing well over 300 horsepower, it’ll deliver more punch than the original V12, along with better reliability. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that it looks smashing sitting in that surgically clean engine bay.
As I said above, there were a couple of Bond-inspired modifications made here, including secret pistol storage, a Pioneer stereo with a flip-out screen, and a cigarette lighter that’s modified to say “Fire Missiles.”
Of these, the only one I really don’t dig is the head unit. After all, you don’t have to be packing heat to appreciate extra storage nooks, and the lighter is hilarious, and well executed. But I’d lose the modern stereo and put in a period Jaguar one, so the classic vibe of the cabin would be fully intact.
With a car as revered as the E-Type, there are going to be people who think they’re works of art, which should be kept as close to factory as possible.
Others, like Chip Foose, are moved enough by the lines that they want to take make them their own. Personally, I’m right in the middle. I think the aesthetics are already perfect, but love the idea of modern power, handling, and reliability. So for me, this is probably the most perfect E-Type I’ve ever seen — and the fact that this car sold for $185,000 means I’m not alone.
Make sure to check out the original auction listing for loads more photos and commentary from the Bring a Trailer crowd, and if you want to discuss particulars of the build, post a thread here on the forum. It’s sure to prompt some great discussion!