Over the years the E-Type Jaguar (aka XKE) has won many accolades as one of the most beautiful cars ever made. Indeed none other than Enzo Ferrari said so soon after its launch in 1961.
As part of the 50th anniversary of the E-Type’s launch Jaguar will have plenty of cars at this weekend’s extravaganza at Monterey. Jaguar is the featured marquee at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports reunion at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.
Jaguar expects more than 65 historic Jaguar race cars will participate, either on track or on display, including at least 7 Jaguar C-Type cars, 11 Jaguar D-Type cars and 3 XKSS cars. These cars accumulated 5 Le Mans victories as well as hundreds of additional wins across the globe.
Significant cars will include the Jaguar XK120 driven by America’s first World Driving Champion, Phil Hill, to victory in 1950 at the very first race on the Monterey Peninsula, the Pebble Beach Road Races which was run through the Del Monte forest on sections of the famous 17-Mile Drive.
Also in attendance will be the Jaguar C-Type driven by Hill at Elkhart Lake, Wis., to win the 1952 Sheldon Cup, once again on an open road course, before the construction of Road America. Co-incidentally, this year also marks the 50th anniversary of Hill’s Formula 1 championship. He began his long and illustrious racing career while working as an apprentice for Jaguar in the United Kingdom.
You can also see Bob Tullius’ Group 44 1974 Jaguar E-Type that won a string of seven races and the 1975 SCCA B Production Car Championship.
If you’re thinking of buying a new Jaguar you’ll find examples of the 2012 XF, XK and XJ models, including the all-new high-performance XKR-S, will be available for consumer test drives at three events throughout the weekend: Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, The Quail Motorsports Gathering, and on Peter Hay Hill at The Lodge on Pebble Beach. The Jaguar C-X75 hybrid super car will be on display at the Pebble Beach Concours Concept Lawn on Saturday and Sunday.
Looking back one can see how the E-Type’s stunning looks and 150 mph performance at a truly affordable price immediately made it an aspirational car. I can attest to this as I grew up in the UK at the time and it immediately became my dream car and I was fortunate enough to own a 1966 E-Type for nine years between 1977 and 1986.
For a fascinating take on the history of the E-Type and the affection it holds for British car enthusiasts you can do no better than watch Jeremy Clarkson’s recent segment on the E-Type on Top Gear (UK). And, in typical Jeremy Clarkson fashion, there is a zinger at the end of the video, so watch it through to the end.
Related posts:
- Jaguar Celebrates 50 Years of the Iconic E-Type
- Jaguar E-Type Celebrations Continue
- 50th Anniversary of the Renault 4
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