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Dismantled E-type to be restored

Published 26 July 2017

One of the first 500 E-types made by Jaguar has been found in pieces in France and is to be brought back to life. Chassis No. 875256 is one of the very early 3.8 left-hand drive, open two-seater, outside bonnet lock models. It will be restored by Classic Motor Cars of Bridgnorth.

The car was delivered new to the Belgium Motor Company dealership in Brussels in July 1961 and was subsequently sold to ‘Societe de Civel Immeubles en Afrique.’ It resurfaced in France in 2015 and records indicate that it was imported from Luxembourg in 1975.

Although it’s in bits, the is complete and was bought by the previous owner to be restored. He gave it to French restorers who started work on the car, but shortly after took it away and kept it safe in his garage in Grigny in the southern suburbs of Paris, France.

French E-type (2)

David Barzilay, CMC chairman, said, ‘Chassis No. 875256 is literally in boxes in our workshops awaiting a much-needed nut and bolt restoration. It will be a challenging project but all the factory parts are there and our skilled fabricators and technicians will do all they can to save as much as the original car as possible. It will roll out of our workshops just like it left Browns Lane in 1961.’

He added, ‘We are currently delving through the car’s history files to find out more about its life. These early E-types are sought after by collectors and investors alike, and the fact that they keep on resurfacing after years in the dark is still amazing.’

CMC is famous for having restored some of the most famous E-types, including Lofty England’s Chassis No. 4, the Lindner-Nöcker Lightweight, and 1VHP - the first right-hand drive coupe off the production line (the first of only four outside bonnet lock cars).

In 2016 and after 2956hrs, they completed the restoration of E-type chassis No. 15, also found in France in a very sorry state. This was the fifteenth right hand drive fixed head coupe E-type to leave Jaguar’s production line in 1961 and the press car that turned heads at the Scottish Motor Show that year.