In a world where history is often forgotten, only the icons of the past remain bulwarks of culture, sometimes without the vast majority of people even knowing why. It's a myth and that's it. In automotive terms, this role has been played for years by the Jaguar e-type, the unforgettable and unforgettable supercar of the Sixties. But it is by no means just a question of style and beauty. On the contrary.
What makes it extraordinary is that it was designed at night in a rudimentary wind tunnel that consumed so much electricity that it could only be used when the rest of the country was asleep.
And everyone was still asleep when the car was tested, because the only place where it could run at the top speed of 240 km/h was at 5 am on the M1
In one of these races they discovered that the roof was shaking, so, to weigh it down, they sewed a row of lead pellets onto the canvas (empirical solutions typical of racing cars). They also gave the rear suspension a tweak. The chief engineer had only one month to design an entirely new system. The boss, William Lyons, bet £5 against him. And yet the engineer did it. And the Jaguars used that system for the next 24 years.
But Lyons wasn't fully satisfied with the final result. He didn't like the back and he thought it wouldn't sell. He put the prototype in the garden, among the flowers (he always did this) to study it carefully. And he was more and more doubtful. He was wrong though. Because, when the e-type was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1961, it was hailed as a star. There were so many requests for test drives that they had to rush another car to Switzerland from the Coventry factory. And that full-throttle journey is legend today.
And it wasn't just the looks that enchanted everyone in 1961. At the time, a Ferrari, a Maserati of this type cost 6000 pounds. The Jaguar e-type cost 2098 and then, thanks to the 3800 inline six-cylinder engine, derived from that of the XKs that had dominated at Le Mans, it was faster. Under the bonnet was the jewel of the C-type and D-type that had beaten everyone at the 24 Hours in 1951, 1953, 1955, 1956 and 1957. It was a joke for that mighty straight-six to get behind all the competition too of road supercars. Enthusiasts had to wait five years to find a car that was right in front of them, when another legend then emerged: His Majesty Miura.
Finally, the Jaguar e-type – even by today's standards – is a powerhouse. It is no surprise that the car has become a must-have for VIPs. Princess Grace, Steve McQueen and Tony Curtis had one. Like Frank Sinatra, George Best or Charlton Heston. No car had ever generated such a stir. And in reality no one has done it anymore. A unique charm, achieved without a shred of advertising, without ingenious marketing gimmicks. Raquel Welch was absolutely right when she said “If you're attractive you don't need to act”. The e-type has made – and continues to make – the world fall in love without ever playing a part.
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