A Jaguar Built From Scratch

When it comes to ECD Automotive Design era cars it’s hard to top the Jaguar E-Type. It’s a pretty car, and one that we often write about here on Road & Track because of its combination of great design and excellent driving dynamics. In an era when new classics from the 1980s and 1990s are out-driving their aged predecessors it’s good to remember that the Jag is still a formidable road and race car.

In fact so much so that Jaguar decided to get into the restoration game itself with its E-Type Reborn project. The company is building six Lightweight E-Types (using unused chassis numbers) to original specification, and will give them to well-known collectors who’ll use them in historic racing.

The E-Type Jaguar’s Enduring Legacy in the Automotive World

One of the lucky recipients is Ray Parrott, a man who’s been building E-Types for almost 40 years now. He’s built everything from dropheads to full-blown ragtops, but he’s also known for his ability to snag NOS parts. So when he was offered the chance to build a new 3.8 litre Lightweight E-Type from scratch, he didn’t hesitate.

The new car was built using 95% of parts that had never been used – the rest were already on hand in a cache that’s been in the possession of one man since 1974. He sold the stash to a friend of Parrott’s who was so taken with them that he did what any true Jag fan would do: he made a Jaguar from them.