Dramatic good looks, pure racing pedigree, and sensational performance: when the Jaguar 9600 HP prototype emerged from the factory's gates in 1961, it set a new standard for automotive glory. This gunmetal gray roadster led an exciting life, "modeling" for catalogs, used in publicity stunts, belonging to a high-profile film director, passing to several auto enthusiasts, and finally, arriving in the hands of author Philip Porter. In 1999, through the talents of Jaguar's most skilled specialists, the 9600 HP underwent a total, fanatical restoration. Now it is shared with all the world in a tribute to a legend of the road.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Booklist
Car enthusiasts will appreciate Porter's history of the prototype of the Jaguar E-type, which was unveiled in 1961. This prototype was the custom-manufactured progenitor of "what was to be the most exciting production car the world has yet seen." The Jaguar motor company built only a handful of prototypes for the E-type (which was called the XK-E in the U.S.), and all but one were destroyed. The one not destroyed, with registration number 9600 HP, which was the one introduced to the public on that day in 1961 in Coventry, England, is "profiled" here through its long, up-and-down history. Prototype 9600 HP served as "press car" for Jaguar, for use in ads and brochures; it was owned subsequently by a film director and then a racing driver. After that, it came into the possession of collectors and, finally, into the author's hands, who lovingly restored it to the sleek grandeur it possessed at its 1961 unveiling. A fascinating piece of automotive history. Brad Hooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
About the Author
Philip Porter is the world's leading authority on Jaguar cars, the company and the personalities, with 12 Jaguar books to his name, including an award-winning definitive history of the E-type. He is one of the World's leading Jaguar sports car collectors and also owns the E-type which appeared in THE ITALIAN JOB. He has just written and published the first in a set of CD-Roms on the E-type. His other interests range from The Sherlock Holmes Society to racing airships.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Car, Great Book,
By
This review is from: The Most Famous Car In The World: The Story of the First E-Type Jaguar (Hardcover)
As a former, long-time owner of a 1965 E-Type coupe, I had always been interested in the formative period of Jaguar's most recognizeable shape. This was at a time in England's history when the last remaining effects of WW2 had finally been shaken off, and their automotive industry was once again producing sports cars. While the MGs and Triumphs of the period were great cars, their mechanical origins dated back to the thirties. The E-Type was something new, having a Le Mans winning engine, disc brakes, and Jaguar's own independent rear suspension. All this added up to a 150 mph top speed, with ride and handling unmatched by anything the Germans and Italians could come up with. 9600HP, now in author Phillip Porter's hands, led a very hard life, first as a development hack, then as the Geneva show car, and finally as a press demonstrator, where it was thrashed repeatedly to its 150 mph maximum. Porter finally obtains this car in the mid-1970s, but doesn't get around to restoring it until 1999. When 9600HP is finally restored, it is done to a level that emphasizes its status as the first E-Type shown to the public, rather than a production car. What makes this story even more remarkable is that the E-Type was developed by a very small team of engineers and craftsmen. Phillip Porter has long been regarded as the preeminent Jaguar historian, and his latest book continues that tradition. The writing is clear and concise, and the photos showing 9600HP's life and subsequent restoration are very good. I highly recommend this book for anyone with an interest in the E-Type--and the price is right.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful book,
By
This review is from: The Most Famous Car In The World: The Story of the First E-Type Jaguar (Paperback)
I discovered this book by coincidence during a holiday in Helsinki some ten years ago. It is hard to describe why, but, since then, it has been one of my favorite car books. The story, the way how it is written, the pictures... all together make it a pleasure to read. Not so many technical details, but all about the "life of a car"... and not just any car, but the "iconic" E-type!
3.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting read.,
By
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: The Most Famous Car In The World: The Story of the First E-Type Jaguar (Paperback)
This book is the story of the press car in many of the photos (9600 HP) of the E-type, its life and subsequent restoration.
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