Customer Reviews

The Most Famous Car In The World: The Story of the First E-Type Jaguar

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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.

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!

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.