- BODY: Aurora Model Motoring
- WHEELS & TIRES: Road Race Replicas
It’s a Jaguar E-Type! Does anything more need to be said?
There have been times when, in conversation with other car nuts, I am asked to explain my passion for old Jaguars. The argument is often made that they are mediocre cars at best; that they may be pretty, and they may have been at the top of the mark way back in the late 1940’s and early 50’s, but since then they pretty much rested on their laurels and never achieved much. Academically, these arguments have some validity. But here’s the thing about being a gearhead: there are some cars that invoke such emotion in you that when you see one, hear one, even smell one, rationality evaporates like morning dew in the sun. Nearly every Jaguar built before 1988 has this effect on me; save for the XJ-S, there isn’t a single one I wouldn’t own. I don’t care about the numbers, the comparisons, or the arguments; I see one, and I just want it! And like that teenage lover you’ve never been able to forget, you can think you’re over it until you have another encounter…and then the whole thing starts all over again!
A big part of the appeal is the sound they make: if you have never heard a six cylinder Jaguar roaring down a racing track on open exhausts, you’ve missed one of the most beautiful sounds a machine can produce. Many of the world’s greatest cars have distinctive tones; the howl of a Ferrari Columbo V-12 is unmistakable, and in most cases I can tell the difference between a Chevy, a Ford and a Chrysler big-block just by the sound they make. But there is nothing in the world that sounds like a Jaguar inline 6; the only thing that even comes close is a fellow countryman, a concurrent six cylinder Aston Martin. In this context, I love the E-Type because it is the ultimate road-going Jaguar.
As with all 4 of the Aurora E-Types in my racing fleet, both the the front and rear wheel arches have been radiused, partly out of necessity for fitting the Ultra-G chassis, but also out of a concern for the car’s looks; the stock version of this car was made with bizzare squared off wheel arches that, especially at the front, bear no resemblance to the real car. Beyond that, the proportions are acceptable; not great, really, but as I’ve mentioned before a lot of small scale models of this car don’t look right, and the Aurora version is better than many. Fitted with RRR wire wheels and that same firm’s peerless low profile silicone tires, this is a wicked fast T-Jet which takes a lot of skill to keep on the track!
Bearing racing number 34, This “Carmen Red” E-Type is named “Spitfire.” She is a 1965 model owned by Reggie “Rocketeer” Rowe, a naturalized Californian originally from “across the pond” just like his car! Fitted with the 4.2 Litre engine and featuring a recent upgrade from the original 4-speed to a Getrag 5-speed box, she has had plenty of porting and polishing done on the head and a high performance exhaust for heavy breathing. Most importantly she also has every Jaguar racer’s favorite modification: an intake manifold upgrade featuring a trio of wicked looking Weber side-draft carbs. With the XK’s big bore and all that torque on hand, “Rocketeer” Rowe has 6-in a row, ready to go!
Oh, by the way, in case any of y’all doubt what I’m saying about what a properly tuned E-Type sounds like, here’s a chance to hear it for yourself… but be warned, you may lose all respect for the rest of the world!
I like the peeps there enjoying the sun and the Jags there at Drag City. I can understand the appeal especially with those old Jaguars. One thing is the styling, they were such unique cars visually, they always stood out beautifully from the crowd!