More E-Type tales

Sir,

I read with interest Terry Harrison’s letter in the April issue concerning the ERA-Jaguar. I am able to confirm his story that the car was built from E-Type chassis GP1, not that of the spare GP3.

I have seen photographs of GP1 ‘s accident in the Isle of Man and the subsequent fire, but in no way can one see that the rear of the car was damaged so badly as to need a new chassis. In addition, when I visited the ERA works at Dunstable in the mid-1960s they were using the front end of GP3’s chassis in the dyno shop for testing E-type engines.

Also, I sold the car to Duncan Ricketts after Gordon Chapman had died. Duncan dismantled the car and I can confirm that the chassis had GP1 stamped upon it in the correct position.

With regard to GP2, I took the tachometer out of this car in the early 1960s not realising that it was this car. After Gordon died, I bought the car from a guy in Cumberland (whose name I cannot now recollect) and rebuilt it as Standard GP2. I then drove it in a number of events. The car is now owned by Gordon’s daughters, Lucy and Narisa.

Bill Morris, Victoria, Australia