JAGUAR E-TYPE

JAGUAR -YP

THE DEFINITIVE HISTORY by Philip Porter Porter has already written a book under this title, but as it came out in 1989 and he has not stopped delving into Jaguar history since, it was time to conduct what he calls an ‘overhaul’ of this monster work. The resulting Mk2 has become the long-wheelbase version with all optional extras: a mighty tome, it now packs 690 pages,

with hundreds of additional photos. There’s even more detail of how the E-type came into being, with letters, drawings and notes from Norman Dewis, Bill Heynes and the like illuminating the endless experiments and testing which finally produced a sensational road car.

As well as the mechanical details, Porter assembles press comments, adverts, TV commercials and even cartoons to convey the car’s context, while the competition story is not just about the big names but also the keen owners who raced their road cars. The new edition notably incorporates a lot more information on the Lightweights, especially the laboriously restored Lindner Low-Drag car, brought back to life after its terrible smash, while the ‘Variations’ chapter now includes the svelte Eagle Speedster. As for the multiple Appendices, these are a packed fact fund. Who’d have thought they sold more E-types in Papua New Guinea than Peru? Lavish in presentation and awash with illustrations, this should keep the most obsessive E-type addict quiet for a month or two. GC Published by Haynes Publishing, ISBN 978 85733 1229, £99