Jaguar Semi Lightweight E Type

This car was originally built in 1963 as a 3.8 litre Series 1 roadster.

It was sold by Henlys of London in March 1963 and given the registration number 75 PJ. According to renowned motor racing photographer Guy Griffiths, it was part of a pair of cars bought by Tommy Atkins. The other car was an original Lightweight E, with registration 86 PJ, which was subsequently entered by Tommy Atkins in numerous races for Roy Salvadori.

Ten years later, the roadster, chassis number 850678, was bought by Dick Crosthwaite on a rainy night in Leeds in 1973 for £300. By then, it had lost its original registration number, and had been re-registered as LHD 782.

Close inspection revealed a rust ridden body that clearly needed replacing, and Dick decided he would re-body the car as a “Semi” Lightweight.

Dick’s many contacts in the motor racing community made sourcing the necessary parts relatively easy. Guy Black, the founder of Lynx Motor Company, supplied a boot lid, hard top and bonnet, all in aluminium, along with an original, boxed set of Dunlop alloy wheels.

Fellow Bugatti enthusiast Hugh Conway provided an original ZF 5 speed gearbox which is still fitted.

At that time, original panel parts were available as new old stock from Stephenson’s Jaguar dealership in Tonbridge. This source provided a replacement main floor section and sills, boot floor and rear wings.

The rolling chassis was taken to RS Panels in Nuneaton for Bob Smith to weld everything together.

Due to the ever expanding business at Crosthwaite & Gardiner, progress on the Semi Lightweight project slowed. Some of the final assembly work, along with trimming, wiring and paintwork was therefore outsourced to Eagle E Types.

The engine still retains its original block, number RA-1207-9, but during the rebuild Dick replaced the cylinder head with an original Lightweight Wide Angle “Squish” head. He also converted it to dry sump specification.

Now fitted with triple Weber 45DCO3’s, the car also comes with a complete Lucas sliding throttle fuel injection system. Dick built this system using original parts, and by copying the factory injection inlet manifold, and did run it on the car briefly. The front bulkhead has the modification necessary to fit the injection system.

Fifty years on from that rainy night in Leeds, Dick has decided it is time to part with this piece of his history. A new custodian can look forward to enjoying this superb Semi Lightweight example of Jaguar’s iconic E Type.

A Jaguar Heritage Trust Certificate, confirming both the chassis and the engine numbers are original, and showing a date of manufacture as 4th March 1963, is included with the car.