Description
This lot will be auctioned via Iconic Auctioneers, The Iconic Sale at Silverstone Festival 2024 - Collectors' Car Sale on Saturday the 24th of August, The Wing, Silverstone Circuit, NN12 8TN. I’m not sure whether Neville Swailes, CEO of Building the Legend in Coventry, is comfortable being compared to Rob Dickinson at Singer Vehicle Design in the US, but I suspect the comparison is regularly made. Both men are talented engineers who possess an innate sense of style, are passionate about automotive design, consider every detail - no matter how small - and are driven to create the ultimate, definitive versions of their chosen subject matter in a relentless pursuit of excellence. In the case of Singer, it’s 1989 to 1964 Porsche (911) 964s and in this case, Neville Swailes creates stunningly ‘reimagined’ Jaguar Sports Racers and Grand Tourers from the glorious 1960s.
Building the Legend (BTL) now offer their so-called ‘1966 Le Mans Prototype’ and ‘E-Type Reimagined’ models, powered by their version of the lost Jaguar V12, known as the ‘Tera.’ Neville’s discovery of the one and only surviving complete Jaguar V-12 Quad Cam that powered the original XJ-13 and his painstaking recreation of an XJ-13 is a fascinating story too long to tell here but suffice to say that his unique Tera V12 is at the heart of everything they do.
Swailes and his engineers took the quad-cam V12 concept and developed it further. Much further. Available in 6. 1 and 6. 8-litre capacities with a choice of Lucas mechanical or electronic fuel-injection, the Tera now produces between 350bhp and 650bhp - far more than Jaguar could ever have imagined. It not only powers their 1966 Le Mans Prototype, inspired by the XJ13, but is installed in BTL’s bespoke E-Types, of which just 24 are planned to be built.
Designed to 'recapture and enhance the excitement of a bygone age', each is tailored to the buyer’s specific desires, with a wide range of modern features available, such as speed-sensitive power steering, air conditioning, electric windows, electric parking brake and even parking sensors, USB sockets and satellite navigation. The chassis is uprated with modern suspension and brakes, bigger 16" wheels are fitted and there’s a choice of bodywork, whilst the interior is, of course, totally personalised. Finally, there’s a choice of roadster, coupé or low-drag bodies in hand-formed aluminium or steel. It takes eight to 12 months to build each one and costs in the region of £500, 000, depending on the donor car and specification.
The fabulous example on offer today started life as a left-hand drive Series 3 FHC before being acquired by BTL and converted to one of their first ‘Reimagined E-Types’. Its current owner, our vendor, lives on the Isle of Man and sadly is experiencing some health issues, meaning he has decided to sell this exciting Jaguar. Viewing is difficult on the IOM so he has entrusted the car to its original builders, BTL, who naturally know it intimately.
As each BTL E-Type is different, they have kindly let us have the build details for GAM 612J, although the complete specification is too long to list here.
Series 3 bodywork mostly removed and the car converted to right-hand drive
Bespoke steel bodywork expertly hand-wheeled by artisans in Coventry
Comprehensively stiffened monocoque and re-engineered independent rear suspension located by solid ‘race-spec’ rose-jointed trailing arms
Larger than standard vented discs (rotors) front and rear; large front & rear brakes (6-pot calipers on front; 4-pot on rear and separate custom hand/ parking-brake caliper)
Rear seating (S3) removed enabling a lengthened flat load area with a ‘Shooting-Brake’ feel
Fitted with BTL’s unique ‘Tera’ 6. 1-litre, quad-cam V12 offering 450bhp and 450ft/ lbs. Distributor-less with a custom ECU controlling fuel and cooling
Top Speed 180mph (est); 0-60mph in four seconds (est)
5-speed manual gearbox
Full custom Connolly-quality interior in tan (Whisky) with contrast piping on seats. Engine-turned central dashboard as a nod to the Series 1
Superbly presented in numerous coats of California Sage, a colour normally associated with DB Astons but perfect for this bespoke Jaguar
16” hand-made custom stainless multi-spoke wire wheels by Turrino of England; custom CNC-machined-from-solid eared spinners (angled differently front-to-back to line up perfectly front to rear; Goodyear 215/ 60 front & 235/ 60 rear tyres
Modern touches include speed-sensitive power-steering, central-locking, electric windows, proximity sensors, combined heater/ air-con, USB/ Bluetooth/ SatNav
And much more.
With recent showcase appearances in the UK at The London Concours and Salon Privé as well as invitations to Dubai and Monaco, the sculptural appearance of this unique motor car clearly turns heads wherever it goes but also delivers what is effectively 'supercar' performance. Attractively estimated today at a level that is about half of what it would cost to replicate, your early inspection is welcomed and encouraged to fully digest the unique opportunity that's on offer.
