Description
Supplied new to Tommy Atkins, ‘86 PJ’ was the fourth of just twelve Lightweight specification E- types completed, and with the exception of John Coombs’ prototype, the first delivered to the U. K. Under Atkins’ stewardship, the car was entrusted to the masterful British driver, Roy Salvadori for the 1963 season. Qualifying 1st for the Sussex Trophy at Goodwood’s Easter Meeting, Salvadori would encounter stiff competition in the form of Graham Hill and Mike Parkes; piloting the Coombs E-type and 250 GTO respectively. Salvadori would place 3rd on his first outing. 15. 04. 1963 - Goodwood Sussex Trophy - Roy Salvadori - Race No: 48 - Result 3rd (Qualified 1st) 11. 05. 1963 - Silverstone International Trophy - Roy Salvadori - Race No: 44 - Result 2nd 13. 07. 1963 - Grovewood Trophy Mallory Park - Roy Salvadori - Race No: 44 - Result 3rd 24. 08. 1963 - Goodwood Tourist Trophy - Roy Salvadori - Race No: 9 - Result 3rd 02. 05. 1964 - Silverstone International Trophy - Roy Salvadori - Race No: 38 - Result 5th Throughout the remainder of the 1963 season, Salvadori would go on to achieve a number of podium finishes at Silverstone, Mallory Park and once again Goodwood, in the Tourist Trophy. Salvadori was to race ‘86 PJ’ on only one occasion in 1964 - at Silverstone - after which Tommy Atkins decided to part ways with the car; selling it to Jac Mac Motors. Roger Mac, son of the owner, and up-and-coming talent, found great success at the wheel of ‘86 PJ’ throughout the remainder of the 1964 season, before listing the car for ‘£3, 500 or nearest offer’ in 1965. 23. 05. 1964 - Oulton Park - Roger Mac - Race No: 89 - Result 1st 06. 06. 1964 - Oulton Park - Roger Mac - Race No: 95 - Result 1st 13. 06. 1964 - Crystal Palace Pontin Trophy - Roger Mac - Race No: 26 - Result 2nd 14. 06. 1964 - Brands Hatch - Roger Mac - Result 1st 20. 06. 1964 - Mallory Park - Roger Mac - Result 1st 11. 07. 1964 - Brands Hatch - Roger Mac - Result DNF 03. 08. 1964 - Brands Hatch - Roger Mac - Result 17th 29. 08. 1964 - Goodwood Tourist Trophy - Roger Mac - Race No: 33 - Result DNF 13. 09. 1964 - Mallory Park - Roger Mac - Result 1st 19. 09. 1964 - Silverstone GT - Roger Mac - Result 1st 26. 09. 1964 - Snetterton Autosport 3 Hours - Roger Mac - Race No: 9 - Result 2nd 18. 10. 1964 - Church Lawford Sprint - Roger Mac - Result 1st 26. 12. 1964 - Mallory Park - Roger Mac - Result 1st Roger Mac sold ‘86 PJ’ to Peter Mould, a Birmingham based businessman, already well versed with XK-powered competition cars, having previously owned a Jaguar C-type and Lister. Mould would only find a modicum of success with ‘86 PJ’ - most notably - a class-winning, fourth-overall at Mallory Park. Mould advertised the car in October of 1965, by which time the Lightweight was nearing the end of its career, such was the case, the car proved a tough sell, and Mould relisted 86 PJ for a second time in April 1966 and for a third in November, 13 months after it’s original listing, Mould eventually sold the Lightweight to dealer and racer, John Harper, who kept the car for just 3 months before passing it on to collector and motorsport photographer, Guy Griffiths, in exchange for an XK150. Enter Penny Griffiths (later Woodley): Guy’s daughter, who was entrusted with ‘86 PJ’ for competitive use in a number of events. Having been threatened with the deprival of use should any harm befall the car, Penny wisely chose to stick to mostly sprint events and hill- climbs - including Shelsley Walsh in August 1968. After 40 years, ‘86 PJ’ changed hands once more, by which time - having been cared for fastidiously and masterfully driven - the car was the best-persevered of the factory E-type Lightweights, and therefore, the new custodian set about the intricate task of ensuring it remained as such. Having been purchased by life-long enthusiast, Paul Michaels, the next stage of the car’s life would be centred around protecting its remarkable originality. Nowadays a highly commendable state in which to present a car, the opportunity to preserve does not often come knocking, and should not be taken lightly. In 2004, Michaels entrusted world-renowned marque specialists Eagle with the task of preservation. The intention was not to create a show-car, but return it to a state in which it appeared most authentic. With fond boyhood memories of seeing Salvadori compete in the car at Goodwood, Michaels chose to return ‘86PJ’ to light metallic green, having arrived at Eagle in Griffiths’ favoured hue of Old English White. Upon removal of the hardtop, the team at Eagle soon found clear traces of metallic green. Always learning; they also suspected that the car had originally been supplied to Atkins in bare aluminium. Despite being driven 2, 600 miles in competition, the car only experienced the lightest of knocks, and such was the nature of its subsequent care, the body and mechanicals were found to be in exceptional condition. Awash with an air of authenticity impossible to replicate, the car’s stunning leather interior was...
