Highlights

Extremely rare £80,000 Beacham E-Type V8S conversion
Converted in 2008 and only 16,600 miles since
Well presented car in attractive burgundy metallic with cream leather
Jaguar 4.2L 400bhp supercharged V8 engine and 6spd automatic gearbox
Recent new engine sensors and air conditioning re-gas
Beacham-fitted and trimmed interior with bespoke carpets
Comes with a spare wire wheel and additional spares
£3,000 of engine work and other repairs by The Jaguar Centre in 2023

The Appeal

When it comes to making your classic Jaguar more suited to modern motoring, few specialists have the reputation built up by New Zealand’s Beacham. The firm’s ‘V8S’ package for the E-Type gives buyers a radical overhaul of the firm’s Series III car, centred on fitting the supercharged 4.2L V8, producing 400bhp, from the modern XK, mated to a 6spd automatic gearbox.

As you can see in the photos of this pretty burgundy metallic V8S, the work doesn’t stop there. This car was restored and developed by Beacham for the current keeper’s father in 2008 at a cost of £80,000. The work included fitting a bespoke interior mixing lightweight bucket sports seats with an X100 dashboard and electrics.

This is a rare and potent E-Type that has covered just 16,600 miles since completion. In 2023, it was dispatched to the South West specialist, The Jaguar Centre, for £3,000 of work, including attention to the engine, electrics, and fuel system. It is said to start and run well.

Well-regarded and cleverly evolved using Jaguar parts, this is perhaps the ultimate version of Jaguar’s grand tourer. One not to miss.

The vendor says:

“This E-type Beacham is in good order with very low mileage from build.”

History and Paperwork

First registered 30th March 1973
Eight registered keepers
Current keeper since April 2026
Acquired by current keeper’s father in 2006
VRN: 9796MH
Chassis number 1S51756BW
MOT and tax exempt by age
DVLA registered correctly with 4.2L engine
Beacham build book and manual as shown
Beacham invoices and specification paperwork as shown
Various invoices from 2008 and 2023 from The Jaguar Centre (TJC)
£2,912 invoice from TJC covering engine and fuel system work as shown

Summary of Beacham V8S specification (further details in photos):

Full body restoration
Beacham Development to full XK8 V8 spec from current Jaguar XK8 model
XK8 V8 4.2 supercharged engine with fuel injection
6 speed automatic gearbox with sport mode
XK8 independent rear suspension with centre mounted diff pinion
Height adjustable progressive springs over fully adjustable Avo shock absorbers
Rear anti roll barand heavy front anti roll bar
Stainless steel exhaust system with catalysts
16" x 7" tubeless chrome wire wheels with low profile 235/60 X 16 Pirelli tyres
Front A/P 4 pot alloy calipers with 12.5" vented discs
Standard XK8 rear vented disc brakes
ABS
Traction control
Full climate control
Full XK8 electronics with data display
XK 8 memory steering column with light, wiper, cruise control and radio controls
XK 8 wood rimmed/leather steering wheel
Xenon front headlamps with xenon drive/fog lamps
Tinted glass
Electric windows
Door-mounted XK8 rear vision mirrors with memory function
Modified E Type seats
XK8 centre console with standard Jaguar radio and 6-stack CD player
Standard Jaguar security system with remote locking.
Full leather interior
Fine pile carpets with leather binding

The Condition

Attractive car in burgundy metallic following full restoration by Beacham in 2008
Small chips noted on each front wheel arch
Bodywork continues to present well as shown in photos
Bodywork modified to incorporate X100 door handles and Xenon headlights
Modified interior with X100 XK8 elements including walnut veneers
Light cream leather interior with tan piping in good order with light wear
Chrome wire wheels with matching spare wheel (no tyre as shown)
Steel space saver spare wheel fitted into wheel well of car
Air conditioning tested and re-gassed

Looking at this attractive burgundy metallic E-type, you have to admire the dedication of Beacham’s team. Aside from a couple of exterior tells, notably the flush X100 door handles, it looks, ostensibly, exactly like a standard late-model Series II coupe. Despite the passage of 18 years, the car remains in remarkable condition, with just a couple of very minor points to note, as detailed above and in the photos.

Inside the story is a little different. The standard E-Type factory fittings have been blended with the later X100 XK8 interior, delivering a sumptuous mix of leather and walnut that is pure GT. The cream leather trim is piped in beige with matching carpets, all featuring high-quality materials and remaining in good order. There is a shade of wear to some high-traffic fittings, but nothing unsightly. As detailed above, the car benefits from an array of XK8 electric features, including windows and a steering column.

The Mechanics

400bhp AJV8 4.2L supercharged V8 Jaguar engine
6spd Jaguar J-Gate automatic gearbox
Specification listed above and in photos
Uprated suspension and brakes as above and in photos
Lambda, engine coolant temperature, fuel rail pressure and air temperature sensors recently replaced
Vendor reports the engine starts well and runs smoothly
We are told the car rides and steers well and drives very well
16,600 miles since completion

As the specification list shown above and in photos clearly details, this car is about far more than dropping a modern engine into a classic car. The idea behind it was to evolve the E-Type using Jaguar engineering just as if the firm had done so itself.

The V8 engine delivers 25% more power through the rear wheels than the standard 5.3L V12. Power is delivered through a 6spd XK gearbox, rather than the 3spd of the V12, and offers improvement functionality via the ‘Randle Handle’ J-Gate arrangement. The brakes and suspension have naturally also been improved. Beacham quoted 0-60mph in 6secs.

The work was completed for the current keeper’s father in 2008, since when the car has been used regularly but sparingly. It went to The Jaguar Centre in 2023 for £3,000 of work, which is shown in the photos. More recently it received a range of new sensors, detailed above, to improve running. It is said to run and drive well.

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