1962 Jaguar E-Type

Following the introduction of the Jaguar E-type in 1961, Jaguar and their competition department, led by ‘Lofty’ England, were keen to keen to promote the E-type on the racing stage. With a desire to encourage Jaguar’s favoured dealers to compete, ‘Lofty’ England would allocate them an additional E-type, often with competition modifications being carried out by the Jaguar competition department.

In 1961, renowned Leicester based dealer, Walter E Sturgess, then headed up by Robin Sturgess, the grandson of the company founder, had a desire to race. Originally allocated an E-type roadster which was delivered to him in July 1961, Sturgess competed that season at events at Mallory Park, Snetterton and Silverstone. Upon delivery, Sturgess wrote to the DVLA to request a low number registration. ‘1 BBC’ had already been allocated, so he settled on ‘2 BBC’, and promptly registered his new competition E-type with this registration.

Ahead of the 1962 season, Sturgess wished to compete in a E-type Fixed-Head Coupe. A deal was struck with Jaguar, and he was supplied with chassis 860133. With experience gained from the previous season, Sturgess specified his new E-type to be prepared with countless competition modifications, including a close ratio gearbox, a choice of three different differentials, 9:1 compression ratio, gas flowed cylinder head, gas flowed exhaust inlet manifold, upgraded brake discs and competition brake pads.

Dispatched form the factory on 10th January 1962, Chassis 860133 was finished in Carmen Red and delivered to Robin Sturgess at his Leicester based dealership. Following the retirement and subsequent sale of his 1961 Roadster, the registration number ‘2 BBC’ was transferred to the new E-type ahead of its competition debut at Snetterton in March of that year.

Sturgess took the 1962 season by storm, regularly beating many of the greats in the latest Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato’s or Ferrari and their 250 SWB’s and 250 GTO’s. ‘2 BBC’ was entered in a staggering 25 events that season, amassing a remarkable 10 victories and 9 additional podium finishes at circuits including Snetterton, Oulton Park, Silverstone and Mallory Park – a record surely not rivalled by any other top-flight GT car of the period in a single season.

Uniquely, ahead of the famed Autosport 3 Hour race at Snetterton, Sturgess fitted ‘2 BBC’ with a long-range fuel tank, and a bespoke Perspex rear screen in place of the standard rear boot. To eliminate the risk of the rear brakes overheating, a common problem on competition E-types, ‘2 BBC’ was fitted with additional brake ducting that exited the car through the Perspex rear screen, removing as much warm air as possible. An external aluminium fuel filler was also added to aid refuelling.

Following the success of 1962, Sturgess kept ‘2 BBC’ and used the car as a demonstrator before selling the car in November 1964 to Arthur Ashton Limited, Bournemouth. From there, the E-type made its way to the USA, where it would live a more relaxed life and was enjoyed as a road car for many years.

It wasn’t until 2018, when ‘2 BBC’ was tracked down, quietly residing in a collection in the USA and still in road trim. The car was purchased by British collector and historic racer, Mark Midgley, who quickly repatriated the famous E-type back to the UK.

On arrival, the car was sent to Chris Keith-Lucas of CKL Developments for appraisal before being reunited with Robin Sturgess at Silverstone for a feature article in Motorsport Magazine.

The decision was made to return ‘2 BBC’ to the racetrack, and to the same period specification in which the car was so successful in 1962. The talented team at Jaguar specialists Just Historic Cars were tasked with the restoration, which was diligently documented from start to finish. A new competition specification engine was built by Pete Lander (Sigma Engineering) and the car was completed and returned to the correct Pre-63 GT specification.

Today the car is race-ready and a potential winner in Pre-63 GT or the prestigious Stirling Moss Memorial Trophy at the Goodwood Revival where the car has been a regular participant. Accompanied by its freshly rebuilt period engine and close-ratio gearbox along with an extensive spares package, ‘2 BBC’ presents a rare opportunity to acquire a highly successful and significant early specification competition E-type .