Chassis No. 850301

The Jaguar Heritage Trust Certificate records that this E-Type was just the 301st production car, built on 13 December 1961 as an early flat floor, Outside Bonnet Latch Roadster and, interestingly, was the first E-Type to receive seat belt anchors from the factory. The car left the Jaguar on 2 January 1962, sold by Henlys Limited of London, England, to Mr. H. A. Pierpoint, father to Roy Pierpoint, a notable British Saloon Car Champion before being gifted to his daughter Patricia. The car was traded at HWM Motors, where it was purchased by Fred Cliffe, followed by noted E-Type aficionado Philip Bennett in 1970. With a competition mindset, Bennett raced the car in 1971 at the Harewood Hillclimb, the long and short course at Topcliffe, and Longridge in 1973, where it was involved in a shunt.

By the late-1980s, while under Bennett's ownership, the car was restored in the manner of the factory Lightweight competition E-Types. This work was performed by noted specialist R.S. Panels of Nuneaton, England. The body panels including the bulkhead, scuttle, sills, boot lid, doors, and hardtop were replaced in aluminum. Only the tub remained in steel for structural integrity. An original Abbey Panels Lightweight bonnet was refurbished at this same time, the very same company that worked with Jaguar to create the original bodywork in 1963. The mechanicals of the car were equally upgraded, with the 3.8-liter engine built to D-Type-dry sump lubrication specification and fitted with Piper Cams, Accralite pistons, two-inch inlet valves, Weber DCOE 45 carburetors-now reported to make over 330 horsepower. The substantial grunt is directed through a competition close-ratio Getrag five-speed gearbox and put to the road via Centrelok D Peg Drive Alloy wheels. In addition, the car received a Lightweight-specification set of brakes and suspension components on all four corners.

Once the car was complete, Bennett returned to competition in 1993 on the Isle of Man, where he set the lap record on the Willaston Circuit and won the Birkett Six-Hour endurance race at Snetterton Circuit in Norwich, England. Following this success, the car was purchased by Tony Statham in 1994, and it was raced in the Rallye des Pyrénées from 1995 through 1997. The car was then acquired by Roger Clark in 2004, who kept it for three years.

In 2007, the Semi-Lightweight was acquired by the current owner, a noted Southern California-based collector with a fine taste for European sports cars and imported to the United States. Upon acquisition, it is noted the alloy body was finished in its current and original shade of Opalescent Silver Blue over a Blood Red leather interior and outfitted with a dual fire extinguisher system, Willans four-point racing harness, adjustable pedal box and brake bias, roll bar, and Jaeger 180 mph speedometer and Smiths 8,000 rpm chronometric tachometer. Under current ownership the car has been used at numerous show events throughout California, and as a high-performance Sunday morning Cars & Coffee GT. Most notably, it was accepted and shown at the 2011 edition of The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering and as a part of the 2011 Monterey Motorsports Reunion-both true highlights for the 50th Anniversary of the E-Type. Furthermore, the car received a full mechanical inspection, including a clutch replacement in 2021 before returning to England in preparation for sale at Broad Arrow's Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este auction.

This E-Type offers a compelling opportunity to acquire an E-Type that closely mirrors the original factory Lightweights while building on the car's European competition history. A truly stunning build, this E-Type blends lightweight construction with aluminum body panels and increased performance like the factory-built examples. Complete with an extensive history file, this "Semi-Lightweight" E-Type is ideally suited for continued competition use at some of the most prestigious racing events around the world.