How did Jaguar get away with homologating all alloy XKE? | FerrariChat

How did Jaguar get away with homologating all alloy XKE?

Discussion in 'British' started by HistoryBuff, Oct 2, 2013.

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  1. HistoryBuff

    HistoryBuff Karting
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    Jul 1, 2013
    133
    I bought this old Jaguar book by Paul Skilliter and was amazed to read that when they built a few (12) lightweight E-types they got them homologated by saying the steel bodied ones were the race cars and the aluminum bodied ones the production cars. How could the FIA be so dumb? This seems to me more of a coup than Ferrari did when they got the GTO past the rules as a production car (by making only 36) by saying it was an evolution of type of the swb250GT. Was the FIA just rolling over for Jaguar?

    Or am I misinterpreting what I read?
     
  2. WILLIAM H

    WILLIAM H Three Time F1 World Champ

    Nov 1, 2003
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    HUBBSTER
    I read Porsche was supposed to build X 917s to homologate them

    They would show FIA a few cars then take FIA to lunch while mechanics installed different bodies on the same cars

    Then they'd bring the inspectors back & show them "different" 917s ;)

    Maybe FIA was just going along w it for the sake of racing
     
  3. miurasv

    miurasv F1 World Champ

    Nov 19, 2008
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    Steven Robertson
    There is an interview with Lofty England in which he said the alloy bodies were "options" or something like that.
     
  4. MotorMuseLTD

    MotorMuseLTD Rookie

    Jul 18, 2013
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    Jaguar had already officially withdrawn from factory racing in 1956-57 long before production of the E-type, any E-type raced in period would have been entered by privateer teams even if they did have factory support to some degree.

    Therefore any lightweight or low-drag E-type would be a "customer order" for these privateer teams to go racing with as was the case with Ecurie Ecosse.

    So I'm guessing that is how it was viewed by the motorsport governing bodies... a production car with an optional alloy body and other modifications available to customers who wanted to enter competition such as Ecurie Ecosse and others.
     
  5. msdesignltd

    msdesignltd Two Time F1 World Champ
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    FEAST YOUR EYES!



    [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZi57A--OIw]Goodwood Revival Meeting 2011 Fordwater Trophy Full HD! Celebrating 50 years Jaguar E-type - YouTube[/ame]
     
  6. Hugh Conway

    Hugh Conway Karting

    Jul 24, 2012
    141
    That wasn't Porsche:
    [​IMG]

    That stories been passed around for other marques though.
     
  7. damian in nj

    damian in nj Formula 3
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    Aug 24, 2009
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