Guide: Jaguar E2A
Background
Jaguar’s competition programme of 1951 to 1956 was an enormous success. Le Mans victories for the C-type in 1951 and 1953 were followed by back-to-back wins for D-types in 1955 and 1956.
However, at the end of 1956, Jaguar withdrew from racing as company founder, William Lyons, wanted to concentrate the firm’s limited resources on developing a new production sports car to replace the ageing XK120/140/150 platform.
Despite the works team’s absence, Ecurie Ecosse nevertheless managed to make it a hat-trick of Le Mans wins for the D-type when they took victory in 1957.
Inspired by the D-type layout, Jaguar’s forthcoming E-type was to be constructed around a state-of-the-art semi-monocoque chassis unlike anything else available at the time.
The first experimental E-type was dubbed E1A. Built in mid 1957, the ‘A’ was in reference to its aluminium chassis.
Also significant was the adoption of independent rear suspension to replace the D-type’s outdated live axle.
Rarely seen in public, E1A was scrapped at the end of its useful life.
Chassis
Jaguar’s second E-type prototype was E2A, a scaled up development mule with a steel instead of aluminium monocoque. It also had a steel front subframe to carry the engine and suspension instead of the magnesium subframe fitted to E1A.
As per the E-type production car, E2A’s wheelbase measured 2438mm (96-inches), but track was 50mm narrower at both ends (1220mm).
Fully independent suspension was via double wishbones, torsion bars and telescopic shocks at the front. At the rear, Jaguar fitted half shafts with lower wishbones, twin coil spring / damper units per side and an anti-roll bar.
The disc brakes (inboard at the rear), 16 x 6.5-inch alloy wheels and tyres were all supplied by Dunlop.
Engine / Gearbox
An all-alloy version of Jaguar’s venerable dual overhead camshaft straight six engine was installed.
By using an alloy block with steel liners as opposed to the more common cast-iron block, Jaguar saved nearly 40kg.
The power unit displaced 2997cc thanks to a bore and stroke of 85mm and 88mm respectively.
Titanium connecting rods were fitted along with a dry-sump lubrication system and Lucas mechanical fuel-injection.
With a compression ratio of 10.0:1, the E2A’s XK6 motor produced 293bhp at 6750rpm and 230lb-ft at 6000rpm.
Transmission was initially via an experimental five-speed gearbox, although this was soon replaced with a four-speed unit.
Bodywork
Externally, the E2A was clearly derived from E1A. Both cars resembled a stretched D-type.
E2A’s aluminium bodywork was shaped by Malcolm Sayer with its form dictated by the latest aerodynamic understanding.
The one-piece nose featured covered headlights, a large oval radiator intake and a distinct central power bulge to clear the engine. All these details were later adopted by the E-type.
A full height windscreen was installed with side glass that tapered down to a pair of ducts that fed cool air to the inboard rear brakes.
The short tail section housed an unusual side-opening panel that allowed access to the rear axle and spare wheel.
The entire bodyshell was peppered with hundreds of exposed rivets while both the front and rear lids were heavily louvred to assist cooling.
Interior
The full width dash housed a large 8000rpm rev counter plus smaller combined pressure / temperature dials for the water, engine oil and axle oil. Mounted centrally was a bank of toggle switches and off to the left was a covered fuseboard.
Between the thick sills and transmission tunnel were two heavily reclined bucket seats upholstered in black vinyl.
Interior door panels were drilled for lightness and, like the exterior, the bare cockpit was home to an abundance of exposed rivets.
Weight / Performance
All told, the E2A had a weight of 875kg and a top speed in excess of 160mph.
Completion
Assembly began on New Years Day 1960. Eight weeks later, E2A was up and running.
Testing primarily took place at the MIRA proving ground and Lindley air force base.
Briggs Cunningham Steps In
Soon after completion, the car was shown to American, Briggs Cunningham, while he was paying a visit to the factory.
Cunningham was Jaguar’s US East Coast distributor and ran a large dealership on East 57th Street in New York. He was also a major motor sport player and raced D-types as part of his extensive team.
Cunningham convinced Jaguar to let him run E2A at Le Mans that year. The car already conformed with the three-litre engine limit and, as it had been designed as a road going prototype, also met the criteria for minimum windscreen height, a spare wheel and a full complement of lighting.
Jaguar agreed and E2A underwent hasty competition preparation.
To comply with the regulations, a rudimentary hood was devised.
1960 Le Mans Test
With just seven days of testing under its belt in preparation for its role as a racing car, E2A was taken to France for the Le Mans Test day on April 9th.
Still with bodywork in unpainted aluminium, it arrived wearing Jaguar’s VKV 752 trade plate.
Chief test driver and development engineer, Norman Dewis, went out soon after the circuit opened. He completed six shakedown laps before E2A was handed over to Cunningham driver, Walt Hansgen.
The four-time SCCA National Champion then stepped aside for teammate, Ed Crawford, but shortly afterwards, E2A came to a halt as the number one con rod had snapped.
The Jaguar finished the day with third fastest time behind a pair of works Ferrari 250 Testa Rossas.
Preparation for Le Mans
More testing at MIRA followed, during which time a D-type style tail fin was fitted.
E2A was then painted the Cunningham team colours of white with two blue stripes in preparation for the 24 Hour race that took place over the weekend of June 25th and 26th.
In addition to the Jaguar, Briggs Cunningham had a trio of Chevrolet Corvettes entered for Le Mans. His best drivers, Dan Gurney and Walt Hansgen, were allocated to E2A.
1960 Le Mans 24 Hours
Qualifying for the 24 Hour race was held over two sessions on the Wednesday and Thursday.
During the first evening session, Dan Gurney had just completed a fast lap when he had a 150mph tangle with the Scuderia Serenissima Ferrari 250 GT SWB of Fritz d’Orey. The Ferrari speared off the track and hit a tree with sufficient force to split it in two. Fritz d’Orey suffered severe head injuries that kept him hospitalised for eight months. He never raced at the top level again.
Although never publicly admitted at the time, the incident was related to E2A’s high speed stability issues; the least disturbance would send it into a series of tank slappers. The car had been set up at MIRA with a fair amount of toe-out on the rear wheels and, if it leaned just a little one way or the other, the rear wheel under load would direct the tail in a different direction.
Once E2A had been repaired, Gurney went out for some unofficial test laps on Friday night when the road was in public use. Adjustments were made and the handling was transformed.
The race got underway at 4pm on Saturday in warm and bright conditions.
Hansgen made a brilliant start and was up to third at the end of lap one behind Olivier Gendebien’s works Ferrari 250 TR and the fast Camoradi Maserati Birdcage driven by Masten Gregory.
However, the Jaguar’s engine soon became flat above 6000rpm and Hansgen called into pits at the end of lap three. Eight minutes were lost while a fuel injector pipe was replaced and E2A rejoined two laps in arrears.
Although the motor had lost its edge, the team carried on.
Soon after 6pm, heavy rain and hailstones meant visibility was sufficiently poor to require headlights. The race continued in dreadful conditions.
With three hours gone, E2A had made considerable progress. Despite a down-on-power engine, Gurney and Hansgen had moved into tenth position, three laps behind the lead Ferrari of Gendebien / Frere.
Unbeknown to the team though, the earlier problem had already done internal damage and, soon after 8pm, the Jaguar made a lengthy stop. It never re-appeared and, at 10pm, was officially withdrawn due to a blown head gasket and burned piston.
Post Le Mans Modifications
After Le Mans, E2A returned to the Jaguar factory. Briggs Cunningham wanted to race the car in a series of American events and, as it no longer needed to comply with World Sportscar Championship regulations, E2A was fitted with a 3.8-litre engine and cut-down windscreen.
1960 Bridgehampton Inter-Club Regional Contest
The car’s first race on American soil was the second annual SCCA Regional Inter-Club contest at Bridgehampton on August 28th.
The event attracted 150 entrants from 15 different car clubs and E2A would contest Race 8 for modified cars. Walt Hansgen drove the Jaguar which proved by far the fastest car of the meet.
Hansgen found he preferred narrow-section Firestone tyres to the original Dunlops and won his 15 lap race from Cunningham teammates Bob Grossman (Lister Jaguar) and William Kimberly (Maserati Birdcage).
1960 Road America 500 miles
Two weeks later, the Cunningham team cars including E2A were entered for one of the SCCA’s major National events, a 500 mile race at Road America.
Head mechanic, Alfredo Momo, installed a supplementary fuel tank in E2A’s rear boot area as the plan was to try and complete the race with just one stop. Whereas nearly all the other cars had two drivers, Hansgen would attempt to go the 125 lap distance single-handedly.
Two highly fancied entrants were Dick Thompson’s GM-entered Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray and the J. Frank Harrison Maserati Birdcage driven by Jim Jeffords and Jim Hall. However, both these cars were out by two thirds distance and, when the rain started to fall after 100 laps, numerous other accidents occurred.
At this point, Hansgen was able to gain several seconds per lap on his rivals, but a minor off on the final lap stopped any chance of victory.
After more than six hours racing, the top four cars all finished on the same lap.
The win went to Dave Causey’s Maserati Birdcage that he shared with Luke Stear. Augie Pabst and Bill Wuesthoff were 40 seconds back in the NART Ferrari 250 TR 59/60 with Hansgen another minute down the road in third.
16 seconds further behind was the Cunningham Birdcage of John Fitch and Bill Kimberly.
Two major end-of-season races on the West Coast then followed for E2A, both of which were part of the US Auto Club Road Racing Championship.
1960 Los Angeles Times Grand Prix, Riverside
First was the Los Angeles Times Grand Prix, a 200 mile contest at Riverside on October 16th.
The promoters were paying newly crowned double F1 World Champion, Jack Brabham, $5000 to appear at the event and Jaguar thought his presence in E2A would be a great way to promote the forthcoming E-type launch. They shipped the car from New York to California where it ran under a Jaguar Distributors of New York entry.
Now equipped with 6-inch wheels on the front and 7s to the rear, Brabham initially failed to qualify E2A against a grid filled with super lightweight sprint cars.
However, a special consolation race was organised to get him in. Brabham finished second in the consolation and came home tenth in the main event, one lap behind winner Bill Krause in the Maserati Representatives of California Birdcage.
1960 Pacific Grand Prix, Laguna Seca
A week later, E2A was driven by Brabham’s F1 teammate, Bruce McLaren, for its final outing, the Pacific Grand Prix at Laguna Seca.
The race comprised two 53 lap heats with the final positions decided on aggregate.
Although E2A was not really suited to the tight and twisty Laguna Seca layout, McLaren finished Heat 1 in twelfth and Heat 2 in 17th for an aggregate position of 14th overall.
Stirling Moss was the winner in his British Racing Partnership Lotus 19 Climax.
Subsequent History
With its racing career over, E2A was shipped back to the Jaguar factory and adapted to test Dunlop’s Maxaret anti-lock braking system.
The car was then stored until 1966, at which point it was repainted green, had its tail fin removed and served as a decoy to deflect attention from the top secret XJ13 project. In this latest guise, E2A ran round the MIRA test track for hours on end to bore any nosey interlopers into not paying the XJ13 any attention when it did emerge.
E2A was headed to the scrap heap when it was saved by Guy Griffiths for his esteemed Jaguar collection. As part of the purchase agreement, Jaguar refreshed the car and repainted it the Cunningham team colours of white and blue.
It was initially sold without an engine, but Griffiths did secure a 3.8-litre motor and the factory later supplied him with E2A’s original all-alloy fuel-injected three-litre unit.
Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: Jaguar - https://www.jaguar.com
