Jaguar needed the E-Type to be a success. But on the track, the steel bodied E-Type, especially when pitted against the likes of the aluminium-bodied Ferrari 250 GTO, Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato and Shelby Daytona Coupes, proved too heavy to be competitive. Jaguar needed something… more.

Enter the legendary ‘Lightweights’.

Built using aluminium monocoque bodies, with aluminium doors, bonnet and boot lid, the car dropped 250lbs making it not only lighter than the production road car, but also 100 lb lighter than the Ferrari 250 GTO. Jaguar did not stop there though. Through the use of steel reinforcements and an with an aluminium hardtop, the factory also increased the overall rigidity of the car.

The engine was not spared the race treatment either. Now cast from aluminium, it also included a ‘wide-angle’ aluminium head with larger inlet and exhaust valves, a dry-sump oil system and competition flywheel. State-of-the-art Lucas fuel injection was also fitted, which led to an increased power output in excess of 300 brake horsepower, which was fed to the road through a four- or five-speed close ratio gearbox and limited slip differential. To save further weight, the wheels were manufactured from magnesium, really showcasing the weight-saving approach Jaguar took with these cars — they really were a cost-no-object project.

The Lightweight E-Type for all intents was a different car with one sole purpose: to win.