The Ultimate Classic – The Eagle E-Type Speedster

There’s no arguing that the Jaguar E-Type is and was one of the most beautiful cars ever built. It was launched in 1961 and made a big impact, this was partly due to the quick celebrity following from stars such as Frank Sinatra, George Best, Steve McQueen, Charlton Heston and Princess Grace. The most amazing thing was it only cost £2000, £4000 less than the average Ferrari of the day, and what’s more it was faster than the Italian Sports car too.

It is hard to better a car such as the E-Type Jaguar, however this has now been done. A small company in East Sussex called Eagle has done the impossible, they have rebuilt the E-Type. Eagle is a company that lives and breathes the E-Type Jaguar. Owner Henry Pearman’s passion for e-types began at a young age when he saw the E-Type jumping a bridge in a milk tray advert. It was after a customer had asked for something ‘a bit special’ and a conversation between Rick and Paul Brace from Eagle, where this idea of reinventing the E-Type began and the Eagle Speedster was born.

Whilst look-wise it remains very similar, apart from the lower windshield and deeper Aluminum bodywork, the interior is brand new, however still retaining that E-Type feeling. The main difference comes when you look under the surface as each component has been entirely rebuilt with the addition of modern engineering, such as a 5 speed gearbox, an Aluminum differential and optimized suspension. All the additions of modern light weight components combined with a 4.7 liter engine means that the Eagle Speedster has a better power to weight ratio than a Porsche 911 Turbo.

The engine sound is amazing and resembles that of a fighter plane and with a top speed of 160 mph, a 0-60 of just 5 seconds, the driving experience is pretty unbelievable too.

This has to be the ultimate car and it even won over Jeremy Clarkson, so much that he proclaimed it was the most beautiful thing in the world and his favorite car of all time, which is no easy accolade.

There is only one problem and this is the cost. For ‘the most beautiful thing in the world’ there is a £500, 000 price tag. This means that most of us will never be able to drive one, however if you did have this sort of money as spare change, we cannot think of any better investment. jaguarspeedster.com

Become a Gentleman’s Journal Member?

Like the Gentleman’s Journal? Why not join the Clubhouse, a special kind of private club where members receive offers and experiences from hand-picked, premium brands. You will also receive invites to exclusive events, the quarterly print magazine delivered directly to your door and your own membership card.

Click here to find out more