114 |JaguarWorld/July 2019Finishing Lines
A
FTER 14 yearsandfive
victories, 1964 markedthe
finaltimethatacarprepared
byJaguar’sownCompetitions
Departmentwouldbe
enteredintoLeMans.Thecarwasthe
LightweightE-type(chassis850662)of
PeterLinder,whoenjoyedcloselinksto
BrownsLanethankstobeingJaguar’s
Germanimporter.
Afterasuccessfulfirstseasonin 19 63,in
MarchthefollowingyeartheE-typewas
senttotheCompetitionsDepartmenttobe
specificallypreparedforLeMans.Theengine
wasstrippedandrebuiltwith 15 /32in
camshafts,slidethrottleandappropriate
linkage,alargeroiltankandanewheader
tank.Withanewexhaust,powerfrom
theXKenginewasincreasedto 34 4bhpat
6,500rpm,thehighestfigureeverachieved
bythefactoryfroma3.8engine.Visually
morestrikingwasthenewaerodynamic
hardtop,whichwassimilartotheonefitted
totheE-typeLowDragCoupe,anin-house
prototypefrom 19 62,designedbyJaguar’saerodynamicistMalcomSayerandraced
successfullybyaprivateer,DickProtheroe.
Competinginthe 1964 LeMans’GT
class,atimeoffourminutesand5.9
secondsmeantthecarqualifiedinalowly
23rdplace–disappointing,buttheJaguar
sufferedfrompronouncedfront-endlift
andwasheavycomparedtoitsItalian
competition;itcouldonlyreach1 76 mphon
theMulsanneStraight.
Followingthetraditional4pmstart,
Lindnerandhisco-driver,PeterNöcker,
reachedashighas 19 th,butslowlyfellback
to 21 st.Thinkingtherewasaproblemwith
thehalf-shaft,thecarenteredthepitsat
10 pmforathree-hourstay.At1.30am,the
carrejoinedtheraceinlastplace.
Theproblemturnedouttobean
overheatingengine,andnotthehalf-
shaft.MechanicsFrankRainbowandBob
Penneychangedtheheadgasketinrecord
time,buttheproblempersistedandthe
cardroppedfurtherbehind,eventually
retiringat7.30amonSundaymorningafter
completing 14 9laps.ItmarkedthefinaltimeanXK-engined
carwouldcompeteatLeMansandwasa
verydisappointingendtoasuccessfulrunof
racesfortheBritishmanufacturer,eitherinits
ownrightorbysupportingprivateerssuchas
Lindner.Infactitwouldbeanother 20 years
beforeJaguarevenreturnedtoLeMans,witha
verydifferentteam(Group44)andcar(XJR-5).
Sadly,post-LeMans,theE-type’sfuture
wasbleak.Duringthe1,000kmraceat
Montlhérylaterthatyear,Linderaquaplaned
andcrashedheavilyintoanothercar.Although
Linderwasthrownclear,hediedinhospital
soonafterwards.TheJaguarwaswrittenoff
andwasimpoundedbytheFrenchauthorities
foroveradecade.Thewreckagewaslater
keptinstoragefor20yearsbyPeterKlausof
theRossoBiancomuseum,inFrankfurt.
ThecarwasrebuiltintheearlyEighties
usinganewbodybyLynx.However,in
2008,PeterNeumark–fromBridgnorth
specialistClassicMotorCars–bought
boththecaranditsoriginalbodyand
commissionedan7,000-hourrestorationto
reunitethem.CompetitionsDepartment’sfinalLe Mans,20-21June 1964