The Auto Channel-Sports Car International Magazine

The Lost Lightweight
Jag E-Type Today

Buried in a suburban garage for 35 years, a long lost, but not forgotten lightweight E-Type sees the light of day again.

It is not often that you get to tell a story that contains so many icons, heroes and plot twists, but here comes one now. Most Jaguar enthusiasts would agree that the E-Type is one of the most beautiful visions ever translated into sheet metal. Those who knew the aluminum-bodied racecars whispered that one of the dozen made was missing, or perhaps forever lost. It seems improbable that this tale would have a climax ripped straight from the pages of Cinderella's ball, but truth is often more entertaining than fiction.

When the Jaguar E-Type was unveiled to the public in March of 1961, at the Geneva Motor Show, the praise was unanimous. A company known for making stylish sedans and sportscars had just set a new world standard for beauty and speed. The 150-mph top speed of the coupe gave the Jaguar true supercar credentials for its day. Never before had a Jaguar been able to capture the hearts of so many car-crazed adolescents and adults.

It seemed a natural step for the boys at Coventry to unleash the E-Type on the racing world after the many D-Type victories that had enhanced Jaguar's performance reputation. But perhaps the best stroke of luck for the fledgling car was when British Jaguar dealer John Coombs secured the development services of Graham Hill for the 1962 season. Coombs Racing became the behind-the-scenes factory-sponsored team for Jaguar.

Another person featured prominently in the E-Type's early career was American sportsman, Briggs Cunningham. Paired with hot-shoe Roy Salvadori, they drove a fixed-head coupe to a fourth place finish at the 1962 Le Mans. Perhaps Jaguar would have had more success with their sleek beauty if they had not had the misfortune to go racing at the same time as Ferrari's fabled GTO.

Enzo managed to circumvent the rules that required a production level of 1000 for the car to be homologated for GT racing. He claimed that the GTO was a simply a 250 GT with a different body, but, in fact, the modifications transformed an adequate road car into an exciting racer. John Surtees explained, "It was a very sympathetic old car to drive. It did nothing extremely well, but it did everything quite well."

So looking to improve the E-Type's performance and beat Ferrari, Jaguar developed the Lightweight GT Coupe, a variation also referred to as the "Low Drag Coupe." The body was made from thinner-than-production steel panels, and the rear tail featured a unique tapered shape. The racing results were good, but the Ferrari GTOs were even better.

In an effort to close the competition gap between the Jaguar and the Ferrari, Coventry dissected a GTO that Coombs had purchased. Jaguar's Experimental Department guru, Malcolm Sayer, came to this conclusion: "It is obvious that the superior power of the E-Type must be offset by the lighter weight, better aerodynamics, superior gearbox and better handling of the GTO Ferrari."

On November 16th, 1962, Jaguar's Competition Department was issued two pages of instructions for a new car, the "E-Type,1963 Competition, 1st aluminum body." This special project No. ZP 537/50 called for 18 cars with unique engine, chassis, and body numbers, (but only 12 were built). It was quickly decided, instead, "...to allocate identity numbers from the current production 'E' Type series - the chassis numbers to be prefixed with an 'S' and the engine numbers to have an 'S' suffix."

The plans called for aluminum to be used for the body, engine block, removable top and the enormous bonnet. In order to maintain the ruggedness needed for racing, many parts had to be modified. Under the section "Body and Chassis Frame," the following modifications were listed: - Weld and gusset aluminum body where necessary. - Strengthen rear and mid engine mounting. - Strengthen kick-up/floor joint. - Fit hardtop from Coombs "E." - Fit 14-gallon light alloy fuel tank. - Fit sliding perspex side windows, aluminum bonnet, and seats from Coombs "E." - Make lateral support from back of driver's seat.

Unlike production cars, the Lightweight's 3.8-liter engine was fuel-injected and had a dry-sump oil system. Extensive modifications were made to the suspension and brakes to improve the handling and survive the rigors of racing. The most obvious visual differences that distinguish the Lightweights were the two rows of raised holes on the trailing edge of the roof, and at the rear of the deck lid.

Two cars (chassis numbers S850659 and S850660) were hastily prepared for the March 1963 running of the 12 Hours of Sebring. Number S850659 was supplied to East Coast Jaguar distributor Briggs Cunningham, who selected Walt Hansgen and Bruce McLaren for the driving duties. West Coast B.M.C. distributor Kjell Qvale entered the subject of our story, number S850660, with Frank Morrill and Ed Leslie sharing the driving chores.

In a recent conversation, Leslie credited his first-in-class, seventh-overall finish to Joe Huffaker's expert preparation. According to Leslie, Huffaker "replaced the narrow stock seats with some more comfortable racing chairs. Huffaker also calculated how long the oil could last and when the brake pads needed to be changed. It was arranged so that the pads were replaced at the same time that fresh oil was put into the dry-sump system. A small door was cut into the bonnet, in front of the driver. A plunger arrangement was devised so that three or four quarts of oil could be added without taking the time to lift the heavy bonnet."

Leslie shed some light on the details of S850660's current appearance. 'The dent in the right door came when the right rear tire blew out." All of the places where bare aluminum shows through the paint are repairs from damage inflicted in the long 12 hours of Sebring. After the race, Leslie drove the car back to Miami's airport. On the way, a highway patrolman pulled over their little convoy and gave Leslie's teammate in the rental car a ticket. Leslie escaped unscathed despite the fact that his car ran straight exhaust pipes and still had the #23 on the doors. The only other time S850660 raced was that summer at Laguna Seca. Leslie recalls that the Jag was not fast enough to be competitive in a short sprint.

It seems unlikely that one of the first two factory racers would wind up "lost" for 35 years, but that is the next twist in our story.

Howard Gidovlenko was a Russian-born American who had earned the reputation for producing high-performance engine parts for XKEs at his Auto Dyne shop and who also had connections in the aircraft field.

Briggs Cunningham wanted Gidovlenko to arrange for the sale of a certain aircraft, and in return Cunningham persuaded Qvale to sell S850660 to Gidovlenko. On October 29, 1963 Gidovlenko purchased this "Demo" XKE for $5000. With only 2600 miles on the odometer, the engine was removed and rebuilt, no doubt with several unique modifications.

The next year, Gidovlenko's aircraft engine business began to take off. He built the engines for such famous hydroplanes as SloMoShun, Hawaii Kai, and Maverick. Long-time friend Dennis Darger explained that Gidovlenko didn't lose interest in the XKE, but because of his success with aircraft and hydroplanes, the Lightweight moved from the front burner to the back burner, and finally off the stove and into his suburban garage in La Mirada, California.

Like the legendary Sleeping Beauty, this Lightweight Jaguar drifted away from public consciousness and became a story, then a rumor, and finally a myth. How could one of only a dozen cars with such a prestigious pedigree just disappear? Gidovlenko was a private man who never sold anything from his collection, and he did not tell a lot of tales - he preferred to let his actions speak instead. After his recent passing, he left an enviable legacy of deeds, both professional and personal.

Jaguar expert Terry Larson had heard tales of the lost Lightweight and had initially dismissed the L.A. sighting as an incorrect identification of some tarted-up club racer. He flew to L.A., then traveled deep into the heart of the suburbs where he met with Darger and Howard's sons Rex and Lex Gidovlenko. When Larson first saw the car, he "knew right away it was for real." Under a mound of boxes lay the Jag, coated with 35 years worth of dust and debris.

After Larson's visit, the brothers agreed to place the car up for auction. The prestigious RM Classics were setting up their first auction at the Doubletree Hotel during the 25th Monterey Historic Weekend. One of the largest auction houses and restoration shops in North America, RM widely advertised the historic racer with an estimate of $600,000 to $800,000. Most enticing for would-be owners, it was offered with no reserve.

For many, the August auctions represented a chance to bid on the car of their dreams. For others, it was an opportunity to feel the pulse of the sportscar market in a direct and first-hand manner. Few people had expected the enormous entertainment value of the bidding war that ensued when the scruffy Jaguar drove up on the block that hot August night.

A mysterious British gentleman selected Richard Freshman of Fossil Motorsports in Chatsworth, California to bid on the Jaguar. Freshman is known for his expertise in obtaining and restoring cars for vintage racing. The bidding started at $50,000. One minute later it had reached $200,000, and Freshman jumped in. While the auctioneer persuaded the other bidders to take leaps of $50,000, Richard kept up a steady bidding war with raises of only $5000 more than the previous volley.

The crowd's mood changed from polite interest, to rapt attention, to a boisterous cheering. At $500,000, Freshman's principal adversary did something very unusual. He crossed the hall to whisper in Freshman's ear.

Neither threats nor bribery could deter Freshman from his mission, and he instructed the auctioneer to resume the sale. At $675,000, his antagonist dropped out, but another bidder joined the battle. By this time the crowd was on its feet, cheering the combatants on with one loud raucous voice. Finally, at $815,000 ($872,050 with commissions), the war was over. Freshman was victorious.

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