The Jaguar Egal

[chunterer]

Welcome Charles and many thanks for sharing this information about the car.

[John Turner]

Charles, very sorry for your loss and yes it would be great to bring this great old warrior back to the track.

[charles fuchs]

Gentleman,

We have started the restoration of the E-gal at Vantage motors in Stanford Connecticut and now I am trying to piece together as much history as I can find. I have a reprint of and article by Geoffrey Richardson titled Jaguar "E" type- Ford Galaxy Project, December 1964 "Jaguar Driver" Midland News Letter. I'm open to all input on the car, articles, books or who knows what. I will try to post pictures if my computer skills allow.

Charlie

[mxfrank]

Charlie:

I was delivering some parts to Vantage this afternoon, and was surprised to see a familiar lightweight bonnet poking out of the corner of the shop. My condolences about Woody, I had met him a couple of times in Mamaroneck, and he helped quite a bit with my projects.

The last time I saw the Egal, it was in Newark, NJ. I think that's where it received the chromate primer, and possibly an engine rebuild. I think there was some prior work done at Automotive Restorations.

There's a five page spread on the Egal in Phillip Porters "E-Type The Definitive History". Porter has a written lot of books on E-Types, but this is the only one in which I recall him discussing this particular car. I have an extensive collection of Jaguar literature, I'll see if I can find anything else that might be helpful.

I suggest that you get in touch with Peter Sachs and see if there are any photos in the Klementaski collection. I can't find anything in the online search, but if you can compile a list of venues and go through the proofs with him, you may get lucky.

http://www.klemcoll.com

Mike

[Colin McKay]

Charlie, as well as the Midland newsletter piece, I came across a write up in the JDC Dec '64 magazine which details a run off between the Egal and Roger Mac's lightweight at the JDC sprint at Church Lawford in Oct '64, great entertainment by the sound of it but no pics of the car. PM me if you don't have a copy.

[morninggents]

Don't keep us in suspense, Colin! Who won? What times did they do?

[John Turner]

Yes, Peter, I agree! At a guess Egal quicker down the straights but probably not so good in the brakes/handling department.

[Colin McKay]

From the article by Harold Koster:

It was here that a most exciting duel took place between Rob Beck in the Jaguar/Ford/Egal and Roger Mac in his lightweight. Although Rob was in the unlimited class Roger had turned in a time during practice of 43.6 which is only 0.02 of a second outside the record for the course held by Tony Griffiths driving his BRM.

Unfortunately Roger failed to beat Rob, Rob returning from start to finish in BTD of 44.5 secs. The fact that Rob achieved BTD cancelled him from the unlimited class win and this went to that most likeable fellow Geoff Richardson with a time of 47.4 seconds beating the Cooper-Jaguar of H Chamberlain whose time was 50.1.

During the dice between Roger and Rob, I asked Rob if, irrespective of who BTD went to, would he lend Roger his car to see what time he was able to achieve driving the 7,000cc Galaxy/Jag. With enormous magnanimity Rob agreed to do so thus pinpointing the second highlight of the day and a great climax to the meeting. Therefore after Roger had completed his third run (failing to beat Rob's time of 44.05 seconds by 0.04 of a second), it was announced that Rob Beck was lending his car to Roger Mac to see if he could beat BTD driving the same car. It caused great excitement in the paddock among the participants and spectators.

After a few leading questions as to rev. maximums etc., Roger went to the line for his first practice run. He literally danced up the straight as he overcame adhesion with too much power and returned a time of 45.8. Not too bad considering he had never driven the potent weapon before. However a moan went up from the crowd when the time was announced and a grin appeared on Rob's face as he remembered Roger's elephant dance up the straight. On his second and official run, it was announced as he passed the finish line , by Albert Shaw, Clerk of the Course, "Rob, you'd better sell your car to Roger - he's done 44.01".

The other highlight referred to was an earlier run off between a standard E-type and Stingray whose owner was smarting from comments in "a monthly motor sports magazine" that the Stingray did not compare well to the Jag. The eventual outcome was in the Jag's favour by a margin of 2 secs, but the interesting bit is the comment by the Stingray owner when he first issued the challenge - "You may have trouble locating an 'honest' E-type". Plus ça change

[morninggents]

Thanks Colin. It made interesting reading, particularly the Corvette driver's comments!

[TonyS]

[Colin McKay]

Can someone explain to me why the 155mph run by the Egal was unplaced yet the 147mph run shows 2nd or am I missing something obvious?

[grantp]

Originally Posted by Colin McKay

Can someone explain to me why the 155mph run by the Egal was unplaced yet the 147mph run shows 2nd or am I missing something obvious?

Slower time (slightly) but higher terminal speed?

(I assume that the article you quoted and the results booklet were not for the same event.)

[Mike Harte]

Originally Posted by Colin McKay

Can someone explain to me why the 155mph run by the Egal was unplaced yet the 147mph run shows 2nd or am I missing something obvious?

I am assuming here because I don't know how they awarded places, but having looked carefully and repeatedly at all the different classes, I think that I have come up with an answer.

It would seem as though the places were awarded based on the fastest time that was achieved in either of the car's runs. So, the second run of the second running of the Egal was completed in 23:00, just pipping the second run of the first running of the Egal by 9 hundreths of a second.

Hope that makes sense!

[charles fuchs]

just got back from an extended vacation and read the responses for the e-gal. Thank you all, I learn more about the car each day. Vantage has done a pre-fit on the car and we are figuring out what parts we need to locate. It is on it's way for body stripping in the next few days and then hopefully we can start some assembly work. Woody never through anything out so I am going through the spare parts (of 2 Astons and the E-gal) to try an figure out what's what.

Charlie

[backfire]

Originally Posted by Colin McKay

Can someone explain to me why the 155mph run by the Egal was unplaced yet the 147mph run shows 2nd or am I missing something obvious?

This is normal sprint or hill climb rules (or Drag racing). The driver with the fastest TIME in his class during any of the qualifying runs wins. A fast getaway with a lower terminal speed will often beat a more powerful car with a tardy start but higher terminal velocity.

[charles fuchs]

Mike,

Thanks for the info on "Jaguar E-Type The Definitive History" I have a copy priceless info.

Now I am trying to locate the flywheel and starter, otherwise we have most of the bits. I have a feeling they might have been sent out and not retrieved, any ideas

Charlie

[charles fuchs]

The e-gal has been finished and the work done to her was exemplary. I have driven her and it can truly be said the car is awesome.

Charlie

[275 GTB-4]

Originally Posted by charles fuchs

The e-gal has been finished and the work done to her was exemplary. I have driven her and it can truly be said the car is awesome.

Charlie

Well done Charlie!

[morninggents]

Great news. Are you planning on bringing it across here anytime soon?

[John Turner]

Yeah, we got to see that.

[275 GTB-4]

Originally Posted by John Turner

Yeah, we got to see that.

I assume that you have used an americanism here to say "Yes please old bean, we would love to host a visit by your good self and of course your lovely vehicle to the Old Dart"

[John Turner]

Unfortunately, the races I currently get involved in would not be appropriate but I'm sure that we could talk to a few people who would be delighted to see this terrific car on their grids, old chap.

Apologies for the previous slang; I was probably in a hurry.

[badterminal]

I have a story told too me by Geoff Richardson about the Egal.
I used to work for Geoff at his garage serving petrol when I was 15-16 years old.
Geoff told me that they had finished doing some work on the Egal, but it was too late to enter the car at Shelsley Walsh Hillclimb, Geoff had driven there many time plus commentated.
He managed too get a run in the Egal, but only if he took the Clerk of coarse up the hill too close. He went on too tell me that the C of C came down in brown trouser after he had finished the closing run.

If anyone has any up to date news or pictures of the Egal that would be great, the last I heard it was up for sale.

[John Turner]

Welcome, badtml, great that fresh stories about this car still emerge, and yes, any news as to its current state/whereabouts, anyone?

[rbs]

I did see it at Kop Hill in September. Looked immaculate a lot tidier than in period.