The Jaguar Egal

[John Turner]

Barrie 'Whizzo' Williams was the man 'In the Hot Seat' in the March edition of MotorSport. One of the questions he was asked was about the Jaguar Egal, the E-Type fitted with a 7-litre V8 Ford Galaxy engine prepared by Holman & Moody! I remembered seeing this car at Silverstone many years ago and last night found a picture that I had taken at the time. I've also found the programme for the event which was the Cornthwaite Trophy Race meeting on 1st July 1967. According to the programme, on that occasion it was driven by R(ob?) Beck and my memory of it was of coming through Becketts in the lead with a horde of G12s in attendance, opening up a fair gap on the Club Straight only to have them rush up to the back of him under braking for Woodcote (no chicanes or complex then!). I'm pretty certain that it stayed ahead and won! Apparently, Whizzo won in this car over 20 times. Anyone have any recollections of this car and the impressions it left?

[John Turner]

Originally Posted by John Turner

Anyone have any recollections of this car and the impressions it left?

No-one then? is this one of those racing cars, memories of which are lost in the mists of time? If 'Whizzo' drove it, surely not?

[Will Turner]

Dear John,

I took this picture on my box brownie circa 1965, at Oulton Park

Hope it comes through OK

Will

[petestenning]

I have a couple mentions on my program listings of the Jaguar Egal both times for Barrie

Both were Motoring News GT rounds in 1967
25th June at Mallory Park
14th October at Silverstone
Listed as Blue in colour.


Pete

[John Turner]

Welcome Will; great to see this resurrected, thanks, and your input, Pete. My pic has disappeared as, in those days, I posted them through Imageshack, and so I'll see if I can dig it out again! I was surprised that there were no responses to my initial post but then it was a long time ago, and even longer now!

[John Turner]

Ok, let's see how this grainy old pic comes out:-

[Mike Fisher]

Dear John

Just read your letters regarding Rob Beck's Egal Jaguar. I remember this car very well. It was built by a friend of my Geoff Richardson (ex Formula 1 racer and builder of the RRA [Richardson Racing Automobiles] sports racing cars). The car was commissioned by Rob Beck and I witnessed its progress over a number of months.

As you say it had plenty of straight line speed and passed everything on the straights only to be passed by the more agile cars at the next corner.

I was talking to Barrie Williams last Saturday at Shelsley Walsh hill climb, he was driving an ex-work Broadspeed Mini Cooper.

Regards

Mike Fisher

[John Turner]

Mike, great to hear from you. Do you have any pics of the car from that period and do you or indeed anyone else know what became of this car?

[Mike Fisher]

John, sorry to say I cannot help on both counts. In those days we did not think it was so special as to warrant taking photographs. I have no idea who owns it now, the magazine Classic and Sports Car mentioned it a couple of years ago. Unfortunately, I cannot remember the details.

Mike

[Alfie72]

This is worse than deep recovery hypnotherapy - just when you think it's safe to come out again, something like this gets brought back to the surface.

The thing was awesome - In a very childish like way as I remember! It was a monster of a thing that had this 15 yr old boy very excited indeed.

I will need to take a look deep into the Proggy box and see if I come across anything. 1967 is certainly a time when the programmes were kept. Cornthwaite Trophy certainly rings a bell. Leave it with me

[John Turner]

Mike, thanks for your input, anyway; all info is gratefully received. I must admit however, that it was a bit of a stand out car, at club level anyway, and, I suppose, is now all the more special when looking back over such a long time. The fact that it's subsequent history seems a mystery makes it all the more so, and Alfie's post hits the spot for me. More, anybody, please!

[Alfie72]

All I have to do is master the posting of a couple of scans -

[Alfie72]

Well, what do you know, it worked!!

[John Turner]

Well done, Alfie. So it was Whizzo in the car on that occasion. I tended not to mark my programmes much in those days!

[Andrew Kitson]

I remember seeing it at Silverstone in my childhood, in '67 I think. The reason I took notice of it was because I recall my Dad telling me it had a Galaxie engine..and my Dad had been a mechanic on the ex-Alan Brown Galaxie the year before when raced by Jacquie Bond-Smith. There is colour film of it on the BRSCC '67 season review film. A very short clip from Combe.

[terence]

John,sorry this is sooooo late,only just taken notice of the title!. As you know,Whiz and myself go back a fair while but one of his many recollections of the Egal was that first time out it scared the [life] out of him because the brakes were so bad! Best thing was the handling,it went round corners as if etc.I'll ask if he has any other pictures of it when I see him later in the week.

[dave vass]

This picture of the Egal was taken at Castle Combe on 30th July 1966. On this occasion it was driven by Chris Summers.

[Alfie72]

What a memory - I had quite forgotten that Chris drove it.

I think the Egal was the only roof I ever saw him under. That is if you exclude the old Silverstone Scrutineering Bay!

[dfuzz]

a friend's father owned this lovely beast in the 70s and 80s in manhattan beach, california. to ride in it (I was probably 14 at the time) was an experience unlike any other. glad to see it is still inspiring dialogue. anybody have any idea where it lives today?

[John Turner]

Welcome dfuzz; yes, it would be good to learn that it still exists and, if so, where?

[Bob Riebe]

Originally Posted by terence bower

John,sorry this is sooooo late,only just taken notice of the title!. As you know,Whiz and myself go back a fair while but one of his many recollections of the Egal was that first time out it scared the [life] out of him because the brakes were so bad! Best thing was the handling,it went round corners as if etc.I'll ask if he has any other pictures of it when I see him later in the week.

What did it have for brakes?

The FE Ford is only apprx. forty pounds heavier than the Jaguar six.

How many changes were made to the car?

[goodwoodweirdo]

Would be great to find any more information on this car and other cars of Mr Rob Beck... he had a Jaguar XJ-S in the 70's would love to find pixs of that... especially as I just brought it ...


Mrs Beck told me, she thought the Egal was sold to New Zealand, but hey its a long time ago...

Cheers
Matt

[charles fuchs]

I have just joined your ten-tenths team and was reading about the e-gal. Just wanted the world to know that the car is at the present time in Mamaroneck, New york and is about to move to Connecticut for a total restoration. We have all the parts and the engine has already been rebuilt. The car belonged to my brother in law who passed away and has now come into our possession. We feel it is only fitting to rebuild the car and bring it back onto the world stage.

[morninggents]

Welcome to the forum. Great to hear the car is being rebuilt and I hope you bring it back over the pond sometime.

[Alfie72]

Originally Posted by charles fuchs

I have just joined your ten-tenths team and was reading about the e-gal. Just wanted the world to know that the car is at the present time in Mamaroneck, New york and is about to move to Connecticut for a total restoration. We have all the parts and the engine has already been rebuilt. The car belonged to my brother in law who passed away and has now come into our possession. We feel it is only fitting to rebuild the car and bring it back onto the world stage.

Charlie, you have my sympathies, but also my heart-felt support for your project. As you can see from this thread, some things are never forgotten.