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EType1961OultonPark
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Special feature

Why Britain's greatest sportscar was eclipsed on the world stage

The E-Type may be the most famous of all road-going Jaguars, but that didn't always translate into success on the track. After winning on its competition debut in 1961, motorsport success seemed an inevitability, but things didn’t turn out to be quite that straightforward

When Graham Hill and Roy Salvadori finished first and third on the Jaguar E-type’s competition debut at Oulton Park in April 1961, the future looked bright. The new and striking Big Cat was only denied a 1-2 by Innes Ireland’s Aston Martin DB4 GT in the closing stages, and the best Ferrari was a distant fourth.

With the world sportscar championship becoming the International Championship for GT Manufacturers in 1962, there was a feeling that Ferrari’s hegemony might finally be challenged. “Britain’s hopes are as bright as they could be, for the new Jaguar should be more than a match for the pre-eminent 250 GT Ferraris,” reckoned Autosport.

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