CHASSIS NUMBER: 860545
Originally supplied in 1962 by Fields Engineering, a name well known in competition Jaguar circles, and sold to local Merlyn Formula Junior works driver Malcolm Fruitnight. With a reputation as a Snetterton course specialist its no surprise he collected two outright wins and two podiums in 1963 there with 170 FPX, making the car a very rare all-steel period race-winning E-type. 170 FPX also has period Goodwood competition history, with Fruitnight competing in the GT grid at the 59th Members' Meeting against the likes of Peter Sargent, Peter Lumsden and Peter Sutcliffe in lightweight E-types, and race-winner Jackie Stewart in the Ecurie Ecosse Tojeiro. This car represents the ultimate Kinrara Trophy entry as one of only two pre-63 E-types currently racing with period Goodwood history - the other being the ex-Protheroe CUT 7.
Period photographs of 170 FPX racing show GB sign on the tailgate suggesting possible forays onto the continent. With good drivers receiving decent starting money it was quite common to take in a European campaign. The photos also show rear offset competition wire wheels along with the removal of the motif bar suggesting the car was prepped to Jaguar development engineer Peter Taylor’s description of “gentlemen racer”.
Fruitnight sold the car back to Fields Engineering in 1964 and the next owner, Leslie Davies owned the car until well-known Jaguar club racer, Derek Pearce, bought the car in 1976. Bought to race again the car stayed in dry storage as a future project until in 2010 friend and former Isle of Man TT podium bike racer Roger Cope persuaded him to sell the car. Roger was a long term Jaguar racer and wanted an E-type to compete in the 2011 Jaguar Heritage E-type Challenge to celebrate the 50th anniversary.
Roger Cope had the shell dipped (although the monocoque was so good repairs were restricted to a small section of the floorpan and spare wheel tray) and then built the car up with a full-blown Sigma Engineering engine and competition wiring loom – weighing in at 5kg over the homologated weight. The car was then painted opalescent dark blue to match its Heritage Certificate. Business commitments led to a partial season but he still finished 3rd in class overall. A full season in 2012 resulted in winning both class and the outright championship.
John Young, former owner of ‘CUT 7’ (860004); the ex Peter Berry car ‘3 BXV’ (850010) and Jack Lambert’s ‘26 RL’ (850016) wanted an E Type to compete in the Pre-63 GT Championship and so bought 170 FPX off Roger Cope. John sent the car to Valley Motorsport, who prepare many front running E Types, with a brief to make the car cosmetically period correct but to maintain its position as a front-running car. A subsequent engine rebuild and tune on the JD Classics dyno has led to a 309 bhp engine and a car the is fully capable of being a winner.
Road registered and carrying its original registration, 170 FPX is a perfect candidate for the Tour Auto, Modena Cento Ore, as well as Le Mans Classic and pre-63 GT.
Fresh from this year’s Kinrara Trophy at the Goodwood Revival where the car is a regular front-running entrant, it is not only stunning but race proven both in period and in recent times. The car comes with brand new HTP papers (valid until 2028) and copies of recent magazine articles.
An extremely rare opportunity to acquire an original Jaguar E-type with period competition history.
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