10 replies to this topic

[Derwent Motorsport]

The Freddie Owen E type Special raced in the Coys 2 hour races at MG Live! According to the commentator it has been hidden away for 30 years. I was involved in running another car in that race so did not get a photo of it. Not very pretty really and much slower than John Clark's Lighweight E type that won race. It was being driven by Neil Cunningham.

Does anyone have any knowledge of the car and why it was modified?

[garyfrogeye]

Was it the red one (see my level of technical knowelege)?

[Derwent Motorsport]

Yes, it was red.

[garyfrogeye]

I was standing close to it in the garage (sorry I didn't fancy taking an image of it) try this link though). It looked quite strange close up. Apologies if the owner/ driver/designer is reading this.
http://www.flickr.co...hin/3711028292/

[Derwent Motorsport]

I actually wondered if it had been rebuilt from a car that had rolled! A bit like that Hindustani that were sat on by an elephant to make it into a modern car!
Someone must know more?

[tonyb]

This could be the car that Jaguar World Monthly carried a feature on a few months ago, or
maybe last year. It was a special (not really an E-type as such) built by Freddie Owen and
restored by Lynx many years ago, and recently revived. Peter Waterman maybe had it
in the '80s or early '90s but didn't do anything with it.

[dillamore@btinternet.com]

This could be the car that Jaguar World Monthly carried a feature on a few months ago, or
maybe last year. It was a special (not really an E-type as such) built by Freddie Owen and
restored by Lynx many years ago, and recently revived. Peter Waterman maybe had it
in the '80s or early '90s but didn't do anything with it.

Just for the record. the car is not an 'E type special'. The car, designed and built by my stepfather Freddie Owen, was constructed in 1958 / 9 before the E type was ever launched - it was originally powered by a Triumph 1800 engine.

[tonyb]

Just for the record. the car is not an 'E type special'. The car, designed and built by my stepfather Freddie Owen, was constructed in 1958 / 9 before the E type was ever launched - it was originally powered by a Triumph 1800 engine.

Okay but don't believe I said it was an 'E-type special', just described it as a 'special' and '(not really an E-type as such)'...

[dillamore@btinternet.com]

Okay but don't believe I said it was an 'E-type special', just described it as a 'special' and '(not really an E-type as such)'...

You are quite right - my comment was, to some extent, relating to other 'posts' on the site - perhaps would have been more appropriately addressed to them - not too conversant with this communication medium - apologies!

[dillamore@btinternet.com]

The Freddie Owen E type Special raced in the Coys 2 hour races at MG Live! According to the commentator it has been hidden away for 30 years. I was involved in running another car in that race so did not get a photo of it. Not very pretty really and much slower than John Clark's Lighweight E type that won race. It was being driven by Neil Cunningham.

Does anyone have any knowledge of the car and why it was modified?

I have only just joined this facility having just Googled 'Freddie Owen' and discovered these comments. Simply to fill in some details - I am Freddie's stepson (now aged 59) and have just taken an interest in this having just been contacted by the new owner within the past few days. This followed a letter with pictures that appeared in the Isle of Wight County Press last Friday seeking information - all quite bizarre! The original 'Owen Special' was designed as a convertible and built with a tubular chassis and a Triumph 1800 engine in circa 1958/9 - never as a Jaguar, in fact the body design actually pre dated the E type - making it very much ahead of its time. Some years later 'Freddie' didn't feel that it was particularly competitive and promptly removed the front end, inserted a Jaguar sub frame and 3.4 engine. I suspect, largely because he was involved with Dick Tindall (Tindall / Owen Racing Equipe) in racing the Costin bodied Lister Jaguar (YCD 422) and the 'O' Type TAC 743 (ex David Hobbs XK140 re bodied by Freddie hence the 'O' designation) the 'Jaguar special' referred to above was rarely, if ever, raced in this configuration.

It was taken to the Isle of Wight when he and my mother retired having sold the coachbuilding business in Esher (Wellands) in 1974 and the car was sold to a Belgian? (late 70's - early 80's?). As far as the family was concerned it next resurfaced during the late 80's when the car was at Lynx and an article appeared in Motorsport seeking information about the 'unknown' vehicle. I am not sure whether Pete Waterman owned it at that stage or not, though I think he probably did. It transpired that the request for information was primarily in order to try to persuade the DVLA to reinstate the original registration number 15 YPG - as it had Belgian plates at that stage. My mother provided the necessary provenance that secured 15 YPG's reinstatement. Freddie and mother were invited by Lynx to see the car and as Freddie was no longer driving at that stage, I drove them to Hastings for Freddie to be reunited with it - circa 1988 /9? Freddie died in 1994 - mother passed away in 2004.

So the answer is that it was 'modified' by the designer and builder because it wasn't competitive. Some may say it was a better looking car when new with the original engine - but as I politely and reverently pointed in my eulogy at his funeral, with UFO as I knew him, nothing ever went 'unmodified' for long whilst he was around!

[Derwent Motorsport]

That is most helpful. In the Silverstone programme for the Coys race, it is described as "E type Freddie Own Special" C1959, 3400cc. It was driven by Neil Cunningham. Has this car been out since then?