CUNNINGHAM LIGHTWEIGHT E-TYPE COMPETES AGAIN AT LE MANS
Following its success at the Louis Vuitton Classic at the Hurlingham Club in winning its class some ten days earlier, the ex-Briggs Cunningham 1963 Jaguar Lightweight E-type ‘5114 WK’ (chassis No. S850664) was prepared for competition by Lynx in the Le Mans Legend race held on Saturday 16 June prior to the 24-hour race.
Returning to La Sarthe after some 38 years, ‘5114 WK’ was qualified in 13th position on the Thursday evening, and driven to 8th overall out of 61 starters by Lynx Chairman, John Mayston-Taylor.
“It was a tremendous feeling to drive the car knowing that with its original engine and gearbox still fitted, it was exactly how it must have felt in 1963”, commented Mayston-Taylor after the race. “The track itself is fast and aerodynamics play a large part in the overall set-up of the car. There was noticeably more wind buffeting on the Mulsanne on Saturday compared to Thursday. The car was two hundred rpm down, but was still pulling 5,300rpm in fifth”.
“The car ran perfectly throughout the entire event and shows no signs of having been raced. It feels as though it could be driven home!”
The race was won by David Piper in a Ferrari 250LM, with Peter Hardman second in the Aston Martin DBR1/2 and Tony Dron third in a Ferrari GT Berlinetta.
The 45-minute race claimed a number of cars due to the high-speed nature of the circuit and although the track was dry for almost all of the time, oil and some moisture in the closing stages made the conditions changeable
Please see the Lynx Video page for action coverage of the race itself.
For further information, please contact John Mayston-Taylor at Lynx or see Calendar of Events.
18 June 2001
