JEC Derbyshire - Award Winning 1965 S1 E-Type

This is the story behind Derbyshire member's Mark and Dawn's 1965 E-Type, winner of The Hatfield Cup at our 2025 May meeting.

Mark and Dawn bought their Series 1 E Type in 2011. Mark had always wanted a Series 1, but not having found the ‘right’ car, time moved on and values increased, so they thought they had missed the boat.

Then in 2011 a contact of Mark’s who knew of his desire for a Series 1 car, heard that one might be available although the car was then in Europe. Mark and Dawn contacted the Belgian car dealer who knew of the car, which at that time had not been put up for sale by it’s then owner. The owner had acquired the car some 12 years previously from his neighbour, who had emigrated and taken the UK registered car with him.

Mark and Dawn headed for Europe, and Bart, the Belgian dealer, took them to see the vendor who lived in Lille.

Mark recalls: “We all sat in the house, with this French chap, his wife and son, Bart, Dawn and I to see if we could have a deal. During this time he put a bottle of 18yr old Macallan whisky in front of me and insisted I help myself - which I did !!.”

The deal was done, the car was left there and delivered to Mark and Dawn by Bart and his father a few weeks later. Bart was collecting a Triumph TR from Sheffield and gave Mark a very good price for the delivery because of this. The French owner had put a brand new set of tyres on it just for the sale as the others had been flat for so long they wouldn't become round again.

The car was basically in good condition, with around 71k on the clock (it now has circa 72.7k so used rather sparingly). It has had no paintwork during their ownership and no new trim or interior. It was very steadily recommissioned over months, and then used on dry days only for years. It is a numbers matching UK car and still has the body number tag actually fitted behind the rear plate. Mark has a heritage certificate for it and it was originally sold by Henleys in London to an N. E. Tarpaz.

It has now had a full engine and gearbox rebuild (with the machining work on the head, block, crank and flywheel done professionally), refurbed suspension, diff, new brakes, wheel bearings, any seals and rubbers - all the usual things that wear and deteriorate. The only non standard things are the radiator, header tank and heater radiator, all to help with the poor cooling with these models. Then the wheels and tyres and a 321 billet distributor. Mark and Dawn work on the car together, including engine removal, strip down, cleaning and rebuilding and refitting the engine & gearbox. The gearbox was taken to "ALL GEARS" in Mansfield and was made like new again by them (father daughter operation).

The hood is the next thing, a new one is desperately required, according to Mark and after that he doesn't know but they enjoy the upkeep so there will surely be something.

The best trips have been sunny afternoons into evenings around the Peak District, calling for food and a small beer. It's never done more than 100 miles in one trip with Mark and Dawn (and it's usually much less than that), and local country road runs.

The car, (known as 'Ellie', as in 'Ellie the E-Type') has never had a wash since it's recommissioning, when it was very much in bits. It gets damp cloths on the paint and slightly wetter cloths under the wheel arches, bonnet, underside etc after every use. And the wheels have been taken off and properly washed once in ten years. But it only gets used on warm dry days and has never been caught out in the rain. Basically it's biggest use is sitting in the "cave" and being looked at (which they do "most days")!

The photo’s with this article hardly do the car justice, it really has to be seen to be believed!

*Photo’s courtesy of Mark and Dawn Wells.*