I dont know to much about the Jaguar XKE except that is was built around the same time Chevrolet introduced its new Stingray. I dont know if anyone has own both cars or seen the perform but how did the New Corvette compare to the well respected people who built Jaguars? If i am not mistaken the orginal 53 Corvette took a lot of its ideas from the Jaguar XJ. I even think Harley Earl owned one. Was the Stingray design influenced from the Jag since it also had a fast back version which was a first for Corvette.
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Re: XKE vs Singray
I don't think Bill Mitchell every owned a Jag, and it's pretty obvious that the XKE had no influence on the Sting Ray's design. He liked the shape of big game fish.
The Sting Ray's design was pretty well established by 1960 in the form of the ill-fated Q-Corvette and the Stingray racer. This was before the XKE's 1961 introduction at the Earl's Court show in London.
The US version had a 3.54 axle to favor acceleration over the taller gear on Europeans models, for which Jaguar claimed a top speed of 150, but its performance was on a par with the 300 HP engine and no match for SHP/FI.
I had a run against one coming back from Puyallap circa 1965. The way the cars got lined up we never faced off at the strip, but we ran across each other on "The Viaduct" in Seattle on the way home. Naturally, we were both anxious and willing to make up for the missed opportunity in our little red coupes. From about 40 MPH in first gear my 340 HP, 3.08 axle SWC instantly dispatched E in the blink of an eye. It wasn't even close!
For an XKE driver, trying to face off against a SHP/FI Sting Ray was like taking a knife to a gun fight.
Duke -
Re: XKE vs Singray
I think the 1964 hit song by Jan and Dean says it all about 'Vette vs. XKE, even if they can't seem to get the 'Vette right in this clip....
Big Tanks In the High Mountains of New MexicoComment
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Re: XKE vs Singray
Several years ago I spoke to the original owner of my 1960 Corvette. He sold the Corvette to buy a 1963 XKE. He said it was the biggest mistake of his life.Comment
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Re: XKE vs Singray
i used to run lots of autocross against doc chain a dentist who ran a XKE and i never remember him beating me but other corvette drivers did.Comment
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Re: XKE vs Singray
I seem to remember that the Vette was known for brute force while the XKE was known for finesse... also, the SU carbs on the XKE ( which had three for it's 6 cyl engine) needed constant tweeking as did the tune up/timing. I still think it's one of the best looking production cars ever made, at least up until they got ride of the headlight covers. After that it kinda looked stubby up front.Comment
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Re: XKE vs Singray
I've driven both E types and C2's. The Vettes are tail happy and prone to oversteer. The Jag is much better ballanced. The midyears that I have driven had lower rear end ratios and were hot off the line, as the Jag was not. I did not have the opportunity to drive the Jags (two of them) at high speeds, so I can't comment on top end or stability, but I would guess that they are better the than the midyears when it comes to front end lift.
PaulComment
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Re: XKE vs Singray
production weight of 2468 for 63 XKE, better brakes than Corvette in 63. A well driven one is not to be trifled with in Vintage road racing.Comment
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Re: XKE vs Singray
I just read an old Sports Car Illustrated article that compared the new XKE to the '62 Corvette. They stated they were very comparable in the handling department. They then detailed the racing match-ups to that date and it seemed the Corvette was going to come out on top, more than not.
I was also told last weekend by someone who had an early E-type that they were very softly sprung when they first came out. Very.
GeorgeComment
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Re: XKE vs Singray
I used to "play" with a fellow's Series I E Type with my '57 dual WCFB's between a couple of local towns (way, way) back in the day. Try as he might he never beat me. His cars, 3 E Types over 3 years, were beautiful cars. (OEW/Red, Opalesent Blue/dark blue, copper/tan.)Comment
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Re: XKE vs Singray
In the early `60s at Mosport the XKE's were faster than the `62 and `63 Vettes.Comment
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Re: XKE vs Singray
Here is an article soon after the two cars started battling each other.
GeorgeComment
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Re: XKE vs Singray
Great article from late 1961!
I'm not sure of the 1961 class structure, but I think at that time the production classes ranged from B to H, and the new XKE was classified B as were the 283 CID Corvettes.
I do know that AP was created in 1962 primarily due to the new 327 CID engine. Then AP was changed to include big blocks for 1965. All the former AP small blocks were bumped to BP and the former BP solid axle Corvettes and, I think the XKE were bumped back to CP.
So, if my memory is correct, the early XKE never faced off against C2 or later Corvettes, unless the E got bumped up a class in 1965 when the engine displacement increased to 4.2L from the 3.8L of the early Es.
Maybe Clem remembers.
I remember an XKE from my mid-seventies SCCA venture running an EP TR3. There was another TR3 in the northern California region run by a guy named Hardy Prentice. He was very fast and qualified for the runnoffs at least one of the years I raced. The most interesting thing about Hardy's rig was that he flat towed his TR3 to races with an XKE!!!
It was also one of those years that Paul Newman won the national DP championship in a TR6.
DukeComment
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Re: XKE vs Singray
I attended the SCCA National Championship in 1980 at Road Atlanta, when Fred Baker campaigned a very well-prepared XKE in CP. He finished first in CP ahead of a well-known actor who finished second in a 280ZX. The small-block Corvettes ran BP. Jerry Hansen won BP; Jerry always had top-notch equipment. Andy Porterfield came second. Fastest lap by Baker: 1:30.640. Fastest lap by Hansen: 1:30.640. Amazing.
1980 was the last year for BP.Comment
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