CHASSIS NUMBER: 978525DN
Dating from the final year of production, this 3.4-litre Mk1 was ordered new by a Mr J. Ditcham, a physicist of some note. He would have the car delivered in 'Hawthorn' spec, including 9:1 compression ratio, a gas flowed head, D-type cam, 2 inch SU carburetors, competition crank damper, disc brakes all-round, and straight through competition exhaust. Mr Ditcham would only use the car at night, in order to avoid any traffic, allowing him to enjoy the local Surrey roads in style and at suitable speed. He would never use the car in the wet, and would constantly be enhancing the car where possible, but keeping the bodywork and interior totally and utterly original. Many of his original mechanical and electrical sketches are included in the history file.
With only night-time driving, and never coming out in the wet, when the car came to the late, great Gerry Marshall in 1975, the mileage was remarkably low. It was Gerry's pride and joy, so much so that '220 LPE' would enjoy living in a centrally-heated and double glazed garage. Big Gerry and the Mk1 would come out to play as his race transport during his glory days as a DTV 'Supersaloon' legend - winning all over the UK in the monstrous 'Big' and 'Baby Bertha'. Gerry would leave the car totally untouched other than fitting a new clutch and having regular services with the Forward Engineering Co. Ltd - run by the great Ron Beaty, who was a mate of Gerry's.
Gerry would keep the car until 1980 when the remarkable ICS Jaguar Museum persuaded him to sell - paying a huge £9,000 - a lot of money in 1980! Created by BTCC racer Peter Hall, the ICS Museum would look after '220 LPE' with great care, keeping mileage to a minimum.
From one Hall to another in March 1994, when Mr Michael Hall would buy the car - from him the car would pass onto its current owner, who again has only used the car in the dry and maintained its staggering originality with great respect.
Since arriving in our showroom, '220 LPE' has been inspected by one of the great Jaguar historians and engineers, confirming that it may well be the most original and perfect Mk1 on the planet. With competition specification modifications from new, Gerry Marshall ownership, 16,500 miles from new, matching numbers, original paint and interior, this has every right to the claim of being the best road Jaguar Mk1 on the planet.
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