Sunday 4th July 2021

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BOOK REVIEW  By Peter Baker

9600 HP : The story of the world's oldest E-type Jaguar

Philip Porter, owner of Porter Press International, long-serving Guild of Motoring Writers supporter, founder of the Jaguar E-type Club, hot-air balloon enthusiast, twice Chairman of the Sherlock Holmes Society, is a human dynamo. Philip is also the owner of several important Jaguars, including 9600 HP, the car forming the cornerstone of this book.

Among other things, 9600 HP, first registered in 1960 as a prototype E-type, was exhaustively magazine-road tested and then, after mild modification, famously driven at 150.4mph on an unfinished motorway in Belgium. On 14 March 1961, after a final okay from Norman Dewis, Bob Berry, Jaguar PR Manager, departed Coventry with 9600 HP, driving flat out overnight to arrive just 20 minutes before the Geneva Motor Show officially opened. As we now know, this sleek and value-for-money up-market sports car was an instant success.

This 320-page, fully-illustrated authoritative book, first published 21 years ago, has now received a make-over coinciding with the E-type's 60th birthday, and is suitably described by Philip himself as combining romance, celebration and detection. He should know.

9600 HP published by Porter Press at an astonishingly low price of just £45.00, even less using our discount code, is available now. A special ‘Unique Edition’, limited to just 25 copies, may also still be available. It comes extravagantly bound and contained within a specially designed slip-case and a small piece of original, presumably now replaced, bodywork is also included.

This book is essential reading and I’ve no hesitation in giving it five stars.

9600 HP : THE STORY OF THE WORLD'S OLDEST E-TYPE JAGUAR
Written by Philip Porter
ISBN 978-1-913089-27-6
Available from Porter Press International
Price £45.00