Jaguar unveils Goodwood centrepiece

By Jack Rix

30th June 2011

Weighing the same as 122 Series 1 E-Types, the 150-tonne centrepiece for the Goodwood Festival of Speed has been installed just in time for the weekend's festivities. Depicting a larger than life E-Type Coupe, it soars 23 metres into the sky and honours the E-Type's 50th anniversary.

The steel tubes that it's built from measure 1.2 metres in diameter and 12mm thick, and were originally intended for uses in gas pipelines. What's more most of the metal used to fabricate them was donated by Tata Steel, a subsidiary of Jaguar's parent company.

READ OUR A TO Z GOODWOOD PREVIEW HERE

The man behind this gargantuan piece of art is world-renowned sculptor Gerry Judah who began the design process back in January. He said: "The E-type is famous for its shape but too small and delicate to hoist into the air. I thought I would like to express the form of the car itself without any embellishments. Everyone recognises the E-type, the shape speaks for itself. You can’t compete with it, you can’t digress from it.”

As well as the sculpture, visitors to the event will be able to see an array of Jaguars past and present. The E-type will be taking centre-stage but also taking to the Goodwood Hillclimb course will be its famous C and D-Type racing forebears and the XK120 that founded the Jaguar sports car lineage.

The current award-winning XF, XK and XJ will also be present and the stunning C-X75 concept car, that has already wowed crowds worldwide, will provide a glimpse into Jaguar’s future.