1966 Jaguar E-TYPE LE Mans By "Design Velk 1966 Jaguar E-TYPE LE Mans By "Design Velke"
Description:
For sale is a truly bespoke masterpiece of automotive engineering and design: a 1966 Jaguar E-Type custom speedster, hand-built by David Welky of Design Velky in Cedarburg, Wisconsin. Currently located at The Throttlestop in Elkhart Lake, WI, this vehicle is not just a restoration; it is a complete reimagining of the British classic, drawing heavy inspiration from the legendary D-Type racers and the Lindner/Nocker Low Drag Lightweights.
Born from a 1966 Series 1 2+2 Long Wheelbase, this vehicle was completely acid-dipped and reconstructed using short-wheelbase floor pans and sills to achieve perfect proportions. The result is a stunning "wide-body" configuration that blends steel and hand-formed aluminum. The builder, with over 25 years of trade experience, dedicated 50-60 hours a week in 2023 solely to this project, ensuring a level of focus and craftsmanship rarely seen in modern builds.
Under the bonnet lies a stroked 4.7L inline-six engine (based on the 4.2L block) delivering an impressive claimed 435 lb-ft of torque in a car weighing only ~2,100 lbs. It breathes through three 45mm DCOE twin-choke Weber carburetors and exhales through a custom 6-tube header. Power is managed by a legendary Muncie M22 "Rock Crusher" 4-speed manual transmission with straight-cut gears, providing a raw, visceral driving experience.
The bodywork features a custom aluminum "cockpit delete" panel, turning the car into a single-seater focused machine, though the panel is removable for a passenger. The exterior includes custom touches like a "hump" behind the driver, additional bonnet louvers, and a hand-formed bug deflector. The interior is pure vintage motorsport: chronometric-style gauges angled toward the driver (D-Type style), a rigid-mounted steering column for maximum road feel, and a stripped-back aesthetic that still offers refined leather touches on the sills and tunnel.
This is a rare opportunity to own a "1 of 1" vehicle where every bracket, panel, and component was either restored or hand-fabricated in-house by Design Velky.