ECD Auto Design, formerly East Coast Defender, is the name brand for Land Rover Defender resto-mods. But the name change (and an upcoming public offering) reflect a broader ambition for the company, expanding their treatment to vehicles outside the Land Rover family. The first of those vehicles — still keeping it very much old-school, British and iconic — is the Jaguar E-Type.
ECD just completed its first E-Type build, the Project Dallas commission. I was lucky enough to take it for a spin while visiting their factory outside Orlando, Florida; here's what I discovered.
The ECD Auto Design Jaguar E-Type: What We Think
If you love E-Type Jaguars (and have nigh-infinite funding), it's hard to conceive of a better overall experience than building one with ECD Auto Design. You get a unique opportunity to truly customize your dream car. And the end product retains the charm of the original vehicle while providing enough upgrades to make it more liveable and reliable in a modern context. An ECD E-Type is not a practical purchase. But this buyer does not need to concern themselves with practicalities.
Personally, I'd opt for a low-key Range Rover Classic from ECD in Loire Blue with an electric powertrain over the E-Type. But the beauty of having enough money to have ECD Auto Design build you a car ... is that you likely have a garage that can accommodate multiple ECD builds.
Custom means custom
So, ECD has an online configurator, and I ran through its E-Type build process with the ECD staff to build “Project Gear Patrol.” But that’s really the jumping-off point for what ECD can do. One client flew out to match paint samples to a handbag. Another requested five different types of animal hides in the interior. You can tailor things like the length of the instrument stalks. Essentially, if it doesn’t result in an unsafe vehicle, it can be done. And getting to do that, instead of leaving it to Ferrari or Aston Martin, is an inherent part of the experience.
Customers typically approach this freedom in two basic directions. Many keep things very traditional. I was in that camp with my British Racing Green, camel leather interior and vintage wheels combo (though I kicked myself for not choosing black with a red interior after seeing it on a vintage model in ECD's shop). Other customers are less constrained by tradition and let their tastes run wild (say, by swapping the chrome for blacked-out detailing).
ECD says they expected E-Type buyers to run more traditionalist and do less pimping out than their Defender customers. That said, they also say they've been surprised by the variety of E-Type orders that have come in.
But the ECD E-Type is still a 50-year-old Jag
Old British roadsters weren’t designed with modern American roads, comfort standards or even body types in mind. ECD’s go-to E-Type is the Series 3 model built from 1971 to 1973 (the 1974 ones have weird bumpers). These have bigger engine bays to accommodate the upgrade from a V6 to a V12 and dramatically bigger cabins with wider doors. But even with that added space, there's only so much you can do within that footprint. It will still feel tight, wonky and a lot like a vintage British car.
The E-Type doesn't have the easiest cabin to climb into — even with the wider doors. And even with my 5'11" frame there's not a ton of space. The pedal placement is farther left than you'd anticipate. The E-Type mirrors are flimsy and not really that helpful by modern standards (I reverted to looking over my shoulder). The top of the windshield is shorter than you'd expect. Though ECD does include updates like heated seats and an upgraded sound system.
ECD’s driving experience strives for balance
ECD offers three engine options on the Series 3 E-Type. The prototype I drove had the LT1 Corvette engine that puts out 450 horsepower, connected to an eight-speed automatic. The GM crate engines are sort of the bread-and-butter option from ECD: rock solid, plug-and-play and easy to repair and service. But you can also order an E-Type with a tuned-up Jag V12 or an electric powertrain; those were being built while I was in the shop.
ECD let me take the Project Dallas car on a quick 20-minute loop, with an ECD representative in the passenger seat. It was enough to get the flavor of the car, though heavily-trafficked, flat and straight Orlando roads aren't the optimal environment to test a performance.
The word that kept coming to mind as I sampled the E-Type (and a couple of ECD Auto Design's Defender builds) was balance. ECD doesn't iron out the flaws of driving an older British car; they are part of the charm. But their builds soften them and make the car far more manageable and daily driveable on modern American roads.
The E-Type sort of reminded me of my parents’ old R107 Mercedes-Benz SL. It's a little boat-like and requires you to carefully swing that big, V12-accommodating front around. But with power steering, you don’t feel like you’re muscling it. ECD found the sweet spot between the car having some play compared to a stiff, dialed-in modern sports car but not feeling as sloppy or quirky as one would anticipate.
The ride quality with the upgraded suspension was excellent. The 450-horsepower LT1 gives the car substantial oomph for getting around town. And the tester had the OEM-style quad exhaust system, which still offered a little bit of Jaguar growl ... even if the source was a GM V8. Though in this guise, the car is far more weekend cruiser than tire shredder.
ECD staffers think the electric E-Type will be sporty, with its instant torque and lighter weight. And there is internal interest in building an E-Type with the 650-horsepower LT4 GM V8, though that's not on offer yet.
Ordering an ECD E-Type isn’t cheap
ECD staffers alluded to a long list of noteworthy clients, athletes and celebrities, including some so noteworthy their identities could not be revealed by the intermediaries buying the vehicle. And with the price point, having such an exclusive clientele isn't too surprising.
E-Types require more meticulous restoration work than the Defenders, which bumps the starting price for a build up to $289,995 — more expensive than the most expensive Porsche 911. And realistically, that number is very much the starting price. Typical customizations and upgrades can drive that price closer to $400,000. In short, this isn't something a normal — or even a normally well-off — person can do.
What are some ECD E-Type alternatives?
There are a ton of classic car resto-modders out there. If you’re looking for an exquisitely-restored Jaguar E-Type, the closest alternative may be from Jaguar themselves, with their Jaguar Classic E-Type Reborn program. Those will probably be even more expensive than the ECD E-Type. And they will also be aimed more at the Series 1 and Series 2 models, producing more faithful (though still updated) factory recreations.
ECD Auto Design
The ECD Jaguar E-Type "Project Dallas"
- E-Type Model: Series III
- Body Type: Roadster
- Powertrain: 6.2-liter V8; 8-speed automatic; RWD
- Horsepower: 450
- Starting Price: $289,995
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August 10, 2023 at 11:01AM
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ECD Auto Design Jaguar E-Type Review: A Beautiful Conversion - Gear Patrol
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