ECD Automotive Design has turned the Jaguar E-Type into the car it “always should have been.”
The Kissimmee, Florida company’s GTO (Grand Touring Open) is a custom build for a private client which melds elements of all three E-Type series, the D-Type, and modern components to create “The Jaguar GTO that never was,” says ECD Co-Founder Scott Wallace.
“This car pushed the limits of what’s possible when blending three generations of E-Type architecture,” adds Elliot Humble, ECD’s Chief Technical Officer. “Series I body, Series II chassis, Series III power—every part was reconsidered, refined, and re-engineered to work in harmony. This wasn’t just a technical challenge, it was a reward. Because once it all came together, and we rolled it out for the first time, we knew this was something the world had never seen—and might never see again.”
ECD turned to coachbuilders in Coventry, England to hand-form the bodywork, which is an evolution of the Series I, but with a dash of D-Type design added in. That sits on a modified chassis from a Series II, while the 400-hp V-12 engine from Team CJ, in Austin, Texas receives ECD’s own fuel injection, a modern cooling system and a hand-made center-exit exhaust.
Fully-adjustable suspension is fitted, along with a quick-ratio steering rack, and powerful six-piston disc brakes up front, with four-piston units at the rear. 15-inch Turrino wire wheels with Pirelli tires provide the contact patch.
The cabin gets updated with GTS seats in leather, a brushed aluminum dash, and the GTO also gets Moal Bomber gauges and unique toggle switches. A vintage-look Bluetooth audio system, heated seats, USB charging, automatic headlights, and central locking add modern convenience. Although built primarily for open-topped enjoyment, ECD also added a custom hardtop.
ECD specializes in restomod Land Rover Defenders, Range Rover Classics, and E-Types, but reckons that this GTO, delivered to a customer in Bridgewater, is its most ambitious to date.
“The Bridgewater Commission challenged us to look beyond restoration and build something entirely original. We weren’t just honoring Jaguar’s history—we were evolving it.”