1967 Jaguar E-Type 2+2 'Pirana' by Bertone
- Engine
- 4.2L inline-six
- Colour
- Silver
The Bertone-Jaguar Pirana is a one-off coachbuilt grand tourer conceived in 1967 by the editorial staff of The Daily Telegraph and bodied by Marcello Gandini under Nuccio Bertone's direction on a Jaguar E-Type 2+2 platform with a 4.2-litre engine. Debuted at the 1967 Earls Court Motor Show and subsequently displayed in Turin, Montreal, and New York, it represents a rare instance of a magazine dream-car concept realised in metal. After decades in private U.S. ownership it was comprehensively restored to its original show configuration, including the reinstatement of Connolly leather, period cassette player, and four-speed gearbox.
Ownership
- —Auction saleSold US$324,000
- 1967 → 1968Factory deliveryThe Daily Telegraphpartial documentation
Car commissioned by the newspaper's motoring staff as a concept grand tourer; displayed at multiple international motor shows before being sold.
- 1968-05-01 →AuctionBuyer at Parke-Bernet Sotheby's auctionpartial documentation
First sale into private hands occurred in the United States; the car remained out of public view for several decades and received various modifications from its original show specification.
- 2011 →Acquisition unknownCurrent ownerpartial documentation
Acquired in early 2011 and commissioned a comprehensive restoration to return the car to its original Earls Court show configuration, including reinstating correct leather, cassette player, four-speed gearbox, and original paint.
Competition
- 19671967 Earls Court Motor ShowDebut appearance
Described as the centrepiece of the London show; subsequently also displayed at exhibitions in Turin, Montreal, and New York.
- 20122012 Concorso Italiano
Shown at the Monterey event where Lilli Bertone explained the deliberate omission of the letter 'h' from the car's name as an aesthetic decision by her late husband.
Maintenance & restoration
- 2011Restoration
Comprehensive programme to return the car to its original Earls Court show specification, reversing numerous accumulated modifications. Work included reinstating the original Connolly leather, period cassette player, and four-speed gearbox, removing a non-original rear seat, and restoring the air-conditioning routing as originally designed.
The signature Bertone silver paint was re-created by matching samples discovered beneath body panels. The owner's stated philosophy was to preserve bespoke original elements wherever possible and to faithfully recreate or refurbish the remainder.
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