Gearing up to race at Goodwood in one of the original race-prepared E-types

It’ll be racing at the 83^rd Members’ Meeting presented by Audrain Motorsport, where it’ll feature amongst a full 30-car grid of E-types for the inaugural Protheroe Cup. 

Built in 1962, 951 WK was handed over to renowned German importer Peter Lindner, who had it prepared for racing in Germany by an American named Robert Rockwell. This was at a time before E-types were considered as out-and-out racing cars, so this car was amongst several throughout the early 1960s that were modified for sporting endeavours. 

But those modifications were generally limited to what was happening under the bonnet. From the outside, as is the case with this car, they really didn’t look very different at all. 

“It wasn't until 1964 that lightweight E-types started to appear,” Neville explained. “So, the early cars have the steel bonnet, which the road cars had, and the wire wheels and so on. 

“It's got the standard 3.8-litre engine, but it’s very highly tuned. The clutch is fierce, so it's not ideal for the road, and it's on racing tyres. It's the same chassis, a lot of the original components are there, the subframes and suspension, in essence it's still a road car.” 

A road car that just so happens to be pretty handy when it’s taken out onto a racetrack. Neville’s E-type has been a Goodwood regular since 2022, when it was placed into the capable hands of 2009 Formula 1 World Champion Jenson Button for that year’s Stirling Moss Memorial Trophy. 

Alex Buncombe put it on pole position for the Moss Trophy at the 80^th Members’ Meeting, and just barely missed out on the race win at the end of a closely fought battle with James Cottingham’s AC Cobra. 

Buncombe will be behind the wheel again at the 83^rd Members’ Meeting, sharing duties with Simon Watts in the two-driver Protheroe Cup, but it was his brother Chris who was putting the car through its paces during testing. 

“Like all historics, it’s a pleasure and a joy to experience,” he told us. “It's interesting round the back of the circuit in the high-speed sections. The car's very floaty, which is a typical characteristic of these E-types."

“It's not an easy car to get your head around, but when you do, then it’s a joy to drive. As always with historic racing, it's about being fast and reliable. The car's beautiful and well prepared by all the guys at RJN.” 

Neville founded RJN Motorsport in 1999 and has led the team to plenty of success in touring cars, GT racing, the Dakar Rally and the Le Mans 24 Hours. More recently he forged a partnership with Button to run a Honda NSX in the Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup, alongside efforts to run cars like this E-type in historic race meetings. He’s used to the serious business of racing, but he also enjoys the more relaxed pace of historic racing. 

“My day job is running a racing team,” he said. “So we always want to win, but Goodwood’s slightly different, everyone’s having fun and enjoying it."

“I think the Protheroe Cup will be great because the cars will be equally matched. It’s all E-Types, all the same spec, it should be close racing, it should be great fun. We just love E-types, they're just absolutely gorgeous, aren't they?” 

It’s difficult to disagree with that, we are very much looking forward to watching a field of 30 cars Enzo Ferrari reputedly once described as the most beautiful ever made diving into battle at Goodwood. 

The 83rd Members' Meeting presented by Audrain Motorsport takes place on the 18th & 19th April 2026. Tickets are limited, with only Sunday admission remaining. Saturday tickets, weekend passes and grandstand passes are now sold out. 

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Photography by Joe Harding.