Lindner Nocker Lightweight Classic Car Restoration

This was one of the most challenging projects undertaken on any car by the restoration company.

Over seven thousand skilled man hours went into the restoration of what is regarded by most aficionados as the most beautiful E-Type ever produced, the Lindner-Nöcker Lightweight.

Jaguar built just a dozen of the famous all aluminium Lightweight E-Types for racing. Of these, just one was modified to Malcolm Sayer’s Low Drag body design by the Jaguar factory for Peter Lindner, the German Jaguar importer.

It was raced by Lindner and Peter Nöcker at Le Mans in 1964 before being involved in a massive accident a few weeks later. The car was then impounded and locked away for many years. Subsequently, it was recreated using all the mechanical components in a spare Lightweight tub because the mangled original body was thought to be irreparable.

Winner of the Restoration of the Year Award at the International Historic Motoring Awards 2011.

The mangled original body was thought to be irreparable, but CMC’s craftsmen were able to save over 90% of the original body.

THE CAR

A box of mangled metal

The restoration started from a large box of mangled metal parts. Many said that it could not be done and that most of the parts, including the body panels that had been bent beyond recognition, could not be used.

Help from friends

The restoration was assisted by members of Peter’s Lindner’s own family, the driver who died in the crash in 1964 who provided old photographs and cine footage of the car. Peter Wilson who worked in the Competition Department in 1964 and worked on the car in period was also tremendously helpful.

Panels

Each panel was then flattened, repaired, reformed into the original shape and then the structure was riveted and spot welded together as per the original construction method.