LONDON.- As usual H&H Classics will bring along some motoring magic to the London Classic Car Show which takes place at ExCel London on 18 – 21 February.

H&H Classics stand, number C170, will have a number of exciting cars on display. The first to be revealed is a special 1961 Jaguar E-Type 3.8 Competition Roadster, 9VPD, the very first of the E-Type competition cars.

Finished in Opalescent Dark Blue livery the 1961 Jaguar Roadster is estimated to sell for £700,000 - 900,000 at H&H Classics Duxford sale on April 19-20. This is the venue which saw the company last October join one of only five classic car auction houses to sell a car for over $10m.

The E-Type 9VPD coming to the London Classic Car Show has an interesting history. After a careful comprehensive work the re-born '9VPD' returned to the track for the July 2005 Silverstone Classic Festival. In July 2006 it finished 4th at the Le Mans Classic (behind two Ford GT40s and a Cobra), the E-Type won its class during the Spa 6-hours that same year with Richard Attwood joining Steve Markey and Radical ace Austin Kinsella behind the wheel.

It was the first Jaguar home during the Legends race which preceded the 2007 Le Mans 24 hours and paid tribute to the 50th Anniversary of the Coventry marque's famous 1957 victory, '9 VPD' made its Goodwood Revival debut that season too with Rauno Aaltonen co-driving alongside Steve Markey. A regular at the Goodwood Revival, Le Mans Classic and Spa since then, chassis 850007 has also been helmed by the likes of Emanuele Pirro, Marc Gene and Tony Jardine.

Overseen by Jaguar's Engineering Director Bill Heynes and supplied to favoured teams on Lofty England's say so, the seven right-hand drive Roadsters built to Project ZP 537/24 specification were the very first E-Type competition cars.

Upgraded by the Competition Department at Browns Lane, the septet had particular attention paid to their running gear: increased compression ratio, gas flowed cylinder head, lightened flywheel, competition clutch springs and close-ratio gearboxes.

One of two cars earmarked for John Coombs - the other five being distributed among Tommy Sopwith, Peter Berry and Sir Gawaine Baillie - chassis 850007 was completed on 29th March 1961 but not officially road registered as '9 VPD' for another four months (21st July 1961). Typically used as the Coombs team's paddock car whilst its sister machine '4 WPD' (chassis 850006 which became the first 'Lightweight') performed most of the racing duties, '9 VPD' took to the track for the Scott Brown Trophy on 23rd July 1961.

Le Mans – ‘Spirit of La Sarthe’ Trophy presentation on the H&H Classics stand:

H&H Classics will be hosting the Presentation of the ‘Spirit of La Sarthe’ Trophy to racing driver David Clark on Friday 19th February at 5.00pm. The trophy is awarded each year to the highest placed British team in the Le Mans 24-hour race.

A magnificent futuristic trophy designed by Julius Thurgood the ‘Spirit of La Sarthe’ features the iconic Dunlop Bridge that spans the Le Mans track.

David Clark was a Director of McLaren Cars F1 road car and race programmes from 1994-1998. He is a celebrated historic car dealer and racer, with a lifelong involvement in the historic car business and modern motor racing. In the past 20 years he has raced worldwide at all the historic motorsport blue riband events with considerable success.

The Trophy idea was dreamed up by Colin Pool and Michael Scott before Colin’s untimely death two years ago. Michael’s aim was to honour his friend and BRDC member Colin Pool who was secretary of the Club de Pilotes du Mans (an exclusive club of those drivers who’ve competed at Le Mans), of which he was a Director.