2012-01-16 22:43:09 | pauls writes:

Extremely interesting story on the colorful history of this car is presented in the February 2012 edition of the E-Type magazine. The car was the inspiration for the song 5:15am by Mark Knopfler. A link to the synopsis of the story is provided in the magazine:
villain-or-victim.com/luvaglio/index.php

2017-11-05 14:34:09 | pauls writes:

Car to be at auction 11/17
online.handh.co.uk/m/lot-details/index/catalog/8/lot/14137/

Auction description:
The Imperial War Museum Duxford Motor Car Auction 15/11/2017 1:15 PM GMT
Lot 87 of 135
1966 Jaguar E-Type 4.2 Roadster
Estimate: £140,000 - £180,000

- 1 of 863 right-hand drive Series 1 4.2 Roadsters made and warranted to have covered 49,000 miles from new
- Purchased by Patrick Thornton of P & K Thornton Restorations 'Classic Jaguar Specialists' in 1986 and painstakingly refurbished before returning to the road in 2008
- 'Matching' chassis and engine numbers and original Carmen Red with Black livery
- Implicated in the infamous 'one armed bandit murder' of 1967 which inspired the film 'Get Carter'
- Referenced in the Mark Knopfler song '5:15am' from the album Shangri-La

According to its accompanying Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust Production Trace Certificate, this particular example - chassis 1E1482 - was manufactured on 11th February 1966. Finished in Carmen Red with Black leather upholstery, it was road registered as `LGT 788D' and supplied new via Linmac Ltd to Kemal Kansaran of Ilford, Essex. However, the Roadster's actual first owner is understood to have been Mr Kansaran's business associate Vince Landa. Continuing the distancing trend, the E-Type was booked in for its first service at 1,016 miles with Hackney Road Motor Services by Rensa Models Ltd of Long Street, London on April 1st 1966. A former boxer, Mr Landa fell foul of the infamous Kray Twins when they accused him of installing slot machines in some of their clubs. Relocating to the North East as a result, he set-up Social Club Services - a fruit machine business valued at £8m in 1966 - and became the owner of The Piccadilly and Birdcage nightclubs in Newcastle which played host to the likes of Tom Jones and Roy Orbison. Although, his main residence was Dryderdale Hall, Bishop Auckland, he also had a property in Spain and maintained links to London and the South-East. Embroiled in the so-called `one armed bandit murder' which saw Social Club Services' employee Angus Sibbert shot dead on January 4th 1967, `LGT 788D' was supposedly being driven that night by Michael Luvaglio (Landa's brother) and Dennis Stafford who were subsequently convicted of the crime. Messers Luvaglio and Stafford have long protested their innocence and the whole affair is referenced in Mark Knopfler's song 5:15am as well as being cited as an inspiration for the film `Get Carter' (which just so happens to feature Dryderdale Hall as the villain's lair).

Eventually released by Durham Constabulary to H. Sibley of Pear Tree Garage on 10th September 1968, the Jaguar's next owner was reportedly Norman Gibbs of Hebburn, South Tyneside. A quiet spoken gentleman who was rarely seen without a jacket and tie, Mr Gibbs kept the car until 1986 when it was bought by Mr Willis, a Surrey-based dealer. Promptly advertised in Exchange & Mart on March 6th, `LGT 788D' was described thus: `E-Type Roadster, 1966, original red paintwork, 48,000 miles, service books, last owner 17 years, requires restoration'. Unperturbed by the work needed - if only because he and his brother own a restoration business specializing in Jaguars - the vendor had long been on the lookout for a late E-Type 4.2 Roadster that had left the factory in Carmen Red with Black upholstery. A personal project carried out on an `as and when' basis, the car had its repaired bodyshell re-sprayed during the mid-1990s but did not return to the road until 2008 (circa 700 miles ago) and indeed has just had a hood bag made for it. Aside from some crazing to the bonnet's power bulge which was caused by a stopper that ICI discontinued shortly thereafter, the Jaguar's Carmen Red cellulose paintwork remains highly presentable. Warranted to have covered just 49,000 miles from new, the E-Type has been thoroughly mechanically overhauled. Pleasingly retaining its original engine and gearbox, the Roadster benefits from an uprated cooling system, limited slip differential, taller back axle ratio, wider stainless wire wheels and improved Coopercraft front disc brakes. As smart underneath as it is on top, there is little doubt that the two-seater's rejuvenation was a labour of love. Described by the vendor as being in `very good' (paintwork, gearbox) or `excellent' (bodywork, engine, electrical equipment, interior trim) condition, this highly desirable, low mileage E-Type is only being offered for sale after thirty-one years to help fund a house purchase. The subject of an article in the E-Type Club's magazine entitled `E-Type Jags and Flashy Suits' during February 2012 (copy included), `LGT 788D' also comes with a jack, tool roll, handbook, brochure, Heritage Certificate, Exchange & Mart advertisement, Norman Gibbs' driving licence, first service invoice and MOT certificate valid until October 2018 etc. A fabulous car with a remarkable story to tell.

2017-11-06 17:12:00 | JWC writes:

Interesting that the red E-Type roadster that I tracked down in 2011 and wrote about in my 2012 E-Type magazine article "E-Type Jags and Flashy Suits" is coming up to auction. At the time that I tracked the car down to Thorntons and contacted them they had no idea what so ever of the history.

At the time I wrote the article I had made two errors. Firstly Landa did not own the Birdcage Club only the Piccadilly which was burnt down. Secondly Pear Tree Garage on Sunderland Road Gateshead was owned by Harry Sibley and was also not a Landa business. Sibley was a constant presence at the La Dolce Vita night club and was known as Danger Man because of his resemblance to Patrick McGoohan. He simply moved in Landa's night club cirlcles and owning a car sales business was a convenient person to take the car when Durham Constabulary was finished with it. These corrections are possible because of communications I received from people close to the participants after the publication of my article.

It will be interesting to see if my findings lead to a good price for the car. A pity H and H Classics used many phrases from my article without giving me credit.

2018-02-26 16:51:42 | Peter Ingram writes:

It sold at H&H in November for a stonking £151,875 I presume inc prem See E-type Club magazine Feb 2018 p.5