The speed and elegance of one of motoring’s iconic cars of all time—the sleek Jaguar E-Type—reveals itself as the inspiration for the official poster art of the 2011 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion. Jaguar is this year’s featured marque and will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the E-Type at the annual gathering of historic race and sports cars to be held August 19-21 at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca during the Monterey Classic Car Week.
Renowned artist Bill Patterson, who is the official artist of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, says the E-Type is true art on wheels. “Having fallen in love with racing and fast cars in the ‘60s, the E-type represented the perfect blend of design, technology, performance and sex appeal. It still looks fantastic today, 50 years after it was first produced. And to have been able to see that magnificent super-light E-Type blasting through the sunrise at Le Mans would have been spectacular. Painting it is the closest I’ll ever get,” Patterson adds.
The race paddock will be bustling with the sights, sounds and constant car movement that few fans can enjoy at professional races. A central part of the experience will be Jaguar Cars’ heritage display where guests can interact with Jaguar representatives and see firsthand the full lineage of race cars that has fostered international admiration for the “Leaping Cat.”
More than 550 cars have been accepted to participate in the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion. Race groups range from pre-1940 sports and touring race cars to the thunderous historic Trans-Am and Can-Am cars of the ’60s and early ‘70s. The most modern era cars will be seen in Group 6B’s ’81-’89 FIA Manufacturers Championship cars and IMSA GTP.