JOHN J WAYNE E-TYPE HIT BY DVLA DELAYS
Owner of the Jaguar that starred in Brannigan reveals his battle with agency to reunite the classic with its original numberplate
The owner of the E-type that starred alongside John Wayne in the hit 1975 film Brannigan has been caught up in a classic owner’s battle with the DVLA to reunite the car with its original registration number following a painstaking restoration.
Scottish enthusiast Alex Smith said that he has spent months attempting to get the vehicle registration agency to obtain the car’s original details a decade after buying the derelict car, restoring it and getting it back on the road, but was struggling to get a response.
He said: ‘I’ve written to the DVLA to try and get the car’s original number back, but with the pandemic I think my letter’s probably sitting in a pile somewhere.’
‘I’ve been back and forth with them and got nowhere.’
AJohn Wayne fan has spoken of his frustration with the DVLA as he struggles to finish a 12-year restoration of the Jaguar E-type FHC Series 1 that featured in the 1975 crime drama, Brannigan.
Alex Smith bought the 1966 E-type from a Coys’ auction in 2011; it appeared in an October 2011 issue of CCW before the auction took place, incorrectly listed by Coys as a Series 1 2+2.
Alex bought the car, which had been dry-stored for 31 years, with a different registration number from the one that it wore in the film; its previous owner had bought the E-type directly from Brannigan’s producer, Shepperton Studios, after filming had ended.
Driven in the film by assassin Gorman (Daniel Pilon), the E-type is seen with a red pin-stripe paint job over its original black; a mock-up was used in the climactic explosive crash scene. The car was painted silver after filming and its original registration number, GPW 223D, replaced by another mark, HAU 727D, at some point during storage.
Alex has been trying to re-unite the E-type with its original plate since he finished restoring it but has been frustrated by the DVLA’s delays, compounded by a recent union walk-out.
He said: ‘I think it takes away from the car’s authenticity – that number plate is a big part of its identity and something that people will remember from the film. It’s the missing piece of the puzzle.
‘I’ve been back and forth with the DVLA, but got nowhere. I’ve written to them to try and get the car’s original number back, but with the pandemic I think my letter’s probably sitting in a pile somewhere, with other cases waiting to be looked at.’
The Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs recently took Swansea to task over its delays in dealing with registration issues; Classic Car Weekly has made the Federation aware of Alex’s E-type. A DVLA spokesperson said that if the E-type’s plate was put on retention, ‘the right to assign the number would now be with the person who is named on the retention certificate.’
Alex has a portfolio of supporting evidence to back up his claim to the original plate, including a copy of the original log book showing the E-type’s first mark, a tax reminder indicating the same and a Jaguar Heritage certificate recording the same film-star number plate. He also has a Coys sale catalogue from 2011 listing the Jaguar’s plate as GPW 223D.