Detour #229: The best of Buckinghamshire and beyond in an exceptional E-Type
Photo Shutterstock
A half-million-pound Jaguar and some delicious diner food make this road trip on the edge of the Chilterns even more charming.
It’s fair to say that Sir John Betjeman was not a big fan of Buckinghamshire. “Come friendly bombs and fall on Slough, it isn’t fit for humans now,” wrote the Poet Laureate.
Not far outside the Betjeman-belittled town, however, it can be rather beautiful, especially when the view is from an E-Type Jaguar, reimagined by Helm Motor Cars.
The company, based on a small farm just north of Slough, takes the classic cat and brings it up to date with a host of transformative modifications. Most notable is the exquisite leather interior designed with specialist Bill Amberg Studio, but there are also all manner of mods under the skin.
A blueprinted engine with fuel-injection delivers 300 bhp – a significant hike over a standard Series 1 E-Type. The gearbox is a Tremec five-speed manual and the suspension and braking systems are completely overhauled for a far more modern driving experience. It’s lighter thanks to hand-sculpted aluminium bonnet and doors and on top of that there are hidden gems such as soft-close doors and a Bluetooth audio system.
Just 20 Helms will be built, each tailored to its buyer’s desires at a cost of approximately half a million pounds apiece. Gulp.
I’m happy then that Helm’s founder, Chedeen Battick, is taking the helm to start with so I can take a few snaps of this spectacular car, its impeccable paintwork reflecting the vibrant reds and oranges of the autumnal foliage.
We take a brief run west on the M40 before cutting south on the A404 towards Marlow. This picturesque town spans both Buckinghamshire and Berkshire, with its 19th century suspension bridge joining the two counties. The River Thames running beneath it inspired resident Jerome K Jerome to write Three Men in a Boat, which may, or may not have gone on to inspire Olympic oarsman Sir Steve Redgrave to join the town’s prestigious rowing club.
Although we’ve no time for messing about in boats we do join the A4130 to Henley, which is most famous for its annual Royal Regatta, where we do at least stop for some snaps by the river before carrying on westwards.
Looking out over the E-Type’s perfectly-sculpted nose somehow makes any road more romantic, and the next few miles passing the Warburg Nature Reserve and the National Trust’s Nuffield Place fly by. Nuffield Place is the former home of William Morris, the founder of the Morris Motor Company and the house is a time capsule of his life. If you visit, do make sure you take in Morris’s hidden workshop.
The work done by Helm on the Jaguar is superb, meanwhile. Compared to previous, unfettled E-Types I’ve driven it’s just a joy to drive. Where original cars tend to adopt an alarming lurch on acceleration or braking the Helm stays composed. It offers more than enough performance for rapid road driving combined with utterly reassuring stopping power and corner control. The gearchange is a true delight, offering a wonderful mechanical feel, and the addition of electric assistance to the power steering certainly makes lower-speed manouevring much more manageable.
Across the open fields we continue, taking the A329, A417 towards Wantage. Make a Pit Stop in nearby Grove and you’ll discover Williams Racing which offers tours of its historic F1 collection on selected days throughout the year.
We’re getting peckish now, but satisfaction is not far away. Along the A420 before we reach Farringdon is Mollie’s Motel & Diner – where tasty treats await.
We park up but before dashing in through the diner’s doors I can’t help but stop and take a last look back at the Helm E-Type. “The most beautiful car in the world,” said Enzo Ferrari of the original. Thanks to Helm it’s now beautiful to drive as well.
Words Nik Berg Twitter/X | Instagram
Photography Nik Berg & Shutterstock