Callum Designs, the outfit led by ex-Jaguar design chief Ian Callum, has unveiled renderings of a restomod E-Type so polished it could make the Queen trade in her Range Rover. This vision is part of the firm’s new ‘Portfolio Project’, a bespoke concept series which, with the right donor car and a chequebook wide enough to choke an elephant, could become a reality.
Visually, the classic E-Type shape is retained but subtly evolved. The suspension’s been lowered by a few centimetres, the arches pumped to accommodate chunkier wheels, and both the front and rear lights have been re-housed in sleek new casings. The iconic oval grille? Still there, mercifully. Tailpipes are bigger, alloys are dished three-spokers with aero discs, and the overall effect is like seeing an old Bond actor return for one more mission—older, wiser, but still ridiculously suave.
Step inside and it’s all beautifully restrained. The show car spec features red leather upholstery paired with wood trim, a layout so clean you’ll struggle to find anything unnecessary. Instrumentation includes a speedo, rev counter, fuel and oil temp dials flanking an old-school nav and audio interface. No digital gimmickry, no massive screens, and no sign of vegan cork composite.
Ah, but there’s one feature worth lingering over: a proper five-speed manual gearbox capped with a machined metal knob. Yes, a real gearstick. This isn’t an EV restomod trying to chase headlines—this is for the purists. Though Callum hasn’t confirmed what’ll power it if a customer steps up, he has left the door open to either a straight-six or a V12. Just imagine the latter. We’re talking something in the region of 300 to 380bhp (that’s about 224 to 283kW), possibly around 500Nm of torque, and a glorious soundtrack to match.
As for price? That remains a mystery. But rest assured, this won’t be in the same WhatsApp group as your ₹25-lakh sportscar builds. Think more along the lines of “bespoke commission” rather than “optional extras”.
So, if you’ve got a dusty old E-Type shell lying around and a few crores burning a hole in your pocket, Callum Designs might just make your vintage Jag dreams a modern reality, with just the right amount of theatre.
