On behalf of the E-type Club, Classic Travelling is organising a fabulous tour just before the  weekend celebration for the 50th anniversary of the Jaguar E-type, one of the most iconic cars in the world.

The Italian Job Tour will drive through France to Geneva, Switzerland, venue of the launch of the car in 1961. The tour will be accompanied by the original prototype E-type, 9600 HP.

The tour is limited to just 50 cars, to represent 50 years.

The Tour will then head over the Alps to Italy for four nights, and give you the opportunity to drive some of the routes used in the classic British film, The Italian Job, with the original red E-type roadster from the film, 848 CRY.

We then return through Switzerland and France to end at our first hotel. We shall then be back in England in time for the Silverstone Classic weekend, which is the main Jaguar E-type celebration venue.

Click here to read more about the E50 Weekend at Stratford upon Avon, organised by The E-type Club

The tour will be accompanied by Philip Porter, E-type Club founder/director, who is acknowledged as the world’s leading expert on E-types. He is described by Murray Walker as ‘Mr. Jaguar’, and author of the multi-award-winning Jaguar E-type – The Definitive History. Philip’s latest book, Ultimate E-type, an in-depth study of the charismatic Lightweight Es, will be published in March and will further establish him as the E-type historian.

Philip owns 9600 HP, arguably the most famous Jaguar in the world and certainly the most famous E-type. It is the oldest example in existence and was successively the development car, launch car, road test car and press car. His open E-type, 848 CRY, was raced in 1961 and later appeared in the film The Italian Job.

Philip has written 25 motoring books, including four with Sir Stirling Moss and one with Murray Walker. He has some exciting plans for future books.

We currently have cars booked on this tour from across the UK, France, Switzerland, Ireland, Italy, and as far away as Australia, South Africa and the United States. Be part of a truly international gathering!

There is a booking form at the very bottom of this page

We have a fabulous new range of Tour Regalia. Click below to see the range.
Orders must be in before Sunday 26th June.

Tour Merchandise

Route

Accommodation

The tour will stay in a variety of hotels, from magnificent chateaux, and a five-star city-centre hotel, to lakeside gems, alpine retreats and historic buildings. Due to the size of the tour (50 cars/100 people) the capacity of the hotel, and suitable parking, have been the most important criteria, and we have booked hotels with as much charm and character as possible.

Itinerary

May be subject to change

Day One: Saturday 9 July

The tour will start (and finish) at a beautiful chateau hotel not far from Calais. Ferry crossings can be arranged for UK participants. Nestled in the heart of a large, landscaped park, the chateau was built in 1891, and is a marvellous example of neo-Flemish architecture.  Half the rooms are in the chateau, and the remainder are in the grounds overlooking the lake or gardens. The hotel also offers a large indoor pool for a relaxing swim before dinner. There will be a welcome dinner for everyone at the chateau’s gourmet restaurant, which also boasts a fabulous wine cellar.
Distance: 29 miles

Day Two: Sunday 10 July

Follow the original route that Bob Berry drove with 9600 HP to the Geneva Motor Show in 1961 to launch the E-type. Fortunately we shall not be doing this drive in one go and overnight, as Bob did 50 years ago. Today we shall be driving to Epernay, just south of Reims, and the heart of the Champagne region. Stay overnight in an unusual, new hotel – a fully refurbished former military building, near the top Champagne houses, that was opened in mid-2010. The rooms here are less luxurious (well, it is ex-military!), but still very comfortable, with en-suite bathrooms and small kitchenettes. We shall be having a very exclusive, yet informal dinner at Pol Roger in Epernay.
Distance: 175 miles

Day Three: Monday 11 July

Spend the morning with a cellar tour and Champagne tasting at Pol Roger. We are extremely privileged as Pol Roger do not offer tours to the public. We shall be shown around this prestigious Champagne house by a member of the Pol Roger dynasty. Afterwards leave Epernay and drive south, on the original route, to the beautiful town of Beaune, in the Burgundy wine region. Beaune is famed for its hospice building, once of the finest examples of French fifteenth-century architecture, and now a museum. Stay at a lovely, historic, four-star hotel in the centre of the medieval town, which also benefits from secure parking. Dinner will be a delicious gourmet-style affair at the hotel restaurant.
Distance: 195 miles

Day Four: Tuesday 12 July

Drive the final part of Bob Berry’s 1961 route from Beaune to Geneva, Switzerland. Stay for two nights in Geneva at a fabulous, luxury five-star, city-centre hotel with secure underground parking. The hotel is the tallest building in Geneva and so affords wonderful views of the Lake and the surrounding Alps. Dinner will be at the hotel, in the ballroom, alongside 9600 HP!!
Distance: 144 miles

Day Five: Wednesday 13 July

After a morning at leisure in Geneva, visit the Parc des Eaux-Vives, alongside Lake Geneva, where the 1961 press shots were taken of the E-type. We shall have a canape lunch and drinks reception at the restaurant here too. Spend the afternoon discovering this lovely lake-side city, with its pretty old quarter. There will be an evening dinner cruise on Lac Leman (Lake Geneva).
Distance: 5 – 16 miles

Day Six: Thursday 14 July

Leave Geneva and Switzerland and enjoy the most stunning journey across the French Alps, journeying through La Clusaz and over the Col des Aravis to Beaufort, famed for its eponymous cheese. The scenery it simply outstanding and the driving is thrilling and fun, with some awesome mountain passes. The final pass is the Petit St Bernard Pass, which descends from 2,200m into Italy. We shall stay for three nights at a lovely four-star hotel in Courmayeur, where the film crew stayed during the making of The Italian Job. The descent passes through the tunnel of the Muira ‘crash’ from the film.
Distance: 122 miles

Day Seven: Friday 15 July

From Courmayeur we shall explore the stunning Alpine passes, and drive some of the roads and visit locations used in the 1969 film, The Italian Job, as we also have the original car with us, 848 CRY. Today offers a circular tour, encompassing Italy, Switzerland and France. Drive down the Aosta Valley (passing a couple of the film locations) and then climb over the Grand St Bernard Pass. This was used as the opening sequence with the Lamborghini Muira in the film, and ensures for some really fun driving into Switzerland.

Descend to the Romano-Gallo town of Martigny in Switzerland. Take the opportunity to visit the superb car museum here, along with the Roman amphitheatre and Roman Museums. The area is also rich in viticulture, so sample a glass or two of Swiss wine as well.

Leave Martigny and climb back over the Alps into France and to the foot of Mont Blanc, Europe’s highest mountain. The glaciers along the route are incredible and awe-inspiring, and lead you to the elegant resort of Chamonix. From here return to Courmayeur through the Mont Blanc Tunnel.
Distance: 128 miles

Day Eight: Saturday 16 July

Enjoy a day of leisure, either wandering around the chic resort of Courmayeur, indulging in some spa therapies at the hotel, or work up an appetite with some alpine walks. There will also be a drive to visit some of the film locations today, including the infamous mafia meeting of the E-types, along with 848 CRY. We don’t plan a faithful recreation with diggers!
Distance: 50 miles approx.

Day Nine: Sunday 17 July

Leave Italy, via the Mont Blanc Tunnel and head across the mountain passes to Switzerland again. Drive the hill climb/rally road up to Villars, and over the Col de la Croix to Les Diablerets. Continue  Chateau d’Oex, and then on to visit the pretty medieval hill top town of Gruyeres. Indulge yourself with a visit to the fabulous Cailler chocolate factory, or discover how the famous Gruyeres cheese is made. Then continue to Neuchatel to stay overnight in a wonderful lakeside hotel, overlooking the Alps. Dinner will be at the hotel on both evenings.
Distance: 184 miles

Day Ten: Monday 18 July

Enjoy a day off from driving with a boat trip across Lake Neuchatel to Lake Morat (Murtensee), and to the incredibly pretty town of Morat (Murten). This historic, medieval, lakeside town is a prefect place for a stroll along the outer walls and ramparts, and along the decorated arcades, and to enjoy a coffee in one of the charming cafes in the delightful cobbled squares. There are some interesting museums, towers and castles to visit as well.
Distance: own

Day Eleven: Tuesday 19 July

Leave Neuchatel and climb up the Jura Mountains to La Vue des Alpes. This affords the most incredible panoramic view of the Alps, all the way from Lausanne and Evian in the  south, past Mont Blanc, the Matterhorn, along to the Eiger and north towards Germany. Continue to La Chaux de Fonds, a town famed for its watchmaking and home to all the big names in Swiss watchmaking. Cross the border into France and wind your way north west, past Besancon and through pretty countryside to Troyes, a beautiful medieval city. Stay overnight in a converted warehouse hotel, right on the edge of the old town, which is well-worth a stroll before dinner. There is secure underground parking at the hotel. Dinner will be at the restaurant adjacent to the hotel.
Distance: 220 miles

Day Twelve: Wednesday 20 July

The tour will then take you north-west through rural France, past some of the thought-provoking WW1 & WW2 battlefields, cemetaries and memorials.  Our final night is at the same chateau hotel we started from, and celebrate with a farewell dinner.
Distance: 214 miles

Day Thirteen: Thursday 21 July

For those heading  to the UK for the Jaguar E-type weekend at Silverstone Classic from 22nd to 24th July 2011, take the ferry from Calais to Dover.
Distance to Calais: 29 miles

Details

Duration: 13 days
Dates: 9-21 July 2011
Tour Price: Please note all prices are in Euros
€3,495 per person (sharing a twin/double room).
€3,985 per person for single occupancy
The tour price is per person and includes everything detailed below.

For Geneva & Courmayeur section ONLY (12-16 July inclusive)
Classic Rooms: €1,875 per person (sharing a twin/double room). €2,295 per person for single occupancy
This includes: 5 nights accommodation with breakfast, dinner each evening, lunch at Parc des Eaux-Vives, dinner cruise on Lake Geneva, tour book, atlas and rally plaques.

For UK participants requiring ferries (Dover-Calais) the return crossing for two people and a car is £85, in addition to the tour price.

We have a number of E-type owner/drivers who are looking for passengers. If you would be interested in sharing a car (and possibly some of the driving) then please get in touch. Some members are also happy to share a twin room, to keep costs down (no snoring or unwelcome habits please!!)

What’s Included

• An extensively researched and carefully designed itinerary to optimise your trip
• Accommodation for 12 nights (price per person based on 2 people sharing a double or twin room)
• Breakfast each morning
• Evening meals every night, including wine
• Champagne dinner at Pol Roger (10 July)
• Wine tasting and cellar visit at Pol Roger (11 July)
• Canape lunch and drinks at Parc des Eaux-Vives, Geneva (13 July)
• Dinner cruise on Lake Geneva (13 July)
• Tour book – includes a brief history of the countries to be visited, emergency details, maps and directions, accommodation information, and a very detailed, tailored account of sights and visits for each day. The book effectively eliminates the need for any other guide books
• Arrangement and reservation of optional activities (entry not included)
• Experienced and friendly tour guide/directors: Sarah Dowding (Classic Travelling), Philip & Julie Porter (E-type Club), Paul & Fiona Abadjian (E-type Club members and tour veterans).
• Vehicle mechanics: Dan Monk of Winchester Classics, and Joe Coleman of Move My Motor

What’s not included

• All lunches (except 13 July) – but places to eat are recommended
• Entry into attractions and activities (other than those listed)
• Personal travel and medical insurance
• We strongly suggest and recommend you have European breakdown cover
• All drinks are extra to accommodate individual preferences.
• Ferry crossings from the Dover, UK to Calais, France are extra (£85 return per car)

Requirements

• This tour is only open to members of the Jaguar E-type Club. If you are not a member you can join by contacting the club.
• Please ensure you have suitable travel and motor insurance for the duration.
• It is a good idea to carry a warning triangle, first-aid kit, fluorescent jacket, set of replacement bulbs and a national identification sticker.
• Please ensure your E-type is in good condition and reliable for a tour of this nature. Pay particular attention to  cooling and brakes.
• Gentlemen are requested to have a smart-casual jacket/blazer and tie. There will be some smarter dinners, but black tie is not required, to ease packing.
• The most important requirement is that you take pleasure in motoring through fabulous scenery, relish individual, character hotels and enjoy the company of like-minded travellers.

Vehicle Shipping

If you need your E-type shipping to Europe/UK for these E50 tours, please contact either of the companies below. Please tell them your home location, vehicle dimensions, and insurance value of the car.
N.B. Please allow plenty of time for your car to be shipped, and include time for clearing customs either side. As a guideline shipping from Australia is about 45-50 days.

Move My Motor – specialist car transportation

CARS UK – specialist vehicle shippers