Enormous Jaguar sculpture graces Goodwood

A 91-foot sculpture of the Jaguar E-type serves as a striking centerpiece for this year's Goodwood Festival of Speed in the United Kingdom.

It took 10 days for a bridge-building company to install the 330,690-pound statue in front of the Goodwood House. That is the weight equivalent of 122 life-size copies of the Series 1 E-type.

The statue comprises more than 1,700 feet of painted steel tubes that measure 47 inches in diameter. The tubes were originally intended for use in gasoline piping, but artist Gerry Judah said he thought they would be better suited for sculpting an E-type.

While previous Goodwood installations have incorporated actual cars into the design, Judah said he felt that the deviation was necessary for this year. The design process started in January.

"The E-type is famous for its shape but too small and delicate to hoist into the air," Judah said. "I thought I would like to express the form of the car itself without any embellishments."

Aside from the massive sculpture, visitors at Goodwood can see an array of Jaguars. The C- and D-type race cars and the XK120 are embarking on the Hillclimb course, and the XF, the XK and the XJ will also be in attendance, as will the Jaguar C-X75 concept.

By Michelle Koueiter