This Jaguar E-Type Restomod Is $580,000 Of Pure Excess

Helm started out working on Mercedes R107 SL models. In fact, back then it wasn't even called Helm. It was only after shifting focus to the Jaguar E-Type that the name came about.

Helm as a brand is about people says its founder. It's about stepping into the car and realizing that it's built by hand by a human. You might think of hand finishing when we say that but what Helm wants you to experience is a car that was built for you to really enjoy.

Carfection presenter Henry Catchpole demonstrates that by simply showing us the door latch. Instead of the old clunky latch, one might expect on a car of this age, it's modern. So modern in fact that it features a soft-close mechanism.

Then he reveals the engine. While it's still a 3.8-liter straight-six, it has lighter internals. It makes 300 horsepower and 300 lb-ft of torque. That's serious power for a car of this weight.

It also features modern air conditioning and huge brakes to ensure it can slow down too. Externally, the E-type looks pretty much stock. Small nips and tucks are everywhere though. The chrome has been replaced with nickel. The headlights look stock but are modern and thus brighter.

Inside, the interior features modern leather everywhere. Even the switchgear has hand-sewn leather covering it. Then Catchpole lets us in on another important detail. This car was built with the help of Bill Amberg.

Amberg is a designer that works on handbags and suitcases. In fact, the luggage on board with every Helm E-Type is designed by Amberg himself as are the leather trim pieces in the car too.

The drive for Catchpole is where the whole car comes together. Much of the original DNA is left in the way it handles and moves about. The only modern feeling is the braking he says. In practice, we can't think of many better ways of doing up a restomod. It updates everything you'd want in a modern car without ruining the beautiful foundation already there.