The Shift from Owning a Car as Appliance to a Car of Consequence

Owner: Wogbe Ofori

Age: 41

Location: Houston, Texas

Year, Make, & Model: 1968 Jaguar E-Type Series 1.5 FHC

Photographer: Wogbe Ofori

Although he’s been a fan of cars ever since he was a kid, this is Wogbe’s first car of consequence as opposed to being simply an appliance, and he affectionately calls it “Bad Kitty”. His favorite time of day to drive the car is at dawn on a weekend, when the Houston freeways are peaceful and empty.

Manufactured on May 7, 1968, this E-Type has been fully restored to be a high-end driver with quite a few upgrades and enhancements that respect the vintage of the car. The transmission is a 5-speed CJ5 unit from Classic Jaguar in Austin, Texas (these CJ5s are specifically designed for E-Types). It requires automatic transmission fluid because of its carbon fiber synchro rings. The engine was completely rebuilt and balanced, and the Jaguar also has a custom A/C system as well as Securon retractable locking three-point seat belts. Aesthetically, I’ve given the car Dayton six-inch wire wheels with pre-1968 “eared” knock-off hubs, new interior upholstery, new headliner, and new paint in the car’s original opalescent silver grey color.

This E-Type was purchased after a two-year period of research and inquiry. Wogbe knew he wanted a ’68 because of the great combination of the Series 1s looks, and the mechanical upgrades of Series 2s. On top of that, the color was exactly what Wogbe wanted in an FHC version, because he finds that it accentuates the curves in the most elegant way. After the two-year search, a listing for this car came up on eBay, and he knew this was the one he’d been looking for.

Interestingly, during the search for the car, Wogbe created a soundtrack with over twenty songs inspired by his future E-Type. Now he often plays it while driving the car, and he actually prefers that mechanics working on the car listen to the soundtrack while doing so.

Wogbe loves that aesthetically, the car exudes class and sophistication without being pretentious. On top of that, the driving experience is so immersive mechanically. But mostly, he likes to see how this Jaguar makes people smile. Wogbe is amazed how a car like this can be so inspirational to others. When people see it, they know they’ve seen something special, and this, Wogbe hopes, will help people to realize that God infuses something special for everyone every day.

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