Bouillot-HelselE-Type Roadster

Bouillot-Helsel's sole defensible full-size automobile, unveiled at the 1983 London Motorfair. Chassis records identify it as right-hand-drive 1964 Jaguar E-Type Series 1 fixed-head coupé 860402, subsequently converted into a left-hand-drive roadster; contemporary promotion instead described a newly reconstructed Oldham & Crowther monocoque, so the contradictory origin claim is retained rather than silently resolved. Updates included a Jaguar-derived fully synchronized five-speed gearbox, strengthened/uprated suspension, upgraded brakes, bespoke cream-and-burgundy paint, lavish calfskin/leather trim, burr-walnut fascia, matching branded luggage, proprietary knock-off hubs and BH insignia, with even gold-plated keys promoted. Period reports quote £50,000 or £55,000—several times an ordinary used E-Type—and praised the finish while sharply criticizing the price and marketing. Later modifications by subsequent owners are not Bouillot-Helsel specifications. Scaled Rothmans Porsche 956 replicas are excluded because no evidence establishes them as full-size road-legal automobiles.