Description
One of the greatest post-war sports cars, Jaguar’s E-Type made immediate headlines on its launch at the Geneva Show in March 1961. Here was a sleek and beautiful 150mph car with a competition pedigree: 0-60mph and 0-l00mph in 6.9 and 16.2 seconds respectively. It could be bought for just over £2,000, almost half the cost of an Aston Martin or Ferrari. A direct descendant of the XK120 and competition C and D-Type models that so dominated 1950’s sports car racing, the E-Type shared its 265bhp 3.8 litre twin-cam straight-six engine with the XK150 ‘S’, mated to a Moss four-speed gearbox with synchromesh on the top three ratios.
Beneath the William Lyons/Malcolm Sayer-styled body, available in either closed or roadster form, the steel monocoque chassis sported all-independent suspension and four-wheel disc brakes, mounted inboard at the back.
Motor magazine road tested a UK spec E-Type 4.2 in 1964. They summarized it as “The new 4.2 supersedes the early 3.8 as the fastest car Motor has tested. The absurd ease which 100mph can be exceeded in a 1⁄4 mile never failed to astonish. 3,000 miles of testing confirms that this is still one of the world’s outstanding cars.”
The example on offer here has been the subject of a meticulous restoration by its previous custodian, part of a private collection in Canada where all the stages of restoration have been photographed and logged in the comprehensive history file. Its reported that an overhaul of the engine, gearbox and suspension was also carried out during this time. Presented in the charming colour combination of opalescent maroon with a beige hood and maroon interior, the car comes complete with a rare factory hardtop. Since its restoration the e-type has seen regular but light use and therefore still presents extremely well. This 1966 Jaguar E-type Series 1 Convertible is one of the last of the very sought after Series 1’s, and is said to be in excellent condition; it drives smoothly and the exhaust sounds like no other on the road.
