‘And the XKE is such a visual piece of art that it comes as no surprise that on its release on 15 March 1961 Enzo Ferrari, a man who should certainly know his onions, called the XKE ‘the most beautiful car ever made‘. Hardly surprising: the XKE seemed like the fulfillment of a long-held dream – not only was it a road-going racing car, but one with an utterly futuristic design. It looked almost as much like a spacecraft as an automobile.

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‘Approximately 67,000 cars were produced of the several XKE models. Over the years Beverly Hills Car Club has had a reasonable amount of them: these have ranged from fully restored cars, to daily drivers, to barn finds that require full restoration. I vividly recall the time a few years back when a very well-known rock star bought three XKEs from me: one that was in immaculate as-new condition and a pair that would fulfill for many months his hobby of recreating classic cars.

‘Of course, the XKE’s predecessor, the Jaguar XK150, was a stunning and visually poetic piece of automotive romance. But the XK150’s demise came about due to the great success, a winner for three consecutive years beginning in 1955, of the Jaguar D-type at the annual Le Mans 24-hour road race.

‘Based on the D-type, the XKE had a race-proven twin-cam engine with three carburetors, a four-speed gearbox, fully independent suspension, all-wheel disc brakes, and rack-and-pinion steering. It also had a top speed of 150 mph and 0-60 mph in 6.8 seconds – an early review described driving the XKE at below 110 mph as ‘loitering’! Moreover, it could happily take quite-steep corners at speed. That is one of the aspects of the XKE I love so much. They are such fun to drive, and at the same time refined and docile. On the freeway they simply move along. But I simply adore their confident cornering.

‘There were several variants of the XKE Jaguar. In 1961 the 3.8-liter E-type, in open two-seater form and billed as the 150 m.p.h. Jaguar, took the Geneva Motor Show by storm. It was an instant sales success.

‘In 1964 there was a further XKE version, with an all-synchro-mesh gearbox, and the engine capacity increased to 4.2-liters. In March 1966 a 2 + 2 coupé was added to the E-type range. Modifications included an increased length of nine inches and a higher windscreen.

‘And in 1971 the long-awaited twelve-cylinder engine was introduced by Jaguar. The V12 XKE was not a new car; rather it was a fine new power unit using the former details and running gear. These series 3 Jaguar XKEs were manufactured until 1974.

‘Right now at the Beverly Hills Car Club we have a gorgeous and highly desirable 1973 Jaguar XKE Roadster, in Signal Red with a sand beige interior. The series 3 XKE provides a little more leg-room and a cozier interior than the Series 2. The vehicle comes equipped with a 4-speed manual transmission, 5.3-liter engine, air conditioning, power steering, soft top, boot, 4-wheel disc brakes, white line tires, and wire wheels. An amazing color combination E-Type Roadster with matching numbers that is mechanically sound.

‘I have taken it for a few runs: check out my Instagram post above.

‘There is no question about twelve-cylinder Jaguar motoring being travel of a most effortless kind.

‘And in ‘the most beautiful car ever made‘.

-Alex Manos, Owner