Meanwhile, in 2004 Sports Car International Magazine had the E-type at number one on their list of Top Sports Cars of the 1960s. And in 2008 the British newspaper the Daily Telegraph placed the Jaguar E-type at number one on its list of ‘100 most beautiful cars of all time.’ In 2013, the Jaguar E-Type featured on a ‘British Auto Legends’ postage stamp issued by the Royal Mail.

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Meanwhile, when the Jaguar E-Type was unveiled in 1961, Frank Sinatra is reported to have said, ‘I want that car, and I want it now.’ Having a Jaguar E-Type was the ultimate status symbol, so how could the king of swing be denied one?

The car was based on Jaguar’s D-Type race car, which had won the Le Mans 24-hour race three consecutive years, beginning in 1955. The E-Type employed what was, for the early 1960s, a novel design principle, with a front subframe carrying the engine, front suspension and front bodywork bolted directly to the body tub. No ladder frame chassis, as was common at the time, was needed and as such the first cars weighed only 1,315 kg (2,899 lbs).

The E-Type was introduced as a rear-wheel drive grand tourer in two-seater coupé form (FHC or Fixed Head Coupé) and as a two-seater convertible ‘roadster’ (OTS or Open Two Seater). (A ‘2+2’ four-seater version of the coupé, with a lengthened wheelbase, was released in 1966.) An open 3.8-liter car, actually the first such production car to be completed, was tested by the British magazine Motor in 1961 and had a top speed of 149.1 mph (240.0 km/h) and could accelerate from 0 to 60 mph (0 to 97 km/h) in 7.1 seconds. A fuel consumption of 21.3 miles per imperial gallon (13.3 L/100 km; 17.7 mpg‑US) was recorded.

The E-Type comes equipped with a 4-speed manual transmission, 3.8-liter engine, triple SU carburetors, toggle switches, wood steering wheel, soft top, covered headlights, 4-wheel disc brakes, wire wheels, spare tire, and jack. Also included are service documents and receipts copies dating from 1975 to 2020, totaling over $35,000 invested in the vehicle. This is a unique opportunity to find a rare factory right-hand drive E-Type Roadster that has had the same owner since 1985 and is mechanically sound.

The car we have is the first edition of the Series 1 car, those made between 1961 and 1964, which had 3.8-liter engines and (on all but the very last cars) partial synchromesh transmissions.

After that, the floors were dished to provide more leg room and the twin bonnet latches moved to inside the car. The 3.8-liter engine was increased to 4.2 liter (4,235 cc) in October 1964.

Brian Epstein, the manager of The Beatles, gave George Harrison a Jaguar E-Type Jaguar for his 21st birthday on 25 February 1964. The car was customized, including a dashboard-mounted record player.

Another Oscar-nominated actor who owned a series 1.5 E-type roadster was the very great Tony Curtis.

And the colossally successful musician Sir Elton John had a nice little hobby, collecting unique vintage automobiles, amongst which was a red 1965 Jaguar XKE 4.2-Liter Series I Roadster.

And we are not even mentioning The Big O, Roy Orbison. Or the superstar soccer player George Best, the French King of Rock’n’Roll Johnny Halliday, the divine Princess Grace Kelly, or the superb American actor Charlton Heston, all owners and lovers of the Jaguar E-type.

Wouldn’t you just love one yourself?

-Alex Manos, Owner