Lot 112: 1974 Jaguar E-Type Coupe Series III

Perhaps no other manufacturer but Jaguar could be expected to pull off the same trick twice and get away with it. Certainly the brilliant, even great, E-Type was going to be a very hard act to follow when, a decade on, some aspects of its design were beginning to show their age. Notably the E-Type had been putting on weight as it approached middle-age - a phenomenon sadly known to cars as well as there human counterparts, and its legendary performance was not what it once was. Jaguar's solution was, effectively, to give the car a heart transplant. Thus the upcoming V12 - an engine of some magnificence - was brought into early service to create the Series 3 E-Type. There were historical echoes here too because the legendary XK engine, now being superseded, was also originally slated for a saloon but found itself diverted into an equally successful sports car. The new engine, which turned out 272bhp - a figure no standard XK unit ever approached - finally restored the E-Type's critical 140mph plus top speed and was able to improve considerably on its acceleration figures. Yet for all this ferocious power, the car's legendary refinement imparted it with a slightly Jekyll and Hyde character. Here truly was an iron fist inside a velvet glove.The V12 E-Type on offer today is finished in red with beige leather interior and is good condition. The car is in original condition and has covered approximately 57,000 miles from new and has been regularly maintained. The V12 starts on the button and feeds its power through a manual gearbox. The car comes complete with old MoT's, a current MoT certificate valid until June of this year and a V5C certificate.