Lot 115: Jaguar E-Type S1 1/2 FHC

The month was October, the year was 1961and the place to be, if you were a car buff, was the Geneva Motor Show. If you were lucky enough to be there you would have witnessed the birth of a legend. For it was in this place and this time they launched the E-Type Jaguar on an unsuspecting world. Like the XK120 in 1948, the E-Type set new standards in 1961and caused people gasp in amazement. It may sound corny now but these were the days when people were not blasé about innovation and engineering achievement.The original E-Type came with flat floors, a 3.8 XK engine and bucket seats. The flat floors were soon dropped, in favour of proper foot-wells, very quickly but the bucket seats remained somewhat longer. The 3.8 gave way to a, more torquey. 4.2 and the S1 gained comfy seats. By 1967-1968 the S2 was on the way but in true Jaguar tradition, the S2 was more of a metamorphosis than a sudden change. While there is no record of a Series 1 1/2 E-Type, the term was adopted to describe examples coming off the production line with a mix of S1 and S2 parts. These cars have now become sought after as Series 1 1/2 E-Types.This example is a late Series 1 1/2 Fixed Head Coupe, which has the 4.2 litre engine and 4-speed manual transmission. Said to have benefited from a great deal of improvement since 2003, the car is described as being in good condition throughout. The works carried out have included:- New clutch assembly, plus slave and master cylinders, new Webasto sunroof, stainless steel exhaust, brake master cylinder, steering rack, alternator, suspension bushes, prop-shaft uj's and a Kenlow electric fan.Finished in red with black leather, the car is said to have been recently checked over and serviced by a Jaguar Specialists and is offered with an MoT through to May 2008.