Lot 127: Jaguar E-Type 4.2 Roadster

It is impossible to imagine the affect that the E-Type had on people, some 48 years ago. It was replacing the XK150, which, though beautiful, still harked back to the days of yore. The E-Type was pure Dan Dare. It looked fast enough to reach Mars and beautiful enough to seduce an angel. Yet here it was, sitting on the Jaguar stand at Geneva. Jaguar took 500 orders at the Geneva launch. A month later, in April 1961, the car was at the New York International Auto Show and six sold in the first half-hour. "I want that car and I want it now," is what Frank Sinatra, allegedly said, when he spotted the E-Type. The E-type was a steal in comparison to all of its serious competitors. The roadster was just £2,097 on-the-road. The Aston Martin DB4 cost £4,084 but could only manage 140mph, while a Ferrari 250GT cost megabucks at £6,469. By contrast, a small family car like the Triumph Herald cost £708, and an average house about £2,700. The E-Type offered here is a Series 1 1/2 4.2 roadster of 1968 vintage. It started life as a LHD car but while it was being restored by Southern Classics, it was converted to RHD. The quality of the restoration is obvious when one looks at the car but the fact that it received new front engine and bonnet frames, a rebuilt gearbox, rebuilt Salisbury LSD with a ratio change from 3.54 to 3.07, a Sigma engineering, fast road, engine, re-cored radiator, rebuilt suspension, all round, new RHD wiring loom, rebuilt instruments and new rocker switches, is less obvious. The car is finished in maroon with black leather interior, which is new, as is rest of the interior. The black, mohair hood, is new and there is also a hard top with the car, which is a non factory copy of the original. Other improvements include Zeus up-rated brakes all round, electronic ignition, halogen headlamps, stainless steel wire wheels and Becker retro sat/nav, phone and stereo fitted in the original radio aperture. An outstanding example of a rare E-Type, which has covered just 10,000 miles since being restored in 2005. The file includes a heritage certificate and a host of bills. Note: The registration has been blanked out on the customers request. To allay any fears prospective buyers may have, we do HPI all vehicles sold by us, before releasing funds to the vendor.