Few cars hold the kind of cache amongst car enthusiasts that the E-Type enjoys. Renowned as “the world’s most beautiful car” and with good examples increasingly sought after, they remain one of the car world’s true greats.
Here we have a lovely example of a Series 3 Roadster, presented in a fine specification and with an excellent history. In the same ownership for the last 19 years, it’s now ready to find a new custodian.
Current owner purchased from Grundy Mack in Yorkshire
Historic vehicle status (tax and MOT exempt)
MOT maintained regardless
Current MOT to April 2023
Passed every MOT since 2011 with no advisories
Numerous previous MOT certificates
Large number of invoices for maintenance and servicing
Just 1,000 miles covered since 2006
49,583 miles indicated
Technical manual included
Restoration Guide included
Will be supplied with its original registration (NJM111K)
The previous owner of the vehicle was a WW2 veteran who purchased the car when he retired. He had been given a threepenny bit by his mother as a ‘good luck’ charm during WW2. This very same threepenny bit now resides on the car’s keyring as a reminder of its history.
Blending original patina with some retrimmed elements and slight upgrades, the cabin of this E-Type is a riot of character and style. The owner believes the upholstery may have been restored or retrimmed at some point, but is unsure.
Certainly, the upholstery, while wearing a distinctive and appealing level of patination, is presented in very good condition. There are no rips or significant areas of wear we could identify. Likewise the door cards look to have been refinished at some point, but now wear a lovely amount of natural wear that adds to the vehicle’s charm and sense of history.
The large original steering wheel has been replaced with a smaller diameter, slightly thicker rimmed Moto-Lita item. This makes the E-Type a little easier to drive and also aids ingress and egress. The original item is still in fine condition and will be supplied with the car, along with a number of other spare parts.
With its black dashboard fascia, topped with padded black vinyl, the cabin has a sporty feel. This is further aided by the smart wooden gear knob, which sits high and easily to hand, and the solid stainless steel handbrake. All of the car’s switches, controls and instruments appear to be in good order, with a natural level of wear commensurate with the age of the car. We’re assured by the owner that everything works as it should, with no issues they are aware of.
Running through the cabin is a bright red carpet to complement the upholstery. As with the rest of the cabin elements, it’s presented in very good condition.
Behind the front seats is a handy storage area for luggage, with the boot offering further capacity. Finished with original style wood floor panels, the boot is in fine condition, with a full-size spare wire wheel being stored beneath the floor panels.
There’s not much we can say about the styling of the E-Type that hasn’t been said thousands of times before. Needless to say, those iconic rear haunches, elegantly long bonnet and pronounced power bulge are present and in lovely condition. All of the panels look to be very straight and in good order, with no signs of corrosion or damage we could see.
They’re finished in a very attractive shade of deep blue. Again, we suspect that the car has been restored at some point prior to the current owner’s custodianship, as the paint presents in very good order and would be remarkable for a 50 year old car if it’s original. Of course, there are some minor blemishes and marks, but as the car has been so well cared for and maintained, these are not significant.
The current owner has had some of the external brightwork replaced, with new door mirrors and bumpers having been fitted. The rest of the brightwork looks in fine fettle, with a nice lustre and bright finish. As far as we could tell, no external trim elements are missing and everything presents very well, with the badging, windscreen and light lenses also being in excellent condition with no damage evident.
As with most E-Types, it rides on original specification 15” wire wheels, which are highly polished and look to be in very good condition. The tyres also look to have plenty of tread and the sidewalls look in good order - the fronts are Pirelli P4000s while the rears are Fuldas.
From the history file, it’s clear the roof has been replaced, and the vinyl material definitely looks well, with no signs of UV damage, fading, stretching or tearing. Correspondingly, the roof frame itself looks very good, with no signs of corrosion or damage and nice, straight metalwork.
This particular E-Type also comes with an original California removable hardtop. Finished in black, it’s a fantastic item to have, giving the car genuine all-year-round appeal and ability. The owner tells us it has been stowed in his garage for some time and is therefore in need of a good clean and probably a polish, but otherwise is in good order.
Underneath, the E-Type looks very clean and straight, with only small amounts of the usual surface corrosion to some of the drivetrain components.
The owner believes that the car has had a new engine at some point. Certainly the V5C points to this, as the DVLA has the car is registered as a ‘5,900cc V12’, whereas the Series 3 came as standard with a 5.3-litre V12.
Whatever the case, the mechanicals have been exceptionally well cared for. When you pop the clamshell front end, the engine bay you’re presented with is very clean and tidy, with no signs of leaks or issues.
The thick history file contains numerous invoices for maintenance and servicing work over the last 20 years, with the vendor always using independent specialists to carry out any work. Some of the work carried out includes:
As one of only 1,872 right-hand drive Series 3 Roadsters to be built, this E-Type is not only quite a rare car, but here it’s presented in a gorgeous colour scheme and with an excellent history throughout the vendor's 19 years of ownership.
With no expense having been spared in maintaining the car, and the addition of that extremely practical removable hardtop, this manual V12 Roadster offers a fantastic opportunity to get a superb example of one of the world’s greatest cars into your collection.
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1972 Jaguar E-Type Series 3 V12 Roadster
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