Launched on 15th March, 1961, the E-type was the replacement for Jaguar’s aging XK platform and it went quite above and beyond what anyone expected. When seen for the first time by press and public at the Geneva Motor Show, necks swivelled, jaws dropped and a few eyeballs popped out of their sockets. Jaguar historian Philip Porter wrote of the moment, ‘The press who ringed the car were awestruck. 

They had never seen a production car quite like this. The styling was no copy of the trend-setting Italians; it was not even essentially British – it was Jaguar’s own unique style. Add the promised performance and this was a truly stunning concept.’

What of that promised performance? After vigorous road-testing by The Autocar and The Motor, Jaguar was able to support its claim that the E-type would hit 150mph, an astonishing claim for a production car in 1961. After Geneva, the press had a field day. The Autocar, The Motor, Autosport, Motor Racing, The Daily Telegraph, The Times, the Daily Express, the Daily Mirror and many other journals fell over themselves to give the E-type the highest possible praise. John Langley of The Daily Telegraph said ‘Driving the car is more like flying than motoring. On the M1 I found the car would cruise smoothly and quietly at 110-120mph. Bursts of acceleration rushed it to just over 140mph on two occasions.’

Perhaps the two greatest contributing factors towards this outstanding achievement were the 3.8-litre dohc straight-six XK engine, carried over from the XK150S, with its three SU HD8 carburettors and the gorgeous streamlined bullet profile, the work of celebrated designer Malcolm Sayer. It also boasted a radical method of construction, with the engine and suspension supported by a front subframe which effectively made the car chassisless, and provided the perfect combination of lightness and rigidity.

Needless to say, the E-type was destined to go onto greatness in competition but it is better remembered by many as a cultural icon of the Swinging Sixties. Anyone who was anyone in celebrity culture bought an E-type. George Harrison and George Best both posed with their own coupés. A white roadster had a starring rôle in the 1965 Dave Clark Five film Catch Us If You Can, and another two had major supporting rôles alongside Michael Caine in The Italian Job.

From 1964, the E-type benefitted from its engine being bored out to 4.2 litres, resulting in increased torque. The press, once again, raved about it, and popular opinion today says that the 4.2 Series I coupé was never bettered. Later changes introduced with the Series II and III saw the purity of the E-type’s styling compromised, and never would such an unspoilt manifestation of beauty on four wheels be seen again.

The E-type offered for sale here, chassis 1E 20916, was built on 31st August 1965, leaving the Jaguar factory in Opalescent Silver Blue with Dark Blue interior. Issued with the West Bromwich registration DEA 615C, it was despatched to the distributor P. J. Evans of Birmingham, and then supplied to the Dartmouth Garage dealership.

At first, it must have been the hottest thing in Dartmouth, but after 10 or 15 years had passed, the E-type fell on hard times. Someone painted over its beautiful Silver Blue with a rather questionable sort of tree-frog green, and even upset the elegant slope of the fastback by grafting a spoiler onto the boot hatch. It subsequently fell out of use, and only resurfaced in recent years after suffering heavily from the ravages of time and poor storage. Around 1980, it was owned by one John Edward Knowlden of Biggin Hill, Kent.

Mercifully, succour was at hand, and the car now appears recently restored to its original specification and looking as splendid as ever any Series I E-type did having passed through the capable hands of restoration workshop CL Classics and finished off by Woodham Mortimer.

The E-type comes with a slim folder containing a smattering of documents, including the current V5, an older Vehicle Registration Document from Mr. Knowlden’s ownership, a Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust Certificate issued in 2018 and some photographs of the car prior to its restoration.

You will notice that the Heritage Certificate shows that a slave engine was fitted at the factory when the test was complete. This has been confirmed by noted historians of the marque, to be quite common when the engine for the vehicle was still in production and not ready to be fitted to the car. A slave engine was fitted in place so that testing could be carried out. When the engine was completed it was then fitted to the car at a later date. There is also a letter in the photo gallery from the owner to JDHT to explain further.

Stepping through the low doorway, sinking into the supple Dark Blue leather and laying a hand on the sporting wood-rimmed steering wheel, the E-type feels every inch a gentleman’s motor-car, and the beautiful condition of every component is testament to the high-quality of its recent restoration.

The leather still looks very new, and the rest of the interior complements it. The door cards are spotlessly clean, and even the accoutrements like the door handles and window winders look like they have only ever been handled while wearing white gloves. 

The same may be observed of the dash, with its aircraft-like arrangement of switches and gauges illuminated by a soft, warm light, and also of the centre console. The carpets set the whole scene off very nicely in with their deep, rich royal blue hue, and the grey headlining looks brand-new. A few parts, such as the rear-view mirror and horn button, do have a light patina.

Lifting the boot reveals a load space that’s almost too nice to use. Indeed, it doesn’t look like it has seen any use yet. The parcel shelf lifts away to reveal a gleaming spare tyre and one of the nicest boot floors you’re ever likely to see.

As one might expect from a car so recently restored, the E-type’s external appearance is on a par with the very best of them. The Silver Blue paint looks as if it could have been applied yesterday, and all the chrome on the car is as good as any we have seen. Even the wire wheels have been kept scrupulously clean, and one can look straight through them and see that the brakes don’t let the side down, either. All the glass on the car is in excellent order, too.

Peering underneath proves reassuring: the semi-monocoque body has a clean and thoroughly solid underside, and the front subframe assembly is almost as attractively finished as the car’s external panels.

Rather a lot of people would say that the Jaguar E-type ought to be considered a work of art. Others would say it ought to be thought of as two, for is the engine not a beautiful piece in itself, seemingly the work of an artist as much as an engineer? Scarcely do we see one looking better than the unit fitted in this car. 

Evidently, the car’s restoration involved stripping the engine and cosmetically refurbishing every item, hence we can gaze admiringly on the beautiful gold paint of the engine block, the sheen of the polished camshaft covers and the stout, purposeful look of the three beefy SU carburettors.

As would be expected, it runs beautifully. The engine fires up obediently, and the car pulls away onto the road with a keenness which belies its 57 years. This is a machine which should have many miles of happy motoring ahead of it.

As the E-type has not been issued with an MoT post-restoration, we would advise that bidders satisfy themselves as to its condition before taking it on the road, but we have observed its brakes and are satisfied as to its roadworthiness.

We know you’d like to own an E-type – everyone does – but there’s always one for sale somewhere, isn’t there? Why this one? Well, for a start, you really want a Series I, don’t you? Of course you do. If you’re going down that route, then the torquier 4.2 is a better bet than the 3.8 if you want to get the most out of the driving experience. And as for the body, as tempting as a roadster may be for the summer, the coupé is really more practical and many people also consider it to have a more æsthetically pleasing profile.

So that’s settled. Your favourite E-type is the Series I 4.2 coupé. Opalescent Silver Blue with a Dark Blue interior is a particularly lovely combination, and when the paint is so fresh and the chrome so dazzlingly good, you’ve got one of the best examples on the market. It’s not just about looks, because the engine is in fine fettle, and should see you safely through any number of summer outings and touring excursions. Go on, place a bid, and see if you don’t realise your heart’s desire.