First launched in 1971 the E type Series 3 featured the 5.3 litre V12 which had been destined for the newly designed Jaguar XJ.  The new V12 engine was more than powerful enough to offset the weight gain over the preceding 4.2-litre XK six and ensure that performance was undiminished. 

Weighing only 80lb more than the cast-iron-block six that it replaced, the all-alloy, 5.3-litre, overhead-camshaft V12 produced 272bhp, an output good enough for a top speed well in excess of 140mph. Further good news was that the 0-100mph time of around 16 seconds made the V12 the fastest-accelerating E-Type ever.

Other mechanical changes beneath the Series 3's more aggressive looking exterior included ventilated front disc brakes, anti-dive front suspension and Adwest power-assisted steering as standard.

Now the E Type was more of a luxury Grand Tourer than out-and-out sports car. Flared wheel arches, a deeper radiator air intake complete with grille, and a four-pipe exhaust system distinguished the Series 3 from its six-cylinder forbears, plus that all-important 'V12' boot badge.

The interior though, remained traditional Jaguar. Built in two-seat roadster and '2+2' coupé versions, both of which used the long-wheelbase floor pan introduced on the Series II '2+2', the Series 3 E-Type continued the Jaguar tradition of offering an unrivalled level of performance and luxury.

Nowadays, long overlooked by those who focussed on the earlier Series cars, the Series 3, especially the roadsters are recognised as the best developed, most comfortable, and fastest and smoothest of all the E Types.

This left hand drive, US specification Series 3 XKE is unusual for an imported car in that its entire history can be traced back to the date it was built.  With only two owners in the USA, and the seller who imported the Jaguar last year it is in exceptionally original condition with a mere 51,000 miles covered in the past 50 years!

Built on 25th May 1972 for export to the USA it left these shores the following October, and was delivered to a Dealer in Rhode Island – Jake Kaplan Ltd.  It was bought by Mr. Jacques Phillippe, who took delivery on 3rd September 1972.  

He kept the Jaguar until 1984 when it was sold to Mr. Michael Gerring of Richmond, Virginia.  It appears that the Jaguar was transferred into his wife’s name in late 2019, shortly before it was sold and then imported to the UK in 2021.  On arrival it was then treated to a major recommissioning and service by the seller. 

 The Willow Green paint had been polished away in places and the finish was dull and flat, so the Jaguar received a bare metal respray.  Upon removal of the original paint it was noted that there was no corrosion to be found so no panels were changed and no welding was necessary. 

Many parts of the car including the door jambs, under the bonnet, in the boot etc, did not require painting as the condition was fine and nicely original. There is a photographic record of the body preparation included; a few images are included amongst the photographs below.

Mechanical parts that did receive attention included the rear sub frame and running gear.  The sub frame was dropped from the car and stripped before repainting and waxoyling.  New rear brake discs, pads, brake pipes, hand brake, ball joints and bushes were all installed at a cost of £2,339, bill on file dated November 2021.   

The fuel tank was cleaned, along with the fuel system, and a new fuel pump installed at a cost of £326, bill from Sept 2021 on file.  The same month the Jaguar also had a major service with new plugs, oil, new front ball joints, anti-roll bar bushes, tracking and various other items at a cost of £1,598.

Registered and MoT tested in August 2021, the Jaguar has been barely used since the work was completed.

We have covered some of the history of the Jaguar earlier, but it should be noted that both the US owners and the seller in the UK have kept plenty of bills and invoices that document the life of the car.  

There is a Heritage Certificate issued in July 2021 that confirms that the car and engine belong together, and even the original British Leyland Service book confirms the engine number when Mr Phillippe first purchased the Jaguar in 1972.  

The original plastic Owners wallet contains not only the Service Book, but the Owner’s Manual, Lubrication chart, and the metal “Certicard” plate issued by the Dealer. Charmingly you can see that Mr Phillippe wrote his name on the wallet in felt pen!

In this case there aren’t any pieces of the jigsaw missing; the whole history of the Jaguar is present and well documented.

The interior of the Jaguar presents well, with a little wear here and there, but overall it is in fine condition.  The seat covers have been connalised.

The seats are clean and have no rips, tears or areas of wear.  It should be noted that the perforation surface on the driver’s seat looks to have become stretched or flattened and isn’t visible in some areas of the backrest. 

The carpets are clean and tidy, the dash area nicely original and intact with no scratches or marks.  There are no signs of untidy wiring hanging below the dash.  The instruments are all clear and intact, and appear to be working correctly.

The luggage area is clean and unmarked.  Overall the interior is very nice with only a few minor areas that could be improved should the buyer wish.

Willow Green is not a common colour on E Types or XKEs for a couple of reasons.  Firstly with the range of colours available it would have been hard to envisage on a Jaguar in this colour if there wasn’t one to be seen in the Dealership. 

Most Dealers ordered red, blue or metallic colours as demonstrators.  Secondly Willow Green was only available from September 1967 to October 1972 so this example is likely to have been amongst the last painted this colour.

We think it suits the car, and with its fresh paint it looked bright even on the dull day we took the photographs.  The paint finish is excellent throughout.  Most of the hidden areas, including the underside of the bonnet, boot, door jambs and filler cap are all original paint so it’s easy to see that the respray was a perfect match. 

The flanks of the car are laser straight, and the shut-lines are the best we have seen, particularly on a roadster where rigidity and movement of panels can be an issue.  The Jaguar is fitted with immaculate wire wheels with matching virtually unused Michelin Radial X Plus tyres.

The hood fits well when up, stows easily, and has a clear plastic rear window with no misting or cracks.  There is a cover for the hood when stowed, but it obviously hadn’t been used for some years, and we didn’t want to force it to fit for the photographs.

The chrome work is good, with some minor pitting evident on the offside front bumper.  The glass is excellent with no chips or cracks to either screen or light clusters. Basically, it is hard to find fault with the exterior.

Unusually in this instance we were able to drive the Jaguar to and from the photo venue so we are delighted to report that it drives extremely nicely.  We have driven a few earlier E Types in the past, but we now understand why the V12 was such a different car.  Silky smooth power delivery over a wider rev range, much more of a GT car with plenty of oomph!

The auto transmission shifts gears smoothly, and the Jaguar tracks nicely even on uneven roads; there was no noticeable scuttle shake.  The steering is particularly nicely weighted, and much better than the heavy steering of earlier series.

We arrived back impressed; a much more rewarding and exciting drive than we were expecting.  It is obvious that the money spent on the brakes and running gear was a good investment, and we agreed that we’d be happy to set out on a blast to the South of France without any hesitation. 

In this instance you can trust us; it drives beautifully!

The meteoric rise in E Type values of the past decade, especially early examples, has driven most good examples well beyond the budget of Mr Average.  That’s led to an influx of US spec cars returning home, some good ones, but many with high miles and dubious repairs or US style restorations.  

Many more of the V12 E Types were sold in the US mainly due to lower fuel costs, and the improved interior space they offered.  In many ways the Series 3 was a far better car all round than the Series 1 and 2.  

Years of development, wider track, spacious interior, more torque and overall a better build quality makes for an E Type that is far better suited to modern driving.

This example is amongst the best we have seen.  What work that has been necessary has been well executed, the Jaguar drives beautifully, and the history folder tells the whole story, so no skeletons hiding in the closet! 

We love it.


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