Product Details
JAGUAR CARS LTD.
A 1962 SERIES ONE 3.8 LITRE E-TYPE FIXED-HEAD COUPE,
registration no. LFF 902, chassis no. 860874, engine no. R7483-9, in dark blue with grey leather upholstery, extensively restored in 1990 with the engine being fully rebuilt at the same time, speedometer reading of 7984 is thought to indicate mileage covered since restoration, correct type wire wheels, new doors fitted in 2010, current tax and M.O.T. until July (road tax exempt)
Provenance: The vendor has kindly supplied the following entertaining and illuminating appraisal of the motor car.
"The E Type Jaguar was launched at the 1960 Geneva Motor Show and caused a sensation through both its design and price .The design and beauty of shape has never been surpassed in a sports car and, born of a racing heritage, its forerunners being the C and D Type racing Jaguars made famous by teams such as Ecuirre Ecosse, heritage and beauty came together in the E Type Coupe. Its price made it affordable to the enthusiast of modest means as it was one third the price of the comparable Aston Martin, a quarter the price of the Ferrari, and delivered better performance. Now, fifty years later it has become an icon which impresses through its enduring beauty.
And mechanically the car still impresses in modern traffic. The claimed top speed of 150mph may be difficult to achieve in a standard version of the marque, but 130mph is quite possible and has been reached in this example by the current owner. The acceleration is impressive allowing the car to beat most modern cars from 0 to 90mph , and putting many " hot hatchbacks " in their place though 50 years their senior .
The example offered here is very much a "driver's car "with many years of fast and reliable summer motoring in its current ownership to back up this claim [it has been garaged in the winter to avoid salt corrosion]. The car has been primarily maintained by Richard Watson of Forres , Moray shire , formerly a racing mechanic with the BRM racing team , and for several years Innes Ireland's mechanic . Dick specialises in Jaguar, Bentley and Rolls Royce and for several years looked after an original D Type racing Jaguar that some years ago was sold for £ 1,750,000. Over the last ten years as well as usual annual maintenance he has installed a custom made stainless steel free flow exhaust system, converted the car to electronic ignition , installed a digital petrol pump and overhauled and tuned the carburettors .
The car has the correct Motorola radio for the period though the radio does not receive a signal as there is no aerial. This, and the lack of wing mirrors, is because it was felt that either accessory would spoil the perfect external lines of the car. In any case the driver of a car such as this should be listening to the gorgeous rasp of the exhaust note rather than a radio!
The sound of the exhaust and the engine is enhanced by the size of the exhaust and the fact that the air cleaners have been removed and replaced by trumpets on the three SU carburettors. This improves airflow to the carbs, improves the sound and has no deleterious effect on the carburettors [unless the car was to be used in a dry and sandy country such as North Africa, but not in Britain].
Fifteen years ago the car's interior was changed from black to its current grey leather seats and grey carpets. It retains its original aluminium dash board and transmission tunnel and the toggle switches that are correct for the early cars. It also retains a plastic badge on the windscreen which externally shows the Jaguar head emblem and internally "Running In" instructions for the first owner
In spring 2010 the car was driven to London from Inverness for some summer motoring in France, and following that Hofmanns of Henley were asked to overhaul both brakes and suspension. The car was then driven back to Inverness to be garaged for the winter. In order to avoid traffic and have a fast run the journey was undertaken overnight and this allowed the 560 miles to be covered in seven hours, an average of 80mph with stops only for petrol and coffee.
Other Notes: The vendor has kindly indicated that he is happy to field any questions from serious parties. Please direct your enquiry to Holt's and we will pass on as appropriate.
In addition, the vendor would be pleased, if required, to deliver the car personally within Great Britain.
Estimate £25,000-35,000