E-Type (Series 1)

Launch Jaguar unveiled the E-Type at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1961. Descended from the Le Mans-winning D-Type and its XKSS road derivative, it stunned the industry: a 3.8-litre twin-cam six, independent rear suspension, four-wheel disc brakes and a sensuous monocoque shape, all for around £2,000 in Britain — a fraction of comparable Ferraris. Jaguar's chief test driver Norman Dewis famously drove a car through the night to Geneva to meet demand for demonstration rides.

The 150 mph tests Two pre-production press cars — fixed-head coupe 9600 HP and roadster 77 RW — supported the launch. Autocar recorded a mean of about 150.4 mph (peak 151.7 mph) on a Belgian motorway. Jaguar's marketing leaned heavily on the 150 mph figure. Enthusiast historians have long argued these specific press cars were unusually well prepared and that ordinary showroom cars struggled to reach it; Dewis maintained they were essentially standard.

3.8 to 4.2 The 3.8-litre car ran to August 1964. Its Moss gearbox, lacking synchromesh on first, drew criticism. The October 1964 4.2-litre update kept the same quoted power but added mid-range torque (283 vs 260 lb-ft), Jaguar's own all-synchromesh gearbox, better brakes and revised seats, making it the more civilised car.

Body styles and evolution Alongside the coupe and roadster, a longer-wheelbase 2+2 arrived in March 1966. Early detail features — flat floors, external bonnet latches and welded louvres — were quickly revised for practicality; such cars are now prized. From around 1967–68 US-market cars adopted open headlights and, in the States, twin Zenith-Stromberg carburettors to meet emissions rules, forming the transitional 'Series 1.5' before the definitive Series 2 of late 1968.

Legend The E-Type became a 1960s cultural icon, frequently quoted as having been called 'the most beautiful car ever made' by Enzo Ferrari — an attribution that is universally repeated but has never been reliably traced to a primary source.

Rust is the primary concern: rear subframe/'cage' area, floors, sills, bulkhead and bonnet. Mechanically, watch for rear crankshaft oil-seal leaks (an engine-out repair), overheating and head-gasket failure, worn timing gear and camshafts, tired suspension ball joints and bushes, and corroded/worn brake discs (rear discs are inboard and awkward to service). The Moss gearbox in 3.8 cars is weak and slow-shifting.

Prioritise originality and provenance: matching chassis/engine numbers, correct body-change features for the claimed date (flat floor, external latches, welded louvres on the earliest cars) and documented history. Confirm whether a car is a genuine early flat-floor/outside-latch example, as this materially affects value. On 4.2 cars the all-synchromesh gearbox is preferable. Beware LHD-to-RHD conversions and rebodied cars. Inspect the monocoque and front subframe carefully — structural corrosion is expensive.

As of the most recent widely-published Hagerty UK guidance drawn on here (dated March 2021), a Series 1 3.8 flat-floor OTS was valued around £121,500 in Excellent condition, roughly £190,800 concours and about £87,300 in Fair condition. Flat-floor cars carried roughly a 25% premium over standard S1 roadsters (about £147,500 vs £110,075 on average). Coupes typically trade around 25% below equivalent roadsters, and 2+2s lower still. Values had peaked near £189,000 (Excellent S1 roadster) in March 2016 before softening. Buyers should treat these as a mid-decade snapshot; consult current auction results (e.g. classic.com, Bonhams, RM Sotheby's) for present pricing.