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280
1962 Jaguar E-Type Series I 3.8-Litre Roadster
Registration no. 568 OPP
Chassis no. 860201
Engine no. R3859
Sold for £60,000 inc. premium

Footnotes

  • 'If Les Vingt Quatre Heures du Mans has been responsible for the new E-Type Jaguar, then that Homeric contest on the Sarthe circuit will have been abundantly justified. Here we have one of the quietest and most flexible cars on the market, capable of whispering along in top gear at 10mph or leaping into its 150mph stride on the brief depression of a pedal. A practical touring car, this, with its wide doors and capacious luggage space, yet it has a sheer beauty of line which easily beats the Italians at their own particular game.' - John Bolster, Autosport.
    Introduced in 3.8-litre form in 1961, the Jaguar E-Type caused a sensation when it appeared, with instantly classic lines and 150mph top speed. Its design owed much to that of the racing D-Type: a monocoque tub forming the main structure while a tubular spaceframe extended forwards to support the engine. The latter was the 3.8-litre, triple-carburettor, 'S' unit first offered as an option on the XK150. An optimistic 265bhp was claimed, but whatever the installed horsepower, the E-Type's performance did not disappoint; firstly, because it weighed around 500lb (227kg) less than the XK150 and secondly because aerodynamicist Malcolm Sayer used experience gained with the D-Type to create one of the most elegant and efficient shapes ever to grace a motor car.
    A 'matching numbers' example, this desirable early E-Type was manufactured as a fixed-head coupé and subsequently converted to roadster configuration during an extensive restoration to 'show' standard in the early 1990s. All new outer body panels were fitted by Martin Robey, who also performed the conversion, while the interior was re-trimmed by Suffolk & Turley and the engine, gearbox and running gear overhauled. '568 OPP' subsequently achieved a string of concours successes and appeared on Top Gear's 'The Car's the Star' E-Type special on BBC television and also in 'Practical Classics' magazine. Purchased by the current owner from Henry Pearman at Eagle E-Types in 1997, the car continued to be used primarily for shows and also featured in the October 1997 edition of 'Classic Cars'.
    Though little exercised in recent years, the E-Type has always been kept garaged in a dehumidified environment. Finished in Opalescent Silver Blue with dark blue leather trim and blue mohair hood, it is described as in generally excellent condition and comes complete with correct tool kit, jack, current road fund licence, Swansea V5 registration document, fresh MoT and a detailed history file including Heritage Certificate, restoration photographs and sundry invoices. Serviced and ready to use, this is a beautiful sports car for summer motoring that needs nothing.

Category: (Any Department) / Central Ops

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