1970 Jaguar E Type

Our eye-catching example represents somewhat of a holy-grail car in E Type terms. It’s a right-hand drive, UK supplied and specified Fixed Head Coupe with a manual transmission. It remains in a highly original condition and specification despite having enjoyed two periods of restoration and recommissioning during its 54-year history. Of the Series 2 cars, the Fixed Head Coupes like this one were always the least ubiquitous with 4,855 being produced against 8,627 Drop Head Coupes and 5,326 2+2s.

Courtesy of the included Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust Certificate we know our car left Coventry at the end of June 1970 destined for dealer Mann Egerton and finished in a dark blue livery with a black interior. Since then, the car has been enjoyed by a mere five previous keepers as well as undergoing a colour change to red in in 1984. The car’s chassis, body, and engine numbers all still tally with the factory record making this a matching numbers example in the true sense of the word.

The current owner acquired the E Type in 1991 and has been the car’s proud custodian ever since. The E Type had covered around 82,000 miles upon acquisition, and he has added around a further 7,000 miles in the intervening 33 years, equating to little more than 200 miles a year. He has also been the instigator of two periods of restoration during his ownership. During these a full respray and bodily restoration was undertaken as well as new underside panels being fitted and appropriately treated. It is only the recent addition of a Series 1 E Type to his collection that is prompting this sale.

Our car is presented in the bright and eye-catching Carmen Red colourway. Surely the perfect hue for this Series 2 E Type Coupe? Our example effectively showcases the signature features of the E Type’s second iteration. The big, oval grill, the splayed double chromed tail pipes, and the forward set un-faired headlamps – they are all here and in great condition too. For those in any doubt as to what they are following, there is a big chrome emblem affixed to the elegantly sloping boot lid.

The combination of the sheen of the bright and lustrous paintwork, the shiny chrome accents to the bumpers, overriders, door furniture and grille and the optional chromed wire wheels affixed with twin eared spinners meld to give this car road presence and head-turning character by the bucket-load. 

Those cross-spoked chromed wire wheels appear to be in excellent condition all round with no significant areas of imperfection noted. The Jaguar inscribed twin eared spinners, likewise. The 15-inch wheels are shod with a matching set of retro-looking radial type tyres in a period-correct 205/70 configuration and a subtle white side stripe rounding off the look perfectly.

The interior presents as an entirely original E Type cabin of the period. The box pleated seats are complete with the matching headrests and are finished in a supple, perforated black leather. These look refreshingly “analogue” by today’s airbag laden, electrical everything standards.

The rest of the E Type interior is a refreshing antidote to the haptic screen laden, minimalist interior of many a modern Hybrid or EV, too, and all the better for it in our opinion. No less than 10 clearly labelled (and less likely to impale you according to the NHTSA) rocker switches are arranged across the centre panel and seven, white on black Smiths gauges keep you appraised of the car’s mechanical status. A charming, wood-rimmed, alloy framed Mota-Lita style steering wheel is also present. 

The door cards are finished in black leather and feature horizontally arranged, chromed trim strips and door furniture. The high and wide inner sill panels are trimmed in black to match the rest of the interior. The black carpets appear to be in fine fettle throughout and a surprisingly useful rear luggage shelf can be accessed via the forward folding seats or via the side hinged rear hatch. 

A sit in, let alone a drive of an E Type of this period will likely live long in the memory. It provides an object lesson in the “theatre” of motoring that seems somehow lost on this car’s modern successors. 

Hindsight tends to fixate a little on the E Type’s later V12 5.3L power unit which eventually arrived with the Series 3 cars. Those in the know, however, will also accredit this as another sop to the North American market. Americans preferred their V8s of course, so the straight six 4.2L E Type was considered slightly cylinder deficient by some there. In reality, of course, the 4.2L XK engine was a colossus of a unit having been produced in different capacities since 1949. The later V12 would add nearly 50kgs to the nose of the E-Type together with a ton of additional complexity for very little additional power. This is why many purists consider the 4.2L XK engine as the apogee of E Type mechanical development.

Lifting the curvaceous clam-shell bonnet reveals said XK engine. With plenty of polished alloy in evidence and that row of triple SU carburettors mounted to the offside, there is not a naff plastic engine cover to be seen. The inner panels of the car and underside of the bonnet attest to a high quality respray having been performed during the vendor's tenure. The vendor reports that the E Type had a new alternator and high velocity starter motor fitted around 100 miles ago.

The underside of the car looks in keeping with the rest of the car. No undue damage, leaks or corrosion was noted or reported, and an impressive level of preservative underseal appears to remain present.

There is a generous level of provenance providing paperwork included with the car. Our photographic package includes close to 50 images of documents and paperwork from across the car’s history. Foremost these include the current V5 registration document in the name of the current owner. This confirms the car’s status as a Historic Vehicle and its associated VED and MoT exemption in the UK.

Despite this status the car has been regularly MoT’d up until 2020 with the most recent certificates present in hard copy. There are also numerous other earlier MoTs on hand in hard copy, documenting the low mileages covered over the last thirty plus years of the current ownership.

Other paperwork includes some invoices for work undertaken as well as parts procured. There are a couple of documents suggesting at the car having spent some time in the US in the mid 1980s and a photograph album documenting work undertaken at an earlier restoration.

For those with a long enough memory it will be clear that the relatively high production numbers of the E Type, compared with some of its peers, meant that its status as a highly collectable classic took a while to materialise. With the passing of time, however, with many cars succumbing to the rigours of age, the E Type market has seemingly properly matured. This has resulted in many examples suddenly representing viable propositions in terms of re-imports, often from the USA, conversion to right hand drive and resale. That makes original UK supplied, right hand drive models all the more desirable today.

Our example obviously ticks that box but then doubles down thanks to the allure of its 4.2L manual drivetrain, its fine overall condition and reassuring long-term enthusiast ownership. The fact that it looks so fantastic in its bright red colourway and bright chromed wire wheels is, surely, a sight that the lucky new owner will never tire of.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at the Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are strictly by appointment. To make a booking, please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, and read our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.