classic motoring history

The classic e-type Jaguar

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Film now showing
A celebration of the e-type Jaguar

A number of special lightweight e-types were built
in the early 1960s specificaly for competition purposes.

E-types have been racing at circuits around the world from almost as soon as they were launched

Jaguar's founder, Sir William Lyons, presented the car to the press himself at the 1961 Geneva Motor show.

Most of the pre-production work took place in 1960. Above is one of the prototype cars.

A glass housing around the in-body headlights was one of the car's many novel features

Much of the advertising of the cars was aimed at the modern man and was unashemedly sexual

Duration of video: 6 mins. 18 seconds

The sensational looking e-type has been a
headturner on the roads for nearly 50 years

The soft-top versions were especially popular In America

Over the years, many "one-offs" have been produced.
This car was used in the Austin Powers film series.

These days, e-types are always one of the
most popular attractions at classic car shows

Despite their age, there are still many e-types being driven on the road

Many of the early e-types have been immaculately restored and have increased considerably in value

Many e-types (early and late models), and especially rarer
versions, can be seen in the world's leading motoring museums

The first car shown to the press at the 1961 Geneva Motor Show has now been fully restored

To many, the e-type Jaguar is, was and always will be the most sensational car ever produced. From the day it was launched in March 1961, up until today, it has been a guaranteed headturner on roads and highways across the globe.

The car appeared less than 13 years after the first Jaguar sports car was launched, the XK120 in 1948, and the success that that and the subsequent XK140 and XK150s enjoyed, coupled with Jaguar’s amazing successes at Le Mans in the 1950s, meant the company was already world renowned when the e-type was introduced at the 1961 Geneva Motor Show.

Low cost
It was designed by Malcolm Sayers, Jaguar's esteemed race car designer who used his extensive knowledge of aerodynamics to produce a car which had the exact shape and dimensions of a modern sports car. And with the front headlights built into the body, it was regarded as a masterpiece in automotive styling. It was also unbelievably cheap for a car so stunning, powerful, technologically advanced and yet also offering limousine ride comfort.

Not surprisingly, within months of its launch, demand quickly outstripped supply and many customers then had to wait many more months before they took delivery of their car. As was the case with the XK series sports cars, the US was seen as a hugely important market, especially for the soft-top versions, and inevitably, California was the biggest single US destination for the cars over the years ahead.

Modifications
While other cars came and went, the e-type stayed in production for 14 years and saw a number of modifications and improvements during this time. The first main change was the introduction of the 2+2 in 1966 which provided more passenger and luggage space. However, the most significant change was the introduction of the brutal V12 engined car in 1971, which, overnight, made the e-type one of the fastest cars on the road. To cope with the extra power, fatter wheels and tyres were added and the new body was also slightly wider. New US government safety regulations in the late 1960s also resulted in a host of superficial changes, such as the introduction of rubber bumpers.

The cars were widely purchased by movie stars, racing drivers, royalty and many other celebrities, and in the heart of swinging 1960s London, the e-type was "the" car to own for anyone keen to be seen. Over the years, various e-type derivatives were also produced, such as the special stripped-down, lightweight racing versions which enjoyed success on race circuits around the world.

Eventually, more than 70,000 cars were built, with about 20% of them being the super fast V12 road models. The last 50 in the production run were all painted black and also had a special placque attached and these remain amongst the most valuable e-types today among contemporary collectors.

Nearly 50 years after their launch, many e-types are still on the road, and in places such as Southern California, where many of the cars were originally sold, the prefect climate means many of these dream machines are still in outstanding condition.

Even though the later models lacked some of the raw sex appeal of the original cars, e-types are still adored and desired by car enthusiasts everywhere, and to many, they will long remain one of the greatest cars ever produced.