Jaguar E-Type Series 1 3.8-Litre Roadster 1963 - World Of Classic Cars -

Jaguar E-Type Series 1 3.8-Litre Roadster 1963

Whether you referred to it as an E-Type or XKE, this Jaguar was most assuredly the sexiest car of the 1960s. It followed the Jaguar formula—sensational looks and sensational performance—which had been introduced so successfully with the XK 120 in 1949 that it was restated with vigor in 1961. The youthful curves of the XK 120 had matured with the XK 150, while the E-Type made Jaguar young and exciting once again. Replacing the voluptuousness of the former car was the sleekness of the new one. What remained, however, was the undeniable sex appeal of the Jaguar formula.

Jaguar E-Type Series 1 3.8-Litre Roadster 1963

The E-Type was preceded by the competition D-Type of the mid-1950s and its short-lived production version, the XK SS of 1957. Like the D-Type, the new car used monocoque construction. The front of the chassis featured a space-frame with steel tubes that supported the engine, front suspension, and hinged hood and fender assembly, which lifted to provide virtually unlimited engine access. The proven twin-cam inline six-cylinder engine of the former 150 S, a four-wheel independent suspension, and disc brakes at each corner were featured; additionally, 150 mph was promised—all of this for a price of only $6,000!

Jaguar E-Type Series 1 3.8-Litre Roadster 1963

During 1963, Jaguar produced only 2,023 open two-seat roadsters, including this car, which is noted on its Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust certificate as having been dispatched to the United States on July 4, 1963. Its original owner was J.P. Small of New York. Subsequent history is unknown until the 1990s, when it was acquired by a private collector and given a comprehensive restoration, completed in 1999, including a finish in the factory shade of Primrose Yellow. The color is striking against the brown leather interior and tan soft-top, as well as the chrome wire wheels shod in blackwall tires. The E-Type was eventually acquired by its present owner and is reported to still be beautifully finished and presented, as well as retaining its original matching-numbers engine.