1967 Jaguar E-Type Series 1½ 4.2 Litre Roadster

Details

The Jaguar E-Type is arguably the greatest sports car ever built. It was announced at the March 1961 Geneva Motorshow and it took the motoring world by storm . . . the car was an absolute sensation!  The body styling was simply gorgeous and technologically the E-Type was an engineering masterpiece and it set new standards in all areas.

Whilst automotive styling is somewhat subjective the E-Type is often ranked atop lists of ‘the most beautiful cars’ and in fact it has been described by Enzo Ferrari as the most beautiful car ever made. And it’s not just about the looks as the E-Type is often at the top of other lists such as ‘The best sports car ever built’ or ‘The most significant cars’. It is truly a motoring icon.

As a testament to the success of the E-Type, production evolved through three series from 1961 until 1974 during which time circa 70,000 cars were built.

Oldtimer Australia is delighted to offer a 1967 Jaguar E-Type Series I ½ 4.2 Litre Roadster.

This particular car is chassis number 1E15958 with engine number 7E141189.

The Jaguar Heritage Certificate confirms this factory LHD example was manufactured 8^th August 1967 with a date of dispatch of 30^th November 1967. The car was delivered through Jaguar Cars, New York, USA and its first owner was a Charles Peter Verrona from the Bronx in New York on the 20^th January 1968. The cars original colour scheme was carmen red with a black interior and black soft top.

This car is an incredibly original and unmolested example. The Heritage Certificate confirms the chassis number, engine number, cylinder head number and body numbers all match. Aside from an older repaint in its original colour the car retains many original features, including the interior.

The Heritage Certificate is dated 21^st December 1999 and was prepared for a Michael Sturges from Churchville, Maryland, USA who was assumed to be the owner of the car at that time.

The current owner acquired the car in late 2011 and imported it into Australia in early 2012. There is a copy of the Vehicle Import Approval on file dated 25^th January 2012. Essentially the car was kept as part of a private collection and very rarely used. The owner is now selling off that collection and the car is offered for sale.

The car is today best described as a ‘nice driver’. The paint work is presentable, but on closer inspection there are a number of nicks, scratches and minor dents as well as faded areas in the paint. The bottom of both doors have some rust and there is evidence of some filler in places. That said the car looks very clean and solid underneath. The panel gaps are generally good and all of the exterior trim and lenses are in good condition. The wire wheels are like new and the Firestone ‘red wall’ tyres compliment the car nicely. As noted above the interior looks to be totally original and very well preserved. It is in very good condition for its age and there are no rips or tears in the upholstery and everything looks to be correct. The major issues inside the cabin are the dash which is cracked and the gear lever boot is badly worn and discoloured. The soft top also looks to be original and is in reasonable working condition. A nice touch supporting its originality is the plaque on the centre console from the 1973 New Hope Automobile Show.

The current owner acquired the car through a dealers listing on eBay and a copy of the advert for the car at that time is on file. This notes the following: “. . . Rarely will you see an EType

Series 1½ come to market that has been this well taken care of mechanically. The reserve on this amazing sports car is set to sell, so bid with confidence! This Jaguar has been used as a driver, and meticulously and professionally maintained. Mechanically, the car is in excellent condition, and has never sat for any extended period of time since its restoration. The owner of this car has invested a substantial amount of money into ensuring that this amazing Jaguar is as close to mechanically flawless as possible. Reliability has always been the most important aspect with this car, as the car was driven on a regular basis. From 1999 to 2009 the engine, transmission, front end and rear were all rebuilt. The clutch was replaced, the carburetors

were switched to 6 Solex performance units, an exhaust header was added, etc. More recently, the alternator, radiator, fuel pump and lines, clutch slave cylinder, and starter have been professionally and correctly replaced. The brakes were all recently serviced and are ready to go. The wheels are 72 spoke polished stainless steel wheels from Dayton that are one inch wider than stock, giving the car much needed additional traction. The wider wheels have also been offset to the inside, so as not to interfere with the beautiful lines on this classic Jaguar.

The car is in fact fitted with triple Weber carburettors and the current owner has recently gone through cleaning the fuel system, including the tank and fitting a new fuel pump.

The car runs and drives and will suite someone looking for an original unmolested E-Type to use, enjoy and slowly improve over time or alternatively it would be a great candidate for a ‘light restoration’. E-Types are very straight forward to convert so its new owner can either leave it as left hand drive or convert it to right hand drive. The car’s electrics also requires some attention.

As they say a car is only original once and this well preserved example presents a unique opportunity.

Today the odometer reads 55,379 miles which is understood to be genuine.

 

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