Jaguar E-Type S2 4.2 2+2 Coupe

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Launched in March 1961 the E-Type took the world by storm. It was not just the looks that made everyone sit up though. The Motor magazine tested an early E-Type at 149mph – a truly extraordinary achievement for a road car in 1961.

The Series 1 was upgraded to 4.2 litres in 1964, and a stretched 2+2 added to the range in 1966 with an extra 9” added to the chassis, longer doors to aid getting in and out and a more vertical windscreen which gave valuable added headroom – if you are much over 6 foot, you just won’t get in a standard two-seater E-Type Coupe!

The Series 2 was produced between 1968 and 1971. This featured a number of styling changes, including larger indicators and tail-lights and a larger 'mouth' at the front plus twin fans for better engine cooling. These cars can also be identified by their ribbed cam covers and rocker switches which replaced the toggles which fell foul of new US safety regulations, as did the steering column which was now collapsible. During the lifespan of the Series 2, some 5,326 were produced as 2+2s, all but around a thousand of them in LHD for export markets.

This 2+2 manual is an original RHD S2 that was exported new to South Africa in 1970. It returned to the UK in 2002, our vendor acquiring it from Laughton Investments in 2003 at which point it was advertised as being a “rust-free” example. During his 16-year ownership our vendor lavished much money on the car including a full engine rebuild and a new clutch kit by VSE in September 2005 which cost over £3,600. In 2016 it was treated to a bodywork refurbishment and a full respray which cost over £12,300.

Numerous invoices on file attest to further upkeep over the years with many new parts including brakes, suspension, radiator, alternator, starter motor and a new set of Kumho tyres. Treated to a £1,928 spend as recently as October 2016 (brake discs, hoses, bushes etc) it has covered less than 4,300 miles since the engine was rebuilt.

On offer here from a deceased estate, it was reportedly running well when parked up about a year ago but would doubtless benefit from some precautionary recommissioning before being pressed back into use. Documentation includes a V5C, many old MOTs back to 2002 the last having expired in March 2018 with only one advisory (n/s handbrake reading low), many invoices for work carried out and a Haynes manual.