Jaguar E-Type S1 4.2 Roadster

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The greatest motoring sensation of the Sixties, if not of any decade, Jaguar’s E-Type was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in 1961.

With its 3.8-litre six-cylinder twin-cam engine it was capable of hitting 60mph in 7.1 seconds and going on to a top speed of 149mph. The first significant upgrade to the emerging icon came in October 1964 when the 4.2-litre version was launched, partly in answer to its large capacity V8 rivals on the American market.

The new model also incorporated a more user-friendly, all-synchromesh four-speed gearbox. Slightly improved acceleration and top speed were not the whole story. Increased torque (up from 260lb ft to 283 lb ft) and higher power at lower revs (265bhp at 5400rpm) improved tractability and real-world drivability.

Like the vast majority of Jaguar E-Type production, this particular Series One Roadster was built for export and was first registered in America in September 1965. As the accompanying Heritage Certificate confirms, it was originally cream but when the current owner’s uncle bought it in 1968, he chose to have it repainted red, apart from the factory hardtop which was left as it was, and to have it undersealed. In all other respects it is said to remain totally original.

Remaining in Reading, Pennsylvania, until November 1998, it was then brought back to England by the vendor at which point it still only had 54,000 miles on the clock. In the intervening 16 years the car has covered another 3,000 miles and while mechanical repairs and servicing have been attended to as necessary, the bodywork and original interior have remained untouched.

Shortly before the auction the car had its ignition system and HT leads replaced and an oil/lubrication service. The original tool roll and jack and Pennsylvania plates are still present inside the boot. With just two owners in the last 46 years and still in remarkably good and original condition throughout, this car is not only just as Jaguar made it, it also has that wonderful patina that only good care over many years can create. A very rare find indeed.