Jaguar E-Type S3 V12 Manual Coupe

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Launched in 1971, the Series 3 V12 was the last and most luxurious of the E-Type range with a wider track, longer wheelbase, bigger tyres, revised suspension and a more spacious cockpit.

Better proportioned than the earlier 2+2 E-Types, it had a beautifully muscular form and was easily a match for anything that the Italians had to offer and is still surprisingly undervalued by comparison, even more so when compared to its generally far more pricey six-cylinder siblings.

Weighing just a few pounds more than the smaller XK 4.2 engine it replaced, the alloy blocked 5.3-litre V12 produced only slightly more power (272 instead of 265bhp) but vastly more torque (349 instead of 283lb/ft). This results in a quite different driving experience: gone is the XK snarl, replaced by quiet thunder and a sense of huge momentum in place of raw acceleration – although in fact the 0-100mph time of around 16 seconds made it the fastest-accelerating E-Type ever.

In manual form, the 0 - 60mph benchmark is dispatched in just 6.3 seconds and 145mph is only a squeeze of the right foot away. Best of all, despite its size and complexity, the V12 has also got an enviable reputation for unburstable reliability.

This fine looking manual V12 has spent the last few years in a private collection. Its Heritage Certificate shows that it was originally despatched to the Automobile Centre in Leeds on 7th September 1971, painted white and registered WD 69. An original RHD 'matching numbers' car, it underwent a comprehensive restoration in the 1980s, at which point its colour was changed to red and a new bonnet fitted.

Recently acquired from a deceased estate, it has been treated to a professional respray bringing the bodywork back up to standard and had much of the chrome trim replaced, including new headlight crowns, front grille and stainless steel bumpers. A recommissioning service has seen a new left front exhaust manifold, new hoses, battery, plugs and leads fitted, the vendor confirming that this impressive looking Jaguar now ‘purrs’ as it should.

Fitted with power steering and four-pot brake calipers, this manual, matching numbers, UK-supplied V12 Coupe is MOTd until June 2016 and ticks all the right boxes.