Jaguar E-Type S2 4.2 FHC 2+2 Manual

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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 1970. 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 the US safety legislation. During the life-span of the Series 2, some 5,326 were produced as 2+2s with most destined for export markets, only 1,040 being right-hand drive.

As the accompanying Heritage Certificate confirms, this original RHD matching numbers E-Type was built in October 1968 and first registered in November 1968, the chassis number indicating that it is only the 27th RHD S2 2+2 to leave the production line. Originally Cream with a black interior it was first sold by the Ross dealership (location unspecified). Not much is known of the early history of the car but in 1981 it was acquired by a nuclear submarine commander, Captain MJ Buckley, from whom the vendor acquired it in 1987 as an unfinished restoration project when the restorer appointed by the Captain went bust mid-way through the project.

For the first five years of his ownership the vendor devoted a fair amount of time and money to the project and virtually all the hard and expensive work has been done. This has included a full body restoration including new door skins, sills, front and rear wings and a ‘new old stock’ bonnet sourced from British Leyland, all panels being painstakingly lead-loaded as required with no filler used. Most, if not all, of the brightwork has also been professionally rechromed in the proper manner.

Mechanically the car has also been thoroughly rebuilt with the brakes, suspension and steering components all renewed or reconditioned as necessary. The engine has been rebuilt more than once as it was loaned to the engineering department at the Bilston College of Further Education for the students to practice on, being stripped and reassembled several times and run on a test bed each time it was finished to make sure that everything was restored to the correct specifications. The black leather interior trim is all original and is in good condition throughout as are the door cards, dashboard, headlining etc.

When the vendor moved house in 1992, restoration work stopped and the car was put into storage where it has remained ever since. Remaining in basically very good order throughout with little if any deterioration to the restored parts, it now requires painting and reassembling and is being offered here as a straightforward project, with virtually all the necessary components required to finish the job believed to be present with the exception of the front and rear windscreens (although there may perhaps be a few other minor items that may have gone astray over the years).

Being offered here at a fraction of the price of a fully restored example, this matching numbers E-Type should amply reward the work now required to return it to the road.