265 hp, 4,235 cc DOHC six-cylinder engine, three SU carburettors, four-speed manual gearbox, independent front suspension with double wishbones, torsion bars and sway bar, independent rear suspension with coil springs, double wishbones and sway bar, four-wheel hydraulic disc brakes. Wheelbase: 2,438 mm

• Desirable Series I, matching-numbers OTS (Open Two-Seater)

• Fresh, ground-up, photo-documented restoration

• Gunmetal metallic with dark red leather, chrome wire wheels

The sexy Jaguar E-Type epitomised the Swinging ’60s with its combination of style and performance. It’s safe to say that it looks much better on its 50th birthday than any other icon of that period, and such is its purity of line that an E-Type is a permanent exhibit in New York's Museum of Modern Art.

Jaguar was already a force to be reckoned by 1961; the glamorous XK120 had stunned the world at its 1948 Earls Court Motor Show debut. The C-Type and D-type sports racers scored five Le Mans victories in the 1950s, and the 1957 XKSS hinted at the future.

But when Jaguar test driver Norman Dewis drove the new E-Type Coupé from London to the 1961 Geneva Motor Show in Switzerland, the audience gasped. Dewis was so busy giving rides that Sir William Lyons reportedly ordered another car brought from London for display.

The E-Type was also the first road-going Jaguar not designed by Lyons. Aerodynamicist Malcolm Sayer got to reinterpret his D-type ideas, with an all-new monocoque construction, tilt nose, fully independent suspension and four-wheel disc brakes. The E-Type’s 265-hp, 3.8-litre, DOHC six-cylinder engine delivered 0-60 mph in only 6.9 seconds; 100 mph was reached in 16.2 seconds, and the top speed was a genuine 150 mph. These are still impressive figures today.

The first generation E-Type, with its covered headlights and dainty taillights, is the definitive model, and the car on offer is the final variation with the 4.2-litre engine and a much-improved transmission.

This car is a ground-up, two-year, documented restoration of a matching-numbers car by a marque specialist in the Netherlands. The engine, transmission and drive train were rebuilt and the restoration photographed in detail. The car also has a Heritage Certificate from the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust, confirming its matching-numbers status, and it is finished in a stunning combination of gunmetal grey metallic paint and an oxblood leather interior, surely one of the most attractive combinations. A highly desirable model and a pristine example, this E-Type is ideal for a discriminating Jaguar enthusiast’s collection.