When Jaguar introduced the E-Type at the Geneva International Motor Show in March of 1961, the car produced a splash similar to that of the XK 120’s premiere in 1948. Not only had Jaguar produced another breathtakingly gorgeous sports car, they had once again reset the standard for the sports car industry. Enzo Ferrari called the E-Type “the most beautiful car ever made,” and one example lives in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, as a testament to the car’s groundbreaking style. Jaguar drove one of their press demonstrators over 600 miles from their factory in Coventry to Geneva, arriving just in time for the car’s unveiling, showing that the E-type’s looks could match its performance.

Released in 1971, the defining characteristic of the Series III E-Type was its brand new 12-cylinder engine. Greatly increasing the available power and torque over earlier straight-six E-Types, the V-12 of the Series III more than compensated for power decreases due to stricter emissions control in the Series II E-Types. Exterior changes consisted of flared wheel arches to fit the new suspension and wider track, along with a cross-slated front grille. Jaguar customers clamored for something exotic, the E-Type V-12 was their instrument of choice.

The car being offered is reported as “100 percent original survivor.” This 1973 Jaguar E-Type Series III V-12 Roadster is finished in Silver Metallic over Black leather. We are told that this example was sold new to the cars one and only previous owner on June 17, 1973 by Reynolds Buick, Jaguar, Inc. in West Covina, California. This E-Type spent its life in Southern California until the early 1990s when the first owner put the car away in storage.

Recently revealed after being put away, this well preserved E-Type has just undergone a recent mechanical refreshing. Equipped with a four-speed manual gearbox and factory air conditioning, this gorgeous V-12 roadster is “completely original top-to-bottom including the original Silver Metallic paint and the original Black leather interior and original Dunlop tires.“ A paint meter shows a completely consistent reading all the way around the body of the car. The paint does show signs of age all over, but for 42 year old paint, it has worn well and remains consistent.

The chrome is all original and shows very well with very light pitting. All of the original rubber seals do show some signs of age especially the chrome bumper rubber seals. The original convertible top is still intact and shows very well except for both driver and passenger lower edges where the top is attached to the body of the car. There is a small tear on either side of the top. The original convertible boot is present and in excellent condition and still clips down the body of the car.

The original leather interior shows very well, the leather is a little dry, but has been conditioned and seems to be taking well to the treatment. There are no tears or heavy cracks in the leather (the driver and passenger headrest show wear and are dry with some small separations). The carpets are all original and show very well with minimal age. The dashboard is excellent and the center console is excellent with almost no age or signs of wear. All of the switchgear is in excellent condition with almost no wear. The car starts right up and runs beautifully. The engine does not smoke or hesitate under acceleration and idles on its own with ease. The carbs have just been rebuilt and are all perfectly in tune. The transmission is smooth and does not grind into any gears. The clutch feels solid and free from any slipping or issues. The steering and suspension all feel nice and tight and free from any noises or play.

The brakes feel solid and free from any fade or noises. The tires are old and would need to be replaced, but the chrome wires are in excellent condition. All of the electricals in the car appear to be operating as designed and all of the interior and exterior lights are functioning. Even the seatbelt light and buzzer are operating as designed and once the seatbelt is latched the buzzer goes out. The handbrake light is operating as designed once the hand brake is released.

This Jaguar comes with its original owners handbook, service book, original window sticker, original radio books, registration by the first owner, plus numerous other receipts and documents. The original spare tire and jack are present with the car along with the original boot and tool roll. This is an outstanding opportunity to acquire an original, reportedly sparingly driven low mileage Jaguar E-Type that has been well maintained and stored all of its life. There is no rust anywhere on the car, and it has a very clean straight body.