Launched at the 1961 Geneva Motor Show, the Jaguar E-Type drew upon the racing pedigree of its forebears, the C- and D-Type, to offer buyers a gentleman’s racer for the road. It arrived and was immediately showered with praise from the contemporary motoring media for its blend of grace, space, and pace—a phrase which also happened to be appropriated as the marque’s famous advertising slogan at a similar time to the E-Type’s launch.

Early sportscar racing success by Graham Hill and Roy Salvadori, among others, helped cement the car’s reputation as a racer for the road, and its monocoque structure with front subframe and independent rear suspension, disc brakes on all four wheels, and rack-and-pinion steering, rendered the car particularly impressive in terms of its ride and handling.

It shared the straight-six from the Jaguar XK, which in the range-topping 3.8-litre cars was fed by triple-SU HD8 carburettors and topped with a “straight port” double-overhead cam cylinder head allowing a quoted power output of some 265 brake horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque, and a claimed top speed of 150 mph.

The example offered here is noted by its Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust (JDHT) certificate to have left the factory in right-hand drive, finished in British Racing Green over a Suede Green interior with a black soft-top roof, and was sent to supplying dealer Gerald Fleming Ltd, Redcar, Yorkshire, in October 1961. Importantly, this early example boasts the desirable flat-floor configuration.

The car underwent a comprehensive restoration in the early 1990s, conducted by classic car specialist D. & S. Gardner, prior to another more recent refurbishment and upgrade programme in 2006. Upgrades included Coopercraft front brake callipers, an aluminium radiator with integral electric fan, a brass header tank, Lumenition electronic ignition, and high torque starter motor. At this point the car was also repainted once more in its original British Racing Green hue, the seats were retrimmed, the cylinder head rebuilt, and the mats, door hinges, rubber seals, soft-top roof, and cover were all replaced. In September 2011, the E-Type was acquired by the consigning owner from Arun, the independent Jaguar dealer based in Pulborough, West Sussex. In their care, the Jaguar has been subject to an engine rebuild and interior refit in 2016, gearbox rebuild in 2020, further to a bare metal respray and further restoration in 2022. The consignor claims to have driven the car no more than 2,000 miles since the engine rebuild and less than 100 miles since it was painted.

This example is accompanied by a history file containing historic MoTs, invoices from its 1990s restoration, and a Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust certificate issued in 2024. Given this car’s early provenance, it will be of interest to marque collectors.