1961 Jaguar 3.8 XKE Roadster "Flat Floor"

Introduced in 1961, the Jaguar E-Type caused a sensation when it appeared, with instantly classic lines and a 140 mph-plus top speed. The newcomer’s design owed much to that of the racing D-Type: a monocoque tub forming the main structure, while a tubular spaceframe extended forward to support the engine. The latter was the same 3.8-liter unit first offered as an option on the preceding XK150, and the E-Type’s performance did not disappoint; firstly, because it weighed around 500 pounds (227kg) less than the XKl50; and secondly because aerodynamicist Malcolm Sayer used experience gained with the D-Type to create one of the most elegant and efficient shapes ever to grace a motor car. Tall drivers, though, could find the interior somewhat lacking in space, a criticism addressed by the introduction of footwells (and other, more minor modifications) early in 1962. But of all the versions of Jaguar’s long-lived and much-loved sports car, it is the very early ‘flat...