Raise the bonnet and you are treated to one of the most beautiful
engine layouts in sports car motoring. As Sir William Lyons was
rumored to have said, "It costs no more to make it pretty"
engine layouts in sports car motoring. As Sir William Lyons was
rumored to have said, "It costs no more to make it pretty"
The E-type is one of those rare gifts to the automotive world, the result of a passionate team with a clear focus. William Lyons, founder and president of Jaguar, had a keen eye for style and a sense of taste that became the cornerstone of Jaguar. In 1950, he employed Malcolm Sayer, a brilliant mathematician and engineer with an intrinsic passion for automobiles, to shape the sensuous body of the E-type.
Taking what it had learned on the track with the D-type and applying it to its new model, Jaguar's new E-type featured a monocoque passenger compartment and tail section, a tube-framed engine bay, and a tilting
bonnet. With its well-appointed interior, civilized 3.8-liter six-cylinder engine, and a compliant suspension, the E-type was an ideal two-place sports car.
The desirable early roadster described here was purchased out of a
private European collection. Well-maintained and kept in a climate controlled environment, it is in very good overall condition. A recent service saw detail given to the synchronized gearbox and brake system. This major tune-up included a rebuild of the brakes, carburetor and cooling system, and replacement of all fluids. In addition, the seats have been upgraded for comfort.
Finished in classic maroon with Biscuit interior and chrome wire wheels, this E-type has enjoyed careful maintenance and loving care, and should reward its new owner with excellent performance and timeless good looks.
SCM Analysis
Detailing
Vehicle: | Ferrari |
The SCM analysis: This 1962 Jaguar XKE Convertible sold for $80,300, including buyer’s premium, at the RM Monterey auction held on Aug 13-14, 2004.
You can expect auction catalogs to delve into hyperbole for most cars, but in the case of the Series 1 Jag XKE, most any plaudit is well deserved. The E-type is one of the most recognized and envied automotive designs ever conceived, breathtaking when viewed from any angle, with a symphony of compound curves that still causes casual observers to drop jaw, point and stare.
Raise the bonnet and you are treated to one of the most beautiful engine layouts in sports car motoring. As Sir William Lyons was rumored to have said, “It costs no more to make it pretty.” That edict was well understood and executed at the factory, as a properly prepared and detailed Series 1 engine features polished aluminum cam covers, manifolds, and SU carburetor dashpots.
Early E-types are an absolute joy to drive, and at full throttle their DOHC inline sixes will send a shiver up your spine. Although now over four decades old, these are still quick and responsive cars, able to reach 60 mph in about 7 seconds. Beyond that speed, there’s still ample power to lay you back in the seat when you pull out to pass that Winnebago. The four-wheel independent suspension system was effective enough in both handling and ride quality that Jaguar used it for more than 30 years.
If there’s a real drawback to the E-type, it might be that not everyone is going to find them comfortable, and it’s in a potential owner’s best interest to discover whether his physical attributes are compatible with the cockpit. In other words, those who find Super Size Me offensive might have to look elsewhere.
The wooden steering wheel is 16 inches wide and protrudes close to the body, though not nearly as severely as the “horn button in the chest” feeling of an XK 120. Early 3.8-liter “flat-floor” E-types are tight on legroom, and though Jaguar started building a version with deeper footwells in 1962 at chassis #876582, even this configuration requires a driver to have narrow feet or be shod in either driving shoes or thin loafers, due to the close clearance between brake and accelerator pedals.
That said, a reasonably fit six-footer can clear the convertible top bows with a baseball cap on, stretch and relax the left leg at cruising speed, and rest the right knee on the center console without much discomfort. I just returned from a 2,000-mile round trip to Monterey in a 1967 S1 roadster and experienced little fatigue, certainly aided by a user-friendly cockpit with easy-to-read gauges and attractive toggle switches for the various accessories.
Things to investigate when considering an E-type are its correctness and originality. The cars that make the big money at auctions tend to be the ones still carrying the major bits they wore when leaving the factory at Browns Lane. The commission plate on the bulkhead of most vintage Jaguars dutifully lists the serial numbers of the body, engine, gearbox, etc., and it is an easy task to ensure these match what is presently with the car.
Far and away your biggest concern in evaluating condition is rust in the body and front frame rails. These details should be closely and carefully considered with knowledgeable eyes. (For a good object lesson, see “My Jagged Jag” in the March 2004 issue.) The monocoque is a series of enclosed raw metal box sections (read: water traps) that are immensely strong, but prone to corrosion unless the car is carefully cleaned and maintained from new. Improperly cared-for E-types will rot with impunity, as little or no consideration for longevity was given during their initial construction-what would you expect with a six-month, 6,000-mile
warranty?
At my restoration shop, we often see evidence of a popular “rust prevention” measure that was carried out in the U.K. and other rust-prone parts of the world in the ’70s: Pulling back the interior panels and dumping motor oil or other concoctions inside the body cavities. While this might be just the ticket for making that ’88 Taurus last until your kid gets out of law school, it’s probably not what you want in a collector car. A full, professional, and properly executed body and front frame restoration of the typical rusty and clapped-out E-type can easily account for half of your total restoration costs, which can reach six figures very quickly.
The 3.8-liter E-types were equipped with the infamous non-synchro Moss gearbox and rigid, non-adjustable pan-style seats that so antagonized the American motoring public that vast improvements were made beginning with 4.2-liter production in 1964.
It appears that the 1962 XKE SI 3.8 Convertible pictured here has experienced a retrofit to the 4.2-liter’s full-synchro gearbox and later-style seats. While the gearbox upgrade would be welcome to all but the most ardent purist and probably a non-issue within Jaguar Clubs of North America judging guidelines, the newer seats would certainly be considered a major flaw if the new owner was planning on entering the car into any strictly judged competition. Of course, if he’s planning on driving his new car for any extended distances, he should be thanking the previous owner who switched the seats.
The SCM Price Guide lists values for the XKE 3.8-liter Convertible at $35,000-$55,000 for a #2 car, and our subject XKE appears to be a step up from that. A highly detailed, extremely clean example in immaculate condition, should this car be as fully fettled mechanically as it appears cosmetically, I would consider it fairly bought, even considering a bit of the typical Monterey fever. In any event, I know I can’t restore a ratty E-type for you for less than was paid here.
(Historical and descriptive information courtesy of the auction company.)u