Perhaps the most recognisable classic car of them all! It stunned the press and public on its launch in 1961 for its wild shape – a refinement of the low-drag shape of the D-type racing car – and supposed 241 kph top speed, together with its original bargain price tag. The early ‘flat floor’ 3.8 model are keenly sought after, despite improvements that made later cars much better. From 1964 Jaguar adopted a 4.2 litre engine coupled to a Jaguar gearbox, replacing the vague and notchy Moss gearbox of the 3.8 model. A two-plus-two coupe was added to the range in 1966, with a longer wheelbase and taller roofline which made it look ‘gawky’ from some angles. Uncowled. sealbeam headlights were adopted on the ‘Series 1 1/2 ‘ of 1967, while the series 2 introduced in late 1968 had a larger air in take to cope with air-conditioning that was offered at the time as an option to placate customers in the USA. Jaguar’s V12 was slotted into the Series 3 version in 1971. Despite the jump in capacity to 5.3 litres the E-type’s top speed remained at the 240 kph mark, though the V12 car had swifter acceleration. In this form the E-type soldiered on until 1975 when it was in effect replaced by the XJ-S. Some racing ‘lightweight E-types’ were built in the 1960s and since then many road cars have been modified as replicas.*
*Ref: ‘The Complete Aussie Guide to Classic Cars’
