1961 Jaguar E-Type Series I 3.8-Litre 'Flat Floor' Coupé
Registration no. 5285 DD
Chassis no. 860083
Engine no. R3095-9

'Here we have one of the quietest and most flexible cars on the market, capable of whispering along in top gear at 10mph or leaping into its 150mph stride on the brief depression of a pedal. A practical touring car, this, with its wide doors and capacious luggage space, yet it has a sheer beauty of line which easily beats the Italians at their own particular game.'

There have been few better summaries of the Jaguar E-Type's manifest virtues than John Bolster's, penned for Autosport shortly after the car's debut in 1961. Introduced in 3.8-litre form, the E-Type caused a sensation when it appeared, with instantly classic lines and 150mph 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 forwards to support the engine. The latter was the same 3.8-litre, triple-carburettor 'S' unit first offered as an option on the preceding XK150. An optimistic 265bhp was claimed, but whatever the installed horsepower, the E-Type's performance did not disappoint; firstly, because it weighed around 500lb (227kg) less than the XK150 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. Taller drivers though, could find the interior somewhat lacking in space, a criticism addressed by the introduction of foot wells (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 floor' 3.8-litre cars built prior to February 1962 which, for many enthusiasts, remain the most desirable.

The 83rd right-hand drive coupé built, '860083' was sold new via Henlys Ltd, London on 18th December 1961. The E-Type came to Australia in the early 1980s but has never been registered there; the assumption is that it was personally imported. After importation it remained stored in a barn on a Queensland farm until its purchase by the current vendor in December 2014. By then the owner had died and his son sold both the farm and the E-Type. We are advised that the car was started occasionally and that it still starts and runs quite well. It is also virtually rust free and retains the original early-type bonnet with the welded-in louvres. A total of some 66,000 miles is displayed on the odometer. Offered for restoration and sold strictly as viewed, this rare and desirable early 'flat floor' E-Type comes with heritage certificate and instruction manual.

We are advised that the car was started occasionally and that it still starts and runs quite well. It is also virtually rust free and retains the original early-type bonnet with the welded-in louvres. A total of some 66,000 miles is displayed on the odometer. Offered for restoration and sold strictly as viewed, this rare and desirable early 'flat floor' E-Type comes with heritage certificate and instruction manual. This lot is subject to 5% import duty on the hammer price should the car remain in the EU.