Regular French registration papers

• One of the most beautiful coupés in the world!
• Attractive estimate for a car in this condition
• Jaguar Heritage certificate/matching numbers
• Complete, fully documented high-quality restoration

Since the end of the war, Jaguar’s cars had come to epitomise Grand Touring. The generation of XK 120, 140 and 150 roadsters had made a major contribution to the marque’s sporting image through their successes in motorsport. But time had moved on and Jaguar needed to find a distinguished successor to continue its glorious history.
The Coventry firm therefore worked in the utmost secrecy on the model it would name the E-Type, in reference to the C-Type and D-Type models which had won the Le Mans 24 Hours race and many other international events …
Unveiled at Geneva, and not at London, to signal clearly its international ambitions, the E-Type was an immediate success and was soon elected “The most beautiful car in the world” by motoring journalists. Many well-known personalities of the day hastened to place their orders, among them Françoise Sagan, Charles Trenet and Robert Hirsch, not to mention members of royalty …
The design of the E-Type has often been attributed to Sir William Lyons, but in fact its magical lines were penned by Malcom Sayer, an aerodynamicist who had come from the aviation industry. Fitting it over a very light tubular chassis, the English designer conceived a body with an enormously long, flat bonnet which contributed to the magnetic attraction it exercised on the public of the time, as it continues to do today. Far less expensive than its direct competitors, with a sporting chassis and first-class performance, the E-Type had everything going for it… and it is even more true nowadays!

We are thrilled to present this magnificent Series 1 Jaguar E-Type coupé, whose condition and perfect mechanical order delighted us. Quite apart from the high cost of its restoration, its current owner has spent nearly two years returning this car to its former glory. Nothing has been left to chance, with the aim of keeping as many original parts as possible by refurbishing them at great expense and only replacing them if it was unavoidable. Cosmetically and mechanically, this car will delight the most demanding of enthusiasts.
‘886351’ left the assembly line on 29 June 1962 and was sold new by the importer Max Hoffman in New York to its first owner on 10 July that same year. It turned up again in 1982, still in the United States, when it belonged to an American collector residing in Palm Beach, before coming to France in 2004. At this stage, the car was painted white and was in need of an almost complete restoration. Without delay, it was dispatched to Thierry Automobiles at Bron, near Lyon. The body was completely restored in a very elegant British Racing Green with an interior in light beige Connolly leather; all the parts were purchased from the Jaguar specialist SNG Barratt. Shortly before he was able to tackle the mechanical components, however, the owner fell ill and his beauty was stored away under cover. It was only in December 2016 that its current owner decided to buy the car with the aim of completing the restoration. A complete mechanical overhaul was undertaken, covering the engine, clutch, carburettors, gearbox, brakes, exhaust system, suspension, wiring loom and cooling system; in all, more than 30,000 € was spent on the car, without counting the cost of labour. The result is magnificent, with the doors and panels perfectly aligned; the engine is a masterpiece of precision engineering and the interior looks like new!

On the road, the car cannot be faulted. The Jaguar’s six-cylinder engine growls, the gearchange is precise, the brakes are effective. Its handling is excellent, whether in town or at speed on the open road. As a further bonus, a substantial file of invoices and photographs will be given to the buyer (including US papers, all the French invoices since 2004, restoration photos from the strip-down and reassembly, the Jaguar Heritage certificate, the French safety inspection from 20/10/2018 and a valuation report).

In its purest and most sought-after version, this very fine example is worthy of consideration by any demanding collector. Offered at an attractive estimated price, given its condition and the cost of its restoration, this is an opportunity to acquire one of Coventry’s finest creations.