Chassis: 875140
Engine: R1202-9
The 140th Left-Hand-Drive E-Type Roadster Built
Early Features Include External Hood Latches, Welded Hood Louvers, and Flat Floor
Retains Matching-Numbers Engine per JDHT Certificate
Handsome Presentation in Maroon over Beige Upholstery
Limited Use Since Cosmetic Restoration
3,781 CC DOHC Inline 6-Cylinder Engine
Three SU HD8 Carburetors
265 BHP at 5,500 RPM
4-Speed Manual Gearbox
4-Wheel Servo-Assisted Dunlop Disc Brakes, Inboard Rear
Front Independent-Wishbone Suspension with Torsion Bars and Telescopic Dampers
Rear Independent Coil-Spring Suspension and Telescopic Dampers
An icon of design and performance, the E-Type is among the most important sports cars ever made. Fresh off a series of five Le Mans wins in the 1950s, Jaguar wasted no time putting the lessons it learned into its sensational new sports model. Introduced at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1961, the E-Type had monocoque construction, a twin-cam engine, four-wheel disc brakes, and independent suspension all-round.
It is no wonder then, that 72,507 E-Types were built and the earliest of these are the most collectible road-going E-Types by a wide margin. They had several unique attributes, including flat floor pans, welded-in hood louvers, and external hood latches, which were included only on the first 500 or so cars.
As the 140th left-hand-drive E-Type Roadster built, this example has all these coveted features. It was completed on June 28, 1961, barely three months after the E-Type’s debut, and was originally finished in the striking combination of Opalescent Gunmetal over Red. Originally dispatched to New York, this 1961 E-Type Series I 3.8-Litre Roadster had relocated to the mid-Atlantic coast by the 1980s. In recent years, the Jaguar was cosmetically restored in its present maroon over beige colors and, according to the accompanying JDHT Certificate, it retains its matching-numbers engine. This handsomely presented, early production E-Type Roadster remains as attractive and sought-after today as it was 62 years ago.
*Please note that this vehicle is titled 1962.