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115 of 170 lots
Lot 115
1967 Jaguar E-Type Series I 4.2-Litre Fixed Head Coupe
Estimate:
$275,000 - $350,000
Starting bid:
$137,500
Sold for
$247,500
Live Auction
Pebble Beach Auctions 2023
Description
Donald R. Martin, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho (acquired new in 1966)
Bill Neff, San Diego, California (acquired from the above in 2015)
Current Owner (acquired from the above in 2016)

Chassis: 1E32935
Engine: 7E 8967-9

Extraordinarily Original, Unrestored Series I Fixed Head Coupe
Just Three Owners and Displaying Less than 10,500 Miles from New
Presented in Striking Opalescent Silver Blue with Red Interior
Preservation Class Winner at the 2016 JCNA International Jaguar Festival
Offered with Owner’s Manual, Bill of Sale, Maintenance Records, Tools, Jack, and JDHT Certificate

4,235 CC DOHC Inline 6-Cylinder Engine
265 BHP at 5,400 RPM
Three SU Carburetors
4-Speed Manual Gearbox
4-Wheel Dunlop Disc Brakes, Inboard Rear
4-Wheel Independent Suspension

The Jaguar E-Type was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1961, but the guest of honor nearly missed its own debut. The Jaguar Fixed Head Coupe, destined for the motor show, was running late when leaving for Geneva, due to the enthusiastic response from the British press, who were offered an advanced preview back home in the UK. Jaguar’s PR boss Bob Berry famously drove the car from England to Geneva, arriving just 30 minutes before its public reveal. Response to the car and demand for test drives was so overwhelming that Jaguar’s founder, Sir William Lyons, ordered a second car to be driven without delay along the same 11-hour trek from England to Geneva.

The E-Type was a resounding success with the public and the automotive journalists alike. With its stunningly beautiful coachwork, stout six-cylinder engine, independent suspension, and four-wheel disc brakes, it was as comfortable at the country club as it was on the most challenging racetracks the world had to offer. It was also an instant favorite of the entertainment elite, including George Harrison, Tony Curtis, Elton John, Frank Sinatra, and Tina Turner. A darling of Hollywood, its lithe silhouette has appeared in movies, from How to Steal a Million, driven by Audrey Hepburn, to Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, piloted by Mike Myers, more than 30 years later.

Donald R. Martin was a lifelong car enthusiast and already owned several sports cars when he and his wife Lucille entered British Motor Car Distributors Inc. in Spokane, Washington, on October 31, 1966. Their intent was to purchase a new E-Type roadster, but when Mr. Martin spotted this dazzling 1967 Fixed Head Coupe, resplendent in Opalescent Silver Blue with Red interior, he knew “this was the one to have,” according to records on file. Mr. Martin would cherish the car for the next 49 years. When asked why it had accumulated so few miles during his ownership, he cited his unwillingness for the car to suffer a chip. Rather, the car was dutifully started and lovingly maintained in his climate-controlled facility until, at age 94, he chose to pass ownership to a new caretaker.

Displaying less than 10,500 original miles, the extraordinarily original Jaguar entered the Preservation Class at the 2016 JCNA International Jaguar Festival in Scottsdale, Arizona, where it scored a class-topping 97.70 points. This exquisite 1967 Jaguar E-Type Series I 4.2-Litre Coupe is a virtual time capsule, down to its original tires. Accompanied by its owner’s manual, unused tool kit, jack, maintenance records, Bill of Sale, and Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust Certificate, this is an exceedingly rare opportunity for the Jaguar enthusiast to acquire what may well be the finest original E-Type Fixed Head Coupe extant.