Originality and completeness count for something. Take this 1967 Jaguar XK-E for example. Yes, it’s a bit faded and worn-looking but, it appears to be very original and all intact. Best of all, it’s not suffering from the excessive rust and rot that so often does these iconic grand tourers in – more on that to follow. This example is located in Marietta, Georgia and is available, here on Barn Finds Classifieds, or here on eBay for a BIN price of $69,000.
Being a 1967 model makes this XK-E a Series I (’61-’68) model, one of about 6,700 roadsters produced from that very popular series. Yes, surface rust abounds but it doesn’t appear to be invasive except in the front roll pan where a hole has developed behind the license plate frame. There aren’t any comprehensive images of the underside but what can be spied shows surface rust and scale but nothing that appears to be more advanced. The folding convertible top belies the exterior appearance of this Jag – it looks to be in sound condition. Good to know is that this Jaguar’s nose is “Bondo-less”, as it hasn’t suffered the fate that befalls many Type E’s due to the bonnet’s long and low slope.
Power, when running, comes courtesy of a 266 HP, 4.2-liter in-line six-cylinder engine making the connection to the rear wheels via a four-speed manual gearbox. While this car is a non-runner, the engine does turn over and there’s a brief five-second video, embedded in the listing, demonstrating an attempted start. We’re told that the engine is original, with correct matching numbers, but it’s visually evident that it has been dormant for some time. The mileage recording is 52K miles but there’s no documentation authenticating that reading.
The floor mats/carpet has been removed and solid-looking floors are revealed – just some minor surface rust is evident. The seating upholstery is shot but the frames are likely fine for recovering. One of the best features of this vintage Jaguar is the instrument panel – beautiful gauges and switchgear. And fortunately, there are no vacancies as it appears that all of the panel openings are occupied with the proper component. The floor in the boot is in a similar shape to the passenger compartment – no corrosion or weakness noted.
Always popular, it’s nice to find an XK-E that is complete and restorable. The seller has included an image of how this two-seater could look when finished. It will take a lot of work and expense but the potential result is quite enticing, right?
Vanishing point. Always loved this body style since I was a kid.Still do.
Drove a ’61 from London Ontario to Mohawk Raceway in 1963. It seemed like I was driving three inches off the pavement but what a ride.
Could be a real beauty with lots and lots of the green folding stuff…
Reminds me of my Johnny Speed remote control car I got when I was a kid, I still have it.
Always liked these Jaguars, hard to imagine it was allowed to deteriorate like it has.
Price is too high against still needed restoration costs. I have seen much better examples for the same price or less.
True. I rarely disagree with a seller on the price of a vehicle, because the ask is always higher than the offer, but this does look like it’s not aligned with the market.
Price is too high for the condition, especially since it does not run. There is going to be a lot of work to get it back on the road. Since I know my limitations I would be paying someone to restore it.
The rust hole behind the license plate you spotted appears to be the factory hole for the articulated license frame rod, enlarged by rust!
Definitely a great starting point, but I agree with others that the asking price is … uh, very aggressive.
Articulated license frame rod? Please enlighten me.
One end of the rod is connected to the “picture frame,” passes through the bonnet, and the other end is connected to the license plate frame. When you raise the bonnet, the license plate frame flattens to become parallel to the ground to allow another two feet or so of bonnet lift. Genius!
Flat bottoms sell for that price
articulated license frame, when tilting bonnet the license plate will fold backwards to give more room to open the bonnet.
Looking at he welded places on the front door pillar, rear panel and sill, according to what I see, I think there must be more rust. You can´t just put new floors into an E-type. Basically the whole inner sill and one side of the floor is one piece. So putting new floors in an E-type means, the repair is visible. No matter how good the floors look, I bet du to the original soudproofing glued to the floor you can expect pinholes where the waferlike pattern on the underside of that mat meets, you will find rust. Water gets sucked underneath that mat and time will do its thing. Ask me how I know! I think I must have welded 300 tiny spots onto these floor parts under the seats.
Oh and the articulated licenseplate holder folds a bit when opening the bonnet so to get more access to the engine.
I went to purchase a 2+2 from a coworker’s family no rust all original in running condition but only 50k original miles needed work to be roadable and safe (brakes, new tires) and I have loved these cars since i first saw one. I am 5’10 235 and wear size 13 shoes. I couldn’t shut the door without the window down, had to take my shoes off to work the pedals as 1 shoe covered 2 pedals at the same time. I had to admit I am just too big to fit in these cars but every time one comes up, I still look and dream about owning it.
I’m 6’2”, 250 lb and fit in a Series 1.5 OTS. Long skinny cockpit designed by a WWII aircraft engineer. Try fitting in a trainer or P-51 Mustang.
Had the chance in 1985 to pick up one of these for $6K, running, convertible. Just out of the Marines, couldn’t scrape the dough together fast enough and then POOF! She was gone :(
From bad experiences, you can put $150-$200k into these restorations. They were amazing cars new, The Beach Boys sang about them. Initial cost of ownership plus the amount to restore would put this owner in the he Le from day1.