While there’s a long list of vintage Jaguars that could be considered British royalty, the E-Type is one of those that easily falls into the iconic category, offering a stunning appearance and great performance in one exceptional package. It’s a sad occurrence when any vehicle falls victim to an accident, but doubly disastrous when it’s a bona fide classic like this 1971 Jaguar XK-E here on Facebook Marketplace, which was damaged in a garage fire. However, it still runs and drives, so hopefully someone with the skills to address an issue like this will bring this one back to its former glory. Priced at $15,000, this unfortunate Jag is in Tucson, Arizona, and we’d like to say thanks to reader T.J. for bringing it to our attention!
Everything the owner notes about this Jaguar has already been covered in the first paragraph, so there are no further specific details to report, and many unanswered questions remain. It’s unknown how long ago the accident happened or the exact circumstances, but what’s probably as important as anything the seller could write is the video supplied, which shows the E-Type making three successful dirt-track laps. Hopefully, the blaze was extinguished before it spread too far under the hood, and perhaps the damage to the engine is minimal.
For the most part, the rear section of the exterior appears more baked than the front, but I’d say it’s got burns on at least 50% or more of its body. I’ve performed quite a few sheet metal repairs over the last few decades, but never on a car that was a fire victim, and I’m guessing that creates a whole new set of challenges. If there’s any good news here, it seems the panels were in good condition before the accident, so hopefully someone experienced in dealing with this kind of damage will make the necessary repairs and get this poor Jaguar looking presentable again.
No details are provided about the interior either, and while the top of the dashboard and part of the steering wheel are cooked, it appears the upholstery and some other components were spared from devastation. That’s not to say they won’t need attention, but at least most aren’t burned to a crisp, and perhaps a few of these parts are still salvageable enough to work with. This is a unique situation, and I hope this one’s not too far gone to be considered a viable project. Is this 1971 Jaguar XK-E one you’d have any interest in mending?
WOW. Grab the chocolate and crackers as this marshmallow is toasted. Melted metal loses a lot of rigidity.
The metal was annealed (soften) in the fire. That is the probable cause of damage to the body. There, may also be areas that have expanded or contracted.
The Prince Andrew Edition.
Get some glass, and cruise.
Absolutely! No worries about getting a scratch in the parking lot…
Thought that said, “Charmed 1971 Jaguar …”. Not so much.
PS Reminds me of a scene in my favorite movie, Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, after the rental car that was burnt to a crisp gets pulled over. Trooper, Do you think this vehicle is safe to drive? John Candy, Well, I know it looks bad, but the radio still works…
The right wardrobe might make it a viable daily driver as is! Think Dia De Los Muertos!
Well…. the good news is that you don’t have much paint removal!!! It just amazes me that $15K is the asking price! He just might get it!!!
Yup, gone.
I have an XJS – v-12, 5 speed that would make a great mechanical donor for this car.
Nope, absolutely no way it’ll fit in a 6cyl car, and none of the V12 metal forward of the doors will work on a 6.
First of all, it doesn’t need the mechanicals, as you can see in the video of it running and driving, and of course, as Tinbox said, it wouldn’t fit anyway.
Second, why would you be donating your XJS mechanicals? What’s wrong with the car? What year is it? Convertible or coupe? Or were you just being facetious? I wouldn’t mind a convertible parts car depending upon year and price (and location).
Gordon: this E Type is a Series 2…not a Series 3…and the engine apparently is in working order.
OK, time for me to chime in. That is/was my car. We initially put it on BAT where it sold for too much money to someone in Poland. He had trouble, so he said, transferring the money and backed out. The FB Marketplace is a significant discount from the BAT sale price and has generated a ton of interest.
I saw this on BAT – I’m the one that asked for a burn out video. I’m happy you got it sold.
Judging by the last couple of issues you have found a trove of heartbreaking Jaguars. One wonders how many more you have to reveal…
parts car. she’s cooked
l only wish that it was closer to me. I’d have bought it as a parts car for my 71 convertible. I would have parted out what I didn’t need and tried to see if I could trade the tub to Chuck at Monoque Industries for remediating my rusted tub (plus some cash, I’m sure).
I think Charro had one of these.
Wasn’t this listed on BAT a short time ago ?
Ok, Im not a, Jaguar aficionado. I think the XKE is one of the all time design winners. But I’m confused as to the hard top versions. One of our British car club members had a “coupe?” Where the body lines were just as beautiful as the roadster. I intensely dislike the 2+2 for the raised roof as I think it spoils the look of the car. And this car appears to have the same roof architecture. What are the designations and year breaks? As I have only seen the one hard top that was beautiful. Thanks for the help!
I may be wrong, but I think that the 2+2 was a Series 3 only with the V12 and 4 Strombergs.
Did they raise the roof before 2+2? I really dislike the raised roof addition. That “coupe?” was beautiful!
The 2+2 was available in Ser1-3. The coupe, or FHC, roofline never changed in Ser 1 or 2. There was no Ser III coupe, only the 2+2.
In addition to the raised roof on the 2+2 it also has the longer wheelbase and doors that carried over to the V12. A very different car to the coupe (otherwise known as the fhc)
Wayne: the two-seater coupe or fixed-head is the roadster with a fastback roof. The 2+2 has both a higher roof as well as a stretched wheelbase 9 inches longer. The 2+2 was launched in 1966 after five years of only the roadster and coupe/fixed-head. While less beautiful, it sold well and proved to be a good marketing decision. In mid 1971 the Series 3 V-12 version came along, available now in only two variants: the roadster and the 2+2. Both were on the longer 2+2 wheelbase…which means that even the roadster now had the longer length. I hope this answers your questions.
Thank you!
Fire started from too much friction between the payment book and the check book.