Although the pictures introduce a new low for sellers who don’t bother to take decent photos of their find, these snapshots of a dusty Series 1 Jaguar XKE coupe should be enough to get any E-Type fanatic’s heart racing. The early coupes are among some of the more desirable E-Types ever built, and this recent barn find here on craigslist appears complete despite its neglected appearance.
Said to have been parked since 1979, the E-Type has been with one owner since 1963. It is a genuine California black plate car, which always seems to count for bonus points when it comes to unearthing a barn find in the Golden State. While the photos do nothing to help us get a true read on condition, what we can see doesn’t reveal any significant rust or body damage, but it’s a bit silly to properly gauge its cosmetics based on the photos alone.
As a coupe body with a manual transmission, this E-Type is outfitted the way many enthusiasts would like. The interior color is pleasing as well, and white on red will always a desirable combo. Of course, we don’t know if the exterior is the original paint, as the seller doesn’t provide much else in the way of information. The engine is said to be numbers matching, and being an early car, I’m curious if it would have the external hood latches, which are another design feature of the E-Type that some Jaguar fans find desirable.
I’ve always found enclosed headlights to be one of the most attractive parts of the E-Type, as in my mind, it presents a direct connection to competition versions that obviously had a clear need to protect their lighting systems, especially for those cars that performed in endurance events. This E-Type is a bit of a mystery at the moment, but the seller’s list price of $99,500 tells you exactly what you need to know: he knows what he’s got and is looking to cash in on this momentous find. But for the money, don’t we at least deserve better pictures?
The photo gets my excitement level going but the price deflates it immediately….
But what a shame that a cover couldn’t have been thrown on it…. All that aside, what a find!!! Black plates and all……
100 grand? We all love E Types but give us a break. If he was serious, he would have first washed the filth and rat poop off and jacked the thing up to show us the underbody. Why not? Maybe rusty? A flat floor early roadster in this condition for 100g? Well, maybe but not this car. Dream on seller.
Truly a new photographic low, and that’s saying something for Craigslist!
He’s asking $100,000 but he can’t afford a decent camera to take pictures. Duh.
Respectfully, I disagree.
With all the allegations of barn finds these days, this one clearly validates that claim. The dusty condition depicted in the photos confirms the condition when unearthed, and actually serves to get the adrenaline pumping for any serious Jaguar enthusiast.
Any true enthusiast woud be so excited to find an E-Type in this condition, and washing it off would erase that validation, and the excitement factor. Anyone who would even consider spending 100G’s on a car, is oging to come and inspect it in person, and they too would probably prefer the pleasure of observing the dust, and washing it off themselves. That guy that bought the 1955 Chevrolet Apache Pick up truck from that Midwest auction for $235,000, has still not rinsed off the dust from that truck, and he displays it with forty years of dust and debris still on it.
I love old Jaguars and I totally get why this guy presented the car in this way. Don’t you worry about his presentation. He will do just fine, and serious buyers will come out of the wood work for this example,
By the way, the external hood latches were only on the first 100 or so E-Types. so all would have been in 1961 and this does not likely have the external hood latches, but probably has the welded hood louvres and the flat floors.
A good wash would defiantly remove the excrement factor.
I agree with Chas. Those who want it cleaned off before photographing it are just curious as to what the car looks like. Collectors are looking for something that tells them it has actually sat for an extended period of time. The decision to clean it is the privilege of the guy who lays down the cash.
My guess is the seller is not the long time owner. If I was to indulge in internet speculation, I would say that the Craigslist poster stumbled on or knew of the car and either did or did not get the permission of the owner to market (Craigslist) his car.
Perhaps if he is successful he gets a cut. Either way with respect to Chas, I dont think keeping the rat crap on the car raises anyone’s heartbeat. Facts are facts. If the car is in fact a long stored , ie , forgotten and desireable XKE r, that can be established without iphone pix of a filthy and forgotten car.
In my humble opinion
The first 386 LHD E types had external bonnet latches, RHD there were 92 built w/external latches. The flat floors were on the first 2086 LHD E types SI and ended somewhere around Febuary to Junes of 1962. Welded bonnet louvers were on cars built before mid 1962 production. This car even with the poor pictures appears to not have external latches! I figure this seller just throwing a number out there as I cannot see anybody spending this kind of $$$ on this project, case of hope somebody bigger fool than the last!!! That being said if price was reasonable would be a good candidate for restoration!!!
Thanks for this excellent detail Jake.
Perhaps he is asking $99.5K in the hopes of soliciting a $50K our $60K offer.
lmao!!!!
@Woodie Man
I completely agree that the poster is not likely the owner of this Jaguar, and that he may have gotten permission (or probably didn’t get permission) to market the car based on the couple of cell phone pics that he was able to snap when he got to see the car in person.
In fact, I would venture a guess that he does not have permission to market the car as the owner would have given him the opportunity to take better photos if he did have permission. My guess is that he is trying to pre-sell the car before he buys it from the owner.
However as a barn find car hunter for over forty five years now, and one who has actually unearthed two early (1961 & 1968) E-Types and two (1958 & 1961) XK150’s, I can tell you that the dust and rat crap does actually get my adrenaline pumping, and this is exactly how I love to find them!
I suspect that others agree with me on this point.
Anyone with a fat wallet can buy a restored E-Type, and many decent driver quality cars are available as well, but very few of these original, unmolested examples are still tucked away in barns or garages, and it is very exciting to happen across a true barn find of such a rare and desireable car, and to be the first to open those barn doors and see the sun glint across those dusty sensuous curves of an early E-Type Fixed Head Coupe!
This video gives a great idea of the excitement of such a discovery, also of an early E-Type Fixed Head Coupe!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVZXRGGit-A
H & H Classics also recogized that it was beneficial to preserve the “as found” status of this find!
99k, Please, this guy’s out of his mind!
Actually, he’s not out of his mind at all.
Very early “flat floor” 1961 and 1962 E-Types are the most desirable (except for the very early external bonnet latch cars, of which there were only about 100 made), and even rough and rusty examples are bringing serious money.
If this car is relatively free of rust, and is relatively complete, it is probably worth close to the asking price even if it needs a total restoration. The guys who are willing to pay the price to restore one of these, are having a hard time finding good restorable examples to start a project from, and they are paying serious prices to find good restorable examples.
Properly restored examples (of the very early cars) are fetching between $200K and $300K at auction, and a proper restoration will cost between $100K and $150K on these very complex monocoque cars, so the price for a good base to start from is very close to, if not above, his asking price.
All series one cars are very desireable, but the frst two years of the flat floor examples are the most desireable, with the exception of the welded louvered hood cars which are slightly more desireable, and the external bonnet latch cars which are the most desireable of the marque.
Actually Chas, I think most of us here do agree that he is out of his mind. I know E-Types just as much as the next guy and have owned several of them.100 grand is not going to happen. Any connection between you and this car or the seller?
@nessy
Nope. No relation whatsoever. I am on the east coast and I don’t even know this seller.
What I do know is that I have had a number of “investors” chasing me for my early barnfind original E-Types and they have offered very strong numbers.
I also spoke with Eagle restorations, who does amazing restorations that sell for between $200K and $300K for very early cars, and they have a tough time finding “core cars” to restore. They aren’t paying 100K for them but they are putting potential buyers in touch with owners of available cars and then they get the restoration work.
It may not be worth $100K but he’s not crazy to start there in the hope of getting between $50K and $100K
There are a lot of ‘ifs’ in this deal, but if it’s a true Los Angeles car with no rust, and if it doesn’t have too many miles (not stated in the CL listing), and if it doesn’t need a clutch, engine/transmission rebuild, or other big-$$ work, and if it only needs a major clean-up and interior work, then it might sell somewhere close to your $99.5K asking price if someone wants an original early E-Type coupe to drive without having to lay out the high(er) cost of a nice restored auction car.
But I think the car is overpriced, because you can probably get a decent early E-type coupe that’s ready to drive for less than $99K because prices have come down a bit lately.
Message to the seller if he reads this:
sellers almost always have better luck selling a car if they roll it out of its dark hiding place out into the light so prospective buyers can see it clearly. And then perhaps consider adding an engine bay shot to at least confirm that the engine in there was made by Jaguar and has 3 SU carbs and wasn’t made by, say, Chevrolet. And then consider getting some underside shots, too.
It is interesting to see where these are now. My friends uncle owned a used car dealership and had a garage and carport full of these sitting on blocks and would say you wait and see. These are going to be worth serious money some day. I guess he was right.
I don’t agree with Chas. Better pictures would help acquire that price. It doesn’t need to be washed, but it does need to be honestly represented. All it would have taken is some air in the tires and some more revealing photos – but then again maybe he doesn’t want the true condition to be revealed till you’ve chased across the LA Basin to look at it.
I’ve always had a fondness for the Series 1 E type. The closest I got was owning a primrose Series 2. It does strike me odd that the CA license plate on the car did not come out until 1963 and the sequence started with the AAA000. I had a 1966 Corvette and a 1965 Mustang both of which started with the letter R. If I’m reading this correctly the plate on this Jag starts with the letter Q which more than likely came out in 1964 or 1965. Probably not important, just something I noticed.
Greetings All,
Another Barn E-Type with crap pictures, oh well, still I look.
Early ones had external bonnet latches but were limited in number. It is an early one as it has those medieval seats that torture you while you drive.
The thing that interests me is what appears to be an AC unit, with vents on each side of the shifter along with controls on the back between the seats and a couple more vents.
This interests me as the person likely had some cash. I’ve seen worse setups, ergonomically this one sucks but easily put back if wanted.
It’s the mounting of the compressor under the bonnet on the XK engine that always find installers getting inventive.
Trying to picture that two blade, lawn mower looking fan blade attached to a modded windshield wiper motor and then putting a condenser somewhere in the airflow doesn’t make me wonder if the engine overheated, it did, just how many times before the AC was dropped from use?
I have seen a few E types in the past with this a/c set up!!! Not sure how effective it would be but apparently back in the day several were installed!! Since no pics of engine hard to say if still hooked up or how compresser was mounted!!!!
You are both correct, this is an A/C equipped car, however the A/C was installed once in the USA. I had a customer with an early car equipped with the A/C unit like this one, The engine fan was 4 bladed cast aluminum, much like the Austin Healy 3,000. The only place to install the cooling box & blower assembly was between the seats, and run a couple of flexible ribbed ducts up to the 2 tiny vents in the console. On the car I worked on, the A/C never was very good, it simply couldn’t move enough air in the cabin, and having the unit right next to the riders, it was noisy!
True Bill,
I’ve had a few of this era and a/c was a psychological benefit more than anything.
Even the ‘factory’ fit into MkX/420G was an afterthought through the back shelf which would freeze the neck of rear passengers and never make it to the front – especially when driving into the sun all day :)
Greetings All,
Bill McCoskey, am I the only one who wonders why I’ve never seen a factory AC on a MKVII-IX. I’ve seen the MKX version you’ve described. Would have thought that car warranted it long before the sports car?
I find it interesting, that not just with this Jag, but many old classics, that it’s the WORST model that becomes the most sought after. These “Flat Floor” cars are for small people. Why do you think the floors were later “dropped”? It was for people with legs and feet, lol…..The series 1 were beautiful cars, but the series 2 was a vast improvement in everything but power. I had a 71 series 2 coupe, one of the last built as in 71 the series 3 cars were available also. Great car, but wouldn’t be worth half what a overheating series 2 car is today…..
Greetings All,
HeadMaster1, the later dropped floor model wasn’t exactly an improvement on the whole height thing by any stretch of the imagination.
E-Types are gorgeous but people are willing to put up with some of the creature comfort issues as the other things outweigh them.
Those first cars important, but the build quality/consistency was something that was an ever changing target until things solidified.
Anyone with a few connections can find out who the owner is by running that tag.
That car is worth every bit of the ask price. The market is 200-300 for a properly restored example as Chas stated.
People might not like that reality but that is where the market is right now. Not 30 years ago, old timers.
Well Luki, here is a “young timer” who says you and Chas are wrong about finding a buyer who will pay 100 grand for this poop covered mess. The E-Type market is not a strong as it once was. You two guys must have something to do with promoting this car and I don’t think it’s really up for sale to begin with. If it was, it would not be on Craigslist with a few poor photos, come on now. The car would be on Ebay at least or better yet, it would be going up for auction at one of the big auction houses where it might bring 50 grand and that is being very realistic.
With all due respect, Nessy, we just have different opinions.
Not everyone who disagrees with you is involved in a conspiracy with the seller. I told you that I do not know the seller and frankly, I don’t really care what it sells for. I just believe that it is more valuable than you believe it is.
We are all entitled to our opinions, and your are entitled to yours as well.
Find me any other decent condition EARLY E-Type anywhere on the web for less than $75K and I will reconsider my statements.
I have seen rusted, tired, rotted, crap early E-Types for $50K to $60K, and this car is much nicer than those cars and is represented as being rust free.
In my opinion, the reason this car is on Craigslist instead of EBay is because this guy doesn’t own it. He is trying to pre-sell it and he can’t do that on eBay because he can’t deliver the car if it sells there.
Luki; current market on a car needing restoring should be in $50k range, just ask any reputable restoration shop that specializes in E types!!! Add the $150 to $200k for restore and there you go!!!!
https://www.hagerty.com/apps/valuationtools/1962-jaguar-e~type-si_3.8
100, Grand ! This guy is an idiot. I know there’s a lot of interest in the xke Jaguars, but believe me whe I say this intrest will settle down.
Then these people will be thinking this:
“What was I thinking !!” :-(
I LOVE the initial find! The dust, the mildew, whatever may have been covering/on top of the vehicle. I too have come across quite a few like this. The initial photos show the pre-existing conditions.
However, when I am asked to assist in the sale/promotion of a car like this, I will get the car clean and do at least 100 photos if not more, in, out, under, over… I have placed cars from here in CT to all over the globe, based on the photos. In only one case did the buyer send out someone for a PPI. Good and plentiful photos means you have opened the car up to a much larger audience and that is what my clients are asking for.. the get their car sold.
RE the price… If I had the money available, I would not buy this car for $99K. ESPECIALLY based on the photos.. The flat floor cars are the most desirable.. however, I don’t see this car taking that money. It is a coupe.. OTS would be a different story.
Talk soon,
Greetings All,
Those $200K and $300K prices are not attached to the coupes last I knew.
Hey Ross,
This work for you?
That’s a 63. Less desirable than a flat floor 62.
Greetings All,
I stand corrected.
You are right.
The insult, I could do without.
In case you were wondering the 62 vert sold for $277,591.
Rest easy, the all knowing Peanut Gallery is still alive and well on Barn Finds.
One more for the record. This ad is from Classic and Sports Car, March 2017. The sellers are well versed in the Jaguar market. They sell a lot of cars.
And no, I don’t know the seller or the owner.
My prediction is if that car hits the market in its current untouched condition in the next 6 months it will sell for more than $200,000.
Unrestored high dollar cars are selling for amounts close to well restored examples.
I know it’s hard for some to accept but that is the market today.
Like it or not.
200 grand in only 6 more months? Well then you should go buy it at it’s almost “give away price” of 100 grand right Luki? Not a chance. It’s an E-Type, nice as it is but nothing more.
I tried to buy it 3 days ago. He sold it to someone else for more than $100K.
Listing has been deleted by author.
Granted, these two examples are later 1964 OTS Roadsters and not early “Flat Floor” 1962 Coupes like the one offered here, but they still give you an idea of what $35,000 to $50,000 buys you in an E-Type Jaguar these days.
The $50K car was burnt in a fire in the 1970’s and the other cars is a toasted, rusted wreck with loads of rust and is currently bid to $33K with one ore hour to go on the auction. There was also a $42K bid placed on this auction which was removed because Bring-A-Trailer did not feel that it was a legtimate bid.
By the way, both of these cars are 1964, so neither is a very early flat floor series one car which would be even more valuable!
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/292050706249
http://bringatrailer.com/listing/1963-jaguar-xke-roadster/
This car is now on ebay with the same terrible photos…
Here is the link….
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1962-Jaguar-E-Type-/272629113003
Thought someone said they tried to buy this and it was sold for over $100K…looks like never was sold and doubtful it brings the $109,500 buy it now!!!! WTF!!! http://www.ebay.com/itm/1962-Jaguar-E-Type-/272629113003?hash=item3f79f620ab:g:YfgAAOSwls5Y7tSb&vxp=mtr
He’s an idiot to start the auction at $100K.
As a result, he may not receive even a single bid.
If he started at $100, I bet the bidding would exceed $60K and may even reach close to $100K, but he will never find out with a starting bid of $100K.
Chas