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Early Production Jaguar E-Type Roadster

1961 Jaguar E-Type

This 1961 Jaguar XK-E is claimed to be one of the first 500 E-Types ever produced! Everyone wants a Series 1 Roadster so with the early serial number, it should come as no surprise that this car is seeing some serious bidding action. It looks pretty crusty, but after a full restoration it could be worth close to half a million dollars! The car is located in Kingswood, South Australia and is listed here on eBay where the auction ends soon. How high do you think it will go?

Comments

  1. Avatar Joe

    I do not know much about XKEs so I am not sure why being within one of the first 500 to be produced increases its value so much. It isn’t “the” first or “the” last.

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  2. Avatar Kyle Croft

    It may be a fake ad as the same car is on Hemmings in Japan for $325,000. Seems a bit fishy.

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  3. Avatar L.M.K.

    Having owned a Series 1 Jag , which I enjoyed a lot, I can say that I would find a lot of other ways to spend that kind of money……Been there, done that…Nice car but ….

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  4. Avatar Gary I

    Really! For a car needing a restoration, I would of never guessed. I see later ones in the fifty plus range in mint condition and didn’t know these pulled that kind of premium.

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  5. Avatar duke

    i should have bought one or two of these cars back in the 80s when i was making 50-80k a year, being single with out any real responsibilities-i worked at an international british car parts wholesaler in RHODE ISLAND -great business , i loved all british cars and still do –

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    • Avatar Richard V

      Did that retailer happen to be Victoria British? If so I did business with them when I owned my British car repair shop.

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  6. Avatar gerry Member

    Car appears to be located in Japan based on the background in the pics.
    Ad could be a scam.

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    • Avatar Alan (Michigan)

      I don’t see anything in the background that might indicate Japan over Australia…
      The Aussies have RHD cars too, you know. What specifically is trips the location question?

      OK, reading below, there seems to be a LOT of issues regarding this car, and the actual location of it. Where there is money involved, there are also scammers, I guess.

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      • Avatar Andrew

        There are several items in the garage with Japanese writing on them.

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  7. Avatar Robert

    good luck.

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  8. Avatar Ross W. Lovell

    Greetings All,

    For the uninitiated, the first 500 or so, E-Types had outside bonnet latches and flat floors, in addition to the uncomfortable first generation seats which stayed in production a little longer. It also might have bonnet vents that are separate panels tack welded in place.
    Not sure I can call this one rusty, I’ve seen far worse. One broke in pieces on its way off the flatbed. It went back to the UK.
    The car was restored, albeit a while ago, judging by others interior and the color change according to the Heritage Certificate.
    The chrome took a beating but the quality of the original wasn’t anything to write home about.
    Sort of looks like the restoration was close to the end and something happened, like a death and then the car sat………for a long time. Engine looked well cared for but intake wasn’t plugged when carbs removed and someone painted the block logo in red, so maybe it wasn’t.
    $500K seems more than a little optimistic.

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    • Avatar Robert

      I HOPE U get what you are ASKING, GOOD LUCK.

      Like 0
  9. Avatar john

    you can see where that auction is going.. look at the bids.. Guy with “1” for a feedback score is driving the price up..

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  10. Avatar Aaron

    This site has the same description as the E-Bay ad. There are also several cars on this site that are stolen from other sites.
    http://saleofcar.com/jaguar-xk-beige/099467

    This might be the original. This says it’s in Hyogo Japan.
    http://www.europanews.top/archives/1052448381.html

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    • Avatar Alan (Michigan)

      Certainly would seem to be one serious bargain at $31K.
      Of course, if you sent the money to whoever runs “saleofcar.com” it is 99.9% certain that no transporter would ever arrive to drop the Jag in your driveway.

      Scammers = Lowlifes with no soul. Get a real job, it is safer and the rewards of employment are not that much different than scamming.

      Like 0
  11. Avatar rangeroger

    John, if you look at the automatic bids, you’ll see that r***u and 5***3 have been in a bidding war for several days. Of course it will all be moot in about 3 hours as the reserve hasn’t been met.

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    • Avatar Alan (Michigan)

      r***u ( 1 ): Bid activity (%) with this seller: 100%

      Duh. Hello? Shill much?

      Ridiculous.

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  12. Avatar Howard A Member

    Well, whatever or wherever it is, the bidding has ended at 3 two bits grand.( sheesh) I had a chance to buy a ’70 Jag roadster in 1973 for $2895, but the bank would only give me 2g’s, so I bought the ’71 MGB ( which I was very happy with) next to it for $1995. Being a 1st year car makes it a special car, obviously, and just goes to show, it’s still ” one of the 100 most beautiful cars of all time”.

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  13. Avatar Sarah W.

    As the owner of a later E-Type S1 4.2 Coupe in the same colour but without any of the acres of rust on this rust bucket, I was astounded at the heights that this auction went to. I really don’t understand this recent love affair of the very earliest of E-Types, since the later series 1 cars were better cars, with more comfy seats, a cooling system that actually worked, and of course a fully syncro gearbox.

    I see that the $235.1K US final bid resulted in a no-sale due to the even higher minimum reserve price set by the greedy seller. These crazy bidders were saved by his greed. I recently paid a small fraction of this amount for my Jag, and nothing is needed other than some regular maintenance. I even took her out for a drive yesterday. Wow!

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  14. Avatar Alan (Michigan)

    What a beautiful lady you have there!

    Congrats (and thanks for sharing the photo), but don’t be too disturbed by this auction. Seems that it was a scam from the get-go.

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    • Avatar Sarah W.

      Thanks Alan – You have to wonder what these scammers hope to achieve with such scams? The reserve was way too high for such a junker, even if one of the very early S1s. And what were the high bidders thinking with such ridiculous numbers? It is one thing to bid this high for a bespoke one-off Delahaye in horrible condition, but it isn’t as if early E-Types are that rare. I don’t get it!

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  15. Avatar rogerowen

    When classic car resto projects go for more money than a perfect working model – you have to query the buyers research capability. The blue car sold on Ebay for over £165,000.

    My local E-Type specialist currently has this very nice, white, fully working, same model (Series 1, DHC) for £120,000.

    Anyone hazard a guess at the cost to restore the thread starter car???

    Like 0

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