One of my loonier personal projects involves indexing the collection of Road & Track magazines I inherited from my grandfather, which spans pretty much every issue from 1950 to today. As it happens, I recently finished 1966, and here we have a one-year-newer cousin to the April 1966 cover car, the then-new Jaguar E-Type 2+2. It’s a little jarring to look up from lovely photos of a shiny new car and see the ravages that 50 years can take; it’s also a little alarming to go from reading that the new car was promised to come in “under $6500” (it ended up with a U.S. list price of $6,070 in 1966), to reading that $19,950 represents “a very economical entry into Jaguar E-Type Series One ownership,” knowing that returning this car to its original condition might entail adding another zero to the end of that price. Such is the passage of time, I guess. You can check out this ’67 on eBay, where it’s listed with the aforementioned buy-it-now-price from a dealer in Santa Ana, California.
The selling dealer states that they bought this car in Texas, where it had been stored in a barn for some years. I’m wondering if it started its life somewhere else (or perhaps it came from the Gulf coast of Texas), because this does not look like the proverbial “dry southwestern car.” Rust is pervasive along the lower perimeter and wheel arches of this elongated E, as well as on the floors, although the subframes and other structural areas are claimed to be good.
In its April 1966 story, R&T noted that, “The biggest single market for the E’s [sic] is America and the 2+2 has been produced to widen the appeal of the XK-E range with the American demand for a 4-place sports car particularly in mind.” What wasn’t explicitly stated, but easy to deduce, was that the option of an automatic transmission on the 2+2, an E-Type first, was also aimed at broadening the line’s appeal to Americans. The original owner of this coupe took the bait; its 4.2-liter inline six funneled its power through a Borg-Warner Model 8 three-speed.
Of course, right now this big six isn’t producing any power to speak of, although the seller notes that it “turns nicely by hand and may even run with some work.” Such equivocal language isn’t exactly encouraging, but I imagine most buyers would put in the work, since it’s a numbers-matching car.
That eventual buyer will have to much braver than I am (and have much deeper pockets). I think I’d rather be content to read about it in Road & Track and think about what it was like then than to experience for myself what it would take to get this one back to that point!
Why am I reminded of a catfish when I look at the straight on front pic.
It could be a whale shark as well.
Run away, run away, run away….!!!
I always preferred the look of the longer 2+2 over the coupe or even the convertible. Maybe that is just me. The 67/68/69 E Types caused a lot of confusion with the headlights. Early 67’s, still series 1 cars, came with the covered headlights like all models before. Later in the 67 model year, open headlights were introduced and they were called series 1 and a quarter. 68 became the series 1 and a half and 69 was the series 2, then the final series 3 V12’s.
Yes, the seller notes in the ad that this is the Series 1.25 version. I hadn’t heard of that distinction before and had to look it up—very confusing!
OMG – treat this one appropriately – put it to rest with a good send-off – a Highland’s pipe band comes to mind – SFU or Triumph Street Bands could handle the send-off with some Labatts to follow. Giving it away would be the unkindest gift of all; too costly to even consider the huge investment in Bondo required!
…I wonder if the following words were ever uttered when a perspective Jaguar customer was looking at the interior: “Oh good! It’s an automatic!”
Kurt Tanner, who’s outfit is selling. His cars are the the car, is renown for their big Austin Healey restorations. His Healeys are the ones you see on auctions like Barrett Jackson getting crazy money. My guess is he got this as a package deal and is looking to off load it.
BTW, it looks like it got sold back on July 10th and someone must have gotten cold feet and backed out.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1967-Jaguar-E-Type-/371997734076?hash=item569ccaf4bc:g:CVAAAOSwz71ZVaoY
Cold feet from the holes in the floor…
Not surprised they ran away.
Basically save the rear door and roof and replace the rest.
Looking at a new body for it – so then it loses its ‘originality’.
That has been wet – inside and out.
Saveable, but you want it for a lot less.
The passage of time is not so much responsible for the price increase. I think you could attribute some to the relative rarity of the car and a good deal of the difference to the Fed’s devaluation of the dollar. Every time they create more money to pay for the overspending by Washington, the dollars in your pocket buy fewer classics or real estate or food or anything really.
It wasn’t that long ago that Alex Jones freely admitted in court that his show was performance art, you might want to keep that in mind!
I have always wanted the Jag from the movie “Harold and Maude” but likely donors are either too far gone or too salvagable… this one is right in the wheelhouse. Now all I need is $50k to piss away…
I REALLY wish I could bankroll this for you…
I agree. That hearse styled Jag was iconic. One of those movies that’s a throw-in on a Friday night drive-in special. Or it was when I was a kid. I wonder what became of the car? He did drive it in the movie, so presumably it was a powered custom.
Story is that (SPOILER ALERT FOR A 46-YEAR-OLD MOVIE) they actually did drive it off a cliff to film the ending of the movie, so the car was wrecked and scrapped. A guy in Arizona who owns a replica was featured on Petrolicious not too long ago; I wouldn’t be surprised if there aren’t one or two other replicas running around somewhere.
Help me out here – somewhere in the deep recesses of my mind is a story of Rootes of England allowing a Sunbeam Alpine to be sacraficed off the Cliffs of Dover for TV show – Rootes Canada told the story that the camera crew got only one car/shot and they better get it right!
This Jag deserves the same fate as that Alpine!
Looks like a ‘stick a fork in it’ to me. It’s done from what I can see. Maybe the drive train could be saved but definitely not at the price being asked.
Sorry – that one’s done.
I sure wish I knew where the myth started that the “dry southwestern state” concept includes Texas. At least half of the state is hot and humid, and that includes areas well away from the Gulf Coast. Hill Country is dry, and so are areas to the west. Then again, you’re not too likely to find a Jag in those more or less unpopulated areas. The most populated areas, Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, etc., are not dry. And don’t get me started on floods, tornadoes and hurricanes…
Just because you have fog/driving lamps doesn’t mean you have to use them. Especially on the front bumper of an E Type.
The last paragraph of the writeup mirrors my feelings exactly.
Mmmmmm – a series 1.5 , tri-carb, with aircon ! Oh, Auto (puke!) and a hunchback 2+2 not to my taste – totally ruined the lines.
And Oh Wow did the tin worms get hold of this one.
You’re looking at a $50K restoration on a car worth $65Kish tops.
Methinks it’s a little overpriced.
You could probably part it out and earn $10K to $15K ……. still says overpriced.
Seller says ” completely straight and accident free”. Talk about rose coloured glasses. It looks like it’s been driven through a key hole and then reversed out.
This cat needs to be “put down”. Today.
Back when the 2+2 first came out,we salesmen at our Boston dealership referred to them as “Conestoga Wagons”;they didn’t sell well,most were automatics,and the resale value plummeted……
I think in spite of everything if you had a few extra dollars and you were looking for that type of car it be a worthwhile investment
At first, reading the description, then looking at the pics, and finally looking at the price I was highly confused. After much thought and a few adult mixed beverages, I finally figured it out!!!! A – it is NOT a joke!!! B – the price is what they are going to pay YOU to take this um, “gem”, off their lot!!! I mean, there is NO way that they could possibly, in any seriousness, expect anyone to pay them for this um, “gem”!!!!!!??????? Wonder if you could negotiate their paying shipping too?!?!?!
Guys, I figured this out without adult mixed beverages – a couple of Ryes on the rocks will do that to one