While many British sports cars were accessible due to their relative affordability when new, the Jaguar E-Type was very much an aspirational vehicle. This was a car that the company had intended to push the boundaries of performance, and it managed to survive in the new car market far longer than anyone envisaged. Today, they still remain aspirational because good examples can command some eye-watering prices. This 1969 example will need a lot of work before it can do that, but at least its next owner will be commencing the restoration process with a complete car. If you feel ready for a challenge, you will find the E-Type located in Dallas, Texas, and listed for sale here on eBay. The owner has set the BIN at $35,000, but the option is available to make an offer.

The buyer of this E-Type will have some work ahead of them because it has some rust issues that will need to be tackled. It has impacted the usual areas like the floors and rockers and some places on the hood. There are also a few dings and dents that will need attention, and while the car appears to be complete, I believe that the buyer will be best served by performing a complete nut-and-bolt restoration. However, given the potential value locked away in the vehicle if the process is completed correctly, it should be worth the effort and cost. With the exception of the front bumper, the exterior trim is all present, and it looks to be a solid prospect for restoration. The same is true of the beautiful wire wheels, while I can’t spot any significant issues with the glass.

The backstory of the E-Type is an interesting one, and it involves the use of smoke and mirrors. We are used to hearing manufacturers underplay their hand with a classic car. The history books are littered with examples where power outputs have been significantly understated to avoid any adverse reactions from legislators and insurance companies. The E-Type, on the other hand, proved to be the exact opposite. Jaguar had made a great deal of noise about producing a sports car that could top 150mph. One can only imagine their horror when they discovered that the pre-production examples fell well short of that mark. In desperation, they took some of these cars and removed items like the bumpers, wipers, and mirrors, taped closed the grille opening, and fitted narrower tires to reduce rolling resistance, and found that they still failed to reach the target speed. The company was facing a situation where they would have egg on their face the moment the press laid their hands on the car, so they hatched a cunning scheme. One of the most famous examples of the E-Type is known as “9600HP.” This car was a pre-production prototype that was used as a press demonstrator. It achieved the promised figure in the hands of motoring journalists, and Jaguar’s reputation had been saved. However, that car disappeared shortly after the release of the production version, and it only emerged from a barn a few years ago. That was when the truth came to light. The car’s new owner undertook a restoration, and that’s when he discovered that his car wasn’t all that it seemed. Jaguar had produced a new hatch from aluminum and a rear window from Plexiglass to reduce weight. When the engine was disassembled, it was discovered that not only was it meticulously blueprinted, but its cylinder head had been ported and polished. This owner also found that many of the engine’s internal components actually belonged in a D-Type race car. The 3.8-liter engine in 9600HP was far from being the production unit that Jaguar had claimed. It seems that Jaguar had managed to pull an enormous con on the motoring press, and they managed to avoid detection for decades! This E-Type features its original 4.2-liter DOHC six-cylinder engine that would’ve produced 246hp in its prime. That power found its way to the rear wheels via a 4-speed manual transmission. A ¼ mile ET of 14.9 seconds would have been pretty reasonable in 1969 and held flat, it would eventually find its way to 143mph. The car is mechanically complete, but it hasn’t run in more than a year. I suspect that the buyer will probably pull the engine as part of the restoration process, and that will give them a chance to inspect it thoroughly before they hit the key for the first time.

As is the case with the rest of the vehicle, this E-Type’s interior is complete, but it will need some work. There are plenty of pieces that might respond well to some deep cleaning, with items like the dash and console showing promise. The top of the dash appears to be cracked, and there is some wear on the seats. However, as is the case with so many cars of this type, parts remain easy to find, and in this case, they are also surprisingly affordable. If the buyer can perform the cleaning and installation work themselves, they will likely find the interior restoration to be the most inexpensive area of this project.

If this 1969 Jaguar E-Type were a 2+2, I would place a question mark over its financial viability as a project with its current BIN price. That is because even perfect examples of the 2+2 generally command sale prices around 30% lower than the 2-seat Fixed Head Coupe. If the buyer returns this car to a pristine state, there is no reason why its value should surpass $80,000 in today’s market. Six-figures could also be possible if the restoration is perfect. When you consider those numbers, that makes this car look like a worthwhile restoration project.