A few days ago, when we featured the Porsche 911 covered in leaves, eagle eyes would note the rear haunches of a Jaguar E-Type on the same property. Given this seller’s history of digging up barn finds, I had little doubt the E-Type would make an appearance, and here it is: a desirable, Series 1 coupe with the preferred manual gearbox and covered headlights. It needs love, but I’m confident it will find a buyer. Check out the E-Type here on eBay where bidding is approaching $14K with the reserve unmet.
Pictures aren’t the best, but you can see the E-Type is parked haphazardly in the same yard as the 911, located somewhere in Arkansas. Sharing space with an ordinary El Camino makes me think whoever the previous owner was simply grabbed old cars when they were cheap and available, or too expensive for their third and fourth owners to want to fix. That often happens with desirable but expensive-to-maintain cars like the 911 and E-Type (with an edge being given to the 911 for its ability to soldier on with smaller and smaller annual maintenance budgets.)
The seller, in their typical fashion, has slotted this E-Type for an export market, emphasizing that it will be placed on the docks in New Jersey for easy pickup by freighters and delivery to overseas customers. The photos of the E-Type make it difficult to gauge just how rusty it is, or whether rust is even a major problem at all. Arkansas is not a guaranteed climate to rust prevention by any means, but it’s certainly better than being found in a shed in the northeast. The interior looks better than the exterior, which has been covered with refuse for decades, most likely.
Despite the rough cosmetics, the E-Type does look “all there” as it relates to being un-messed with, at least around the exterior and in the cabin. I can’t speak for the motor as no engine pictures were included, but the seller promises those are coming. Series 1 cars are among the most desirable Jaguars right now, so I’m not surprised the lack of photos has stopped bidders from raising their virtual paddles. With the manual gearbox, two seats, and early nose panel, there’s a lot to like about even a basketcase like this one.
SO SAD to see a classic neglected like this.
From the (ridiculously minimal number of) pictures provided the car looks to be VERY ROUGH. I doubt that any body panel is intact (except for maybe the roof & the rear hatch), as you can clearly see that the nose has an impact in the front & the passenger door is experiencing some sort of delaminating at the bottom. That said, there does appear to be many salvageable intact trim parts, & those wire wheels might be salvageable (IF they aren’t rusted from sitting in moisture for years). Seller included ZERO pictures of the engine bay, but the repair manual sitting on the center console tends to make me believe that this cat was parked because it had some sort of mechanical problem(s). One would HOPE that the previous owner just gave up early & left the engine alone, and that MIGHT result in the engine bay having many more goodies available for the buyer to harvest. However, no pictures of the engine bay usually means that the Seller doesn’t have anything positive to show there. Buyers should be wary, and only bid based on what they can actually see.
Given the increasing rarity of these early E-Types I’m betting that this car will likely sell for more $$ (or British Pounds, to be more correct) than sanity would normally dictate. That speaks well for the continued increasing value of these early cats. But I almost hate to reward the seller for allowing a car to deteriorate to this sad level of neglect. :-(
“Series 1 coupe with the preferred manual gearbox and covered headlights. ”
Hi Jeff,
All 3.8L (1961 to 1964) E-types had manual trans. All short wheelbase 4.2L (2 seaters) from 1965 to 1971 also had manual trans. Only 4.2L 2+2 (long wheelbase) was the auto trans available. All V12 (series 3 1971 to 1974) were long wheelbase and had the auto as an option.
The covered headlights were from 1961 to late 1966 or early 1967. Here is the info from the JCNA Judges Guide.
HEADLIGHTS
Note: There is a discrepancy between build records and Service Bulletins as to when the covered headlights
were deleted. Both are quoted.
Glass covers deleted at Chassis Number:
Build records:
LHD OTS: 1E 14535
LHD FHC: 1E 34120
Spares Bulletin (P198 – Canada & USA only):
LHD OTS: 1E 14532
LHD FHC: 1E 1E34113
LHD 2+2: 1E 77010
The JCNA Judges Guide for Series I E-types can be found at:
https://www.jcna.com/sites/default/files/files/e-type1.pdf
Thank you Bob Stevenson for all the work you did on the Judges Guide! It sure made my life easier.
Parts car. Left and forgotten for 38 years. Money pit. I dont wana restore it even if it was for free.
Barn Finds should extend awards to the biggest slobs & pack rats that display the most disgusting eyesores this side of planet Earth IMHO.
The owner of this Jag should be drawn & quartered, and sent to bed with no supper.
What an unbelievable lazy human being.
I’ll give this guy an F- for housekeeping.
Bob
Pass. The car will sell for a ridiculous amount, it’s a nightmare, and market hysteria will drive the price. I want the Malibu behind it……….
Checked some of the seller’s other auctions and it looks like some of their cars were photographed at Gullwing Motors. That might explain all the rusty cars for sale.
I see finds like this and I’m at a loss for words. These cars and many like them weren’t exactly cheap compared to other cars when originally sold. By default, any owner knows proper care is in order. What a waste.
Mike,
Been to Gullwing Motors several times; something not right about the operation with an apparent ambivalence towards actually selling cars and a casual attitude towards the truth. Total speculation on my part, but it felt as if there was more to their business than the selling and restoration of classics.
Can’t fault the guy for having a sales formula that must work for him.
He markets his cars in the UK where he is probably getting more money for them, and he provides very little photographic evidence probably figuring that any serious buyer will have an agent stateside to ask all the right questions and get a pair of eyes on the car.