The Jaguar E-Type has consistently found itself on various lists of the one hundred most beautiful production cars ever built. It is easy to see why, because the design, penned by Malcolm Sayer, is stunning from any angle. This 1973 example is the OTS (Open Two Seater) variant and requires restoration. However, it is essentially complete and features the desirable manual transmission. The seller has listed the E-Type here on eBay in Hanover, Massachusetts. They set their BIN at $27,500 with the option to make an offer.
Introduced in 1961 to rave reviews, Jaguar’s E-type remained in production until 1974. The car grew heavier and less lively towards the end of its production life, but, particularly in Roadster or OTS form, it remained visually stunning. The seller includes a Jaguar Heritage Certificate, confirming the authenticity of this classic. Its Heather paint, a shade only available in 1973 and 1974, exhibits significant deterioration. With evidence of lifting, the buyer will undoubtedly strip the panels to bare metal to achieve a high-end result. There are no substantial bumps or bruises, but rust is the mortal enemy of the E-Type. Typically prone areas such as the rockers, lower rear quarter panels, and rear pan look promising. The state of the floors is a mystery, and getting this classic up on a lift would be wise. The soft-top is shredded, and many trim pieces require restoration or replacement. However, the wire wheels appear to be in good condition.
Jaguar utilized three engines during the E-Type’s production life. Initially featuring a 3.8-liter DOHC six, the motor’s capacity grew to 4.2-liters in 1964. It pushed the boat out in 1971, adopting the 5.3-liter V12 in the refreshed Series III. This car features the V12, teamed with the desirable four-speed manual transmission. That year’s Sales Brochure quotes power and torque figures of 241hp and 285 ft/lbs, and while the E-Type wasn’t as fast as it had been previously, it was still a pretty handy weapon with excellent handling and braking. The seller confirms that this Jag is numbers-matching and provides no information on the mechanical condition. If the V12 turns freely, revival may be straightforward. However, bracing for the cost of a rebuild would be a smart strategy.
This Jaguar’s interior is missing its radio and a few small components, but otherwise appears complete. The first owner combined the Heather paint with Maroon leather upholstery, creating a stunning visual package. Unsurprisingly, the new owner faces a complete retrim to recapture the car’s glory days. Kits to achieve a factory look are readily available, but will add at least $5,000 to the restoration budget. That’s a significant sum, but it represents an excellent long-term investment. When treated respectfully, a retrimmed interior should remain impressive for many decades.
Some classics make an immediate impact, and I admit that it was love at first sight when I spied my first E-Type Roadster. I considered it beautiful, but pondered whether it might be a triumph of style over substance. However, a friend had recently restored a Series I and threw me the keys so I could experience the car firsthand. Four decades have passed since that day, and I still vividly remember the experience. The engine sounded magnificent, the driving position was far better than I expected, and the grip from the skinny tires was genuinely impressive. This 1973 example will be slightly softer, but life behind the wheel should still be utterly joyous. If that sounds appealing, it may be worth reaching out to the seller.
Smelling salts, please,,,plop, nope, not gonna do it. Regaining composure some, I truly feel sick. I must apologize to our British cousins, this is unacceptable. It’s the worst Jag I think I’ve ever seen. I mean, this isn’t, or more accurately, wasn’t some beat up hack, it’s a Jag roadster for heavens sake. It sure is a mess, I’d be embarrassed to even advertise this. The color is a bit odd, but I bet it really looked sharp, and half the plug wires gone, did these run on 6 cylinders? I lightly try and keep track of Jag prices, just in case my daughter actually DOES buy me one,,,nothing yet, but it seems all these higher end roadsters, like big Healeys and Jags have dropped in price dramatically. Same old thing, the buyer base just isn’t there. 276 viewers and no bids, shows people could do 5 figures on a Jag, but they have to be nicer than this. I think I’ll tell the kid to pass on this one,,,:)
Howard–your comments make me laugh my head off!
Anything above 10K is throwing money in a toilet.
While I like the E-Type Jags, I owned flipped one back in the 70’s and found them to be a very capable and fun driving car. This one is a mess. The color is downright ugly, none of the body panels match up, interior looks like it was parked in the rain with the top down one too many times. The mechanicals are anybody’s guess. While all of this could be fixed, at this price who would want to?
All true, but just the same, as time goes on, these will become ever more rare. Saving the few remaining examples will become more and more expensive, simply because, like this one, the ones that are left will be in the worst shape. All of the good clean examples already have good homes, so the bottom feeders will begin to be the only option at the low end of the market. The ones that remain will either become parts donors for the better quality examples, reducing their numbers further, or they will go to the crusher, simply because the poor condition leaves them too expensive to restore, or perhaps both. They will be stripped for any usable parts, then crushed as there will little left to save at that point, and the rusted hulk will be just so much scrap metal, to be ground up and shipped to Asia, to become new Toyotas, Hondas, Hyundais or Kias, LOL!
Wow, where to begin. I like E-Types immensely, but this poor thing needs so much work! First off, that color is an insult to anything Jaguar. Then it’s downhill..Sure it has a V-12-what’s left of it. There’s missing plug wires and tubes, rags stuffed in orifices, and a missing oil cap.Probably more. Consider the engine toast. And the interior needs a complete redo along with a new top, unless you want the car to be perpetually open-air. Add in who knows what. Yes, this car is definitely a project for someone who has a lot of time and a lot of cash.
E-Types are timeless! The color is period correct too! Great information from Adam Clarke!
The color combination is really off-putting, almost as if the original owner looked into the future and saw Jaguar’s “Copy Nothing” ad. At 10K and with minimal rust issues I would strip it out, put in a couple vintage style buckets, paint it BRG, remove the 20 miles of hoses choking the motor, add a couple of 4 barrel carbs or aftermarket injection and let it rip.
By the time they stuffed the V12 in it E Types had jumped the shark. The bug eyed headlights and ugly rear flares destroyed the clean body lines. The V12 was too much road hugging weight and that made the car much less lively. Sales of the V12 were never that great. Of all the E Types this is likely the least desirable. If you want one go for a Series 1 and never look back.
As with all classic cars, there is a time when the market begins to fade. I think this E type is going that route. Everyone with a project car think they have gold and many are’ bronze or tin’. It’s hard to look at one of these in this condition. It looks to be ‘driven hard and put away, wet!!’ My days of wanting an E type were a very long time ago when they were in the $1500 range! Yes, a long, long time ago! That was a time when dropping a Corvette 327 in an E Type was the rage. Even then, I hesitated….oh well… they are still a stunning looking vehicle!!
Wow, after looking at the best photo’s, I wonder what the underside looks like. This is awful, I have owned two XKE’s, a 69 roadster, and a 74. The 74 was a great touring ride, and I sold it after 5 years. I put it on my watchlist, I really want to see who would buy this at that price.
I’ve seen much worse. Hopefully some dedicated enthusiast will take on this project. It would be a loser to have it restored professionally.
Series lll E-Types have been getting stronger.
The color is off-putting. Must be one of the rarest on an E-Type for good reason. But it might also be the reason someone takes this on just for the rarity.
heavy asking price for what this car needs convert or not. minimum of 100k to bring it back. cheaper to buy a better example
Give me that series 2 with the 4.2 liter inline 6 any day over the V12.
27,500 is crazy money considering what needs to be spent on this.
As we say down under: “yea…..nah”.
Series 1 also had the 4.2 AND covered headlights.
Interesting to see the comments about how awful the color is. I like it a lot. I own blue, green and red Jaguars and have grown weary of the mundane white, black, silver, and grey tones. (of ALL cars) and no I am not a fan of Broadway musicals. To each his own, eh?
I think this car, redone in a high-quality repaint in this color would be interesting. You’d have to get rid of the awful side moldings and go with a different interior color imho.
I am a child of the sixties and was a huge fan of colorful muscle cars long before I could drive. Chrysler’s version of a purple metal flake, called either InViolet or Plum Crazy, depending on which division’s car was involved, was a particular favorite. I can never remember which one was which, though! Was Plum Crazy a Dodge or a Plymouth color? I have an easier time with Caurosel Red (Pontiac) versus Hugger Orange (Chevy), simply because my brother’s ’69 Firebird was Caurosel Red, LOL!
The Good: It’s a Jag E-Type, V-12, what else do I need to say? The Bad: Overall condition, the asking price. The Ugly: Paint and interior, the Federal rubber bumpers for the 5 mph crash standard, restoration will be expensive. The Verdict: Not worth the BIN price, between $6k and $10k is closer to reasonable, given the poor condition of this car. It could be worth well into six-figures when restored, the problem is, it will cost well over $100k to restore! The new owner better have mad skills in body and paint work, and/or deep pockets if they take this on. Nothing about an E-Type is cheap! BTW, when did what we used to call an XKE become simple an E-Type? Inquiring minds want to know!
Jaguar called it an E-Type from the beginning. XKE was a designation made up by Jaguar’s US marketing dept.
Thanks for the information! Now I can blame the right people! Marketing, as usual! Either Marketing or Accounting, take your pick, LOL!
“The Marketing Division of the Sirius Cybernetics Corporation were a bunch of mindless jerks who were the first ones up against the wall and shot when the revolution came!” – “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”, by the late, great Douglas Adams!
Absolute piece of crap! This is a $5K parts car… nothing more!
You could get $20,000 for the parts alone.
Sure… if you’d care to disassemble the car and list the parts for sale. I’ve got better things to do with my time!
Robert: “XKE” was a made-up term invented by some American dealers. They had always liked the “XK” associated with the 120-150 as well as the XK powerplant…so they didn’t want to give that up somehow and called the car “XKE”. It was never an official term out of Coventry…and now that most Americans who called the car “XKE” have passed on, the sports car is gradually being called “E Type” as THAT is what is on the chrome scripts of 1965-74cars, and how the car is known in the rest of the world.
Like I said, now I can blame the right people: Accounting, Management or Marketing, not necessarily in that order, LOL!
Checking seller on eBay, they do have a yellow version that they say runs well for only $69,500.00. The rest are parts or parts cars.
I’m in the U.K. I’ve owned 8 Etypes, my first when I was 21. Now 77. Jaguar did a Heather pink paint colour. They did a Heather pink in the XJ6. Which was rare. I’ve only ever seen one Etype in this colour. The paintwork looks original to me. I would definitely buy the car. But it would be $10-12k