The Jaguar E-Type, or the Jaguar XK-E for the North American market, is a British front-engined sports car that was manufactured by Jaguar Cars Ltd from 1961 to 1974. Its sleek appearance, advanced technologies, high performance, and competitive pricing established it as an icon. The E-Type's claimed top speed,New Jaguar Car Has Top Speed of 150 M.P.H. The Times, Wednesday, 15 Mar 1961; p. 7; Issue 55030 sub-7-second 0 to 60 mph (97 km/h) acceleration, largely unitary body construction, front and rear independent suspension with disc brakes, mounted inboard at the rear, and rack-and-pinion steering spurred industry-wide changes.Jaguar Model Guides: The E-Type , www.jcna.com, accessed 1 October 2019
The E-Type was based on Jaguar's D-Type racing car, which had won the 24 Hours of Le Mans for three consecutive years beginning in 1955.
The E-Type employed what was, for the early 1960s, a novel design principle, with a front subframe carrying the engine, front suspension and front bodywork bolted directly to the body tub. No ladder frame chassis, as was common at the time, was needed and as such the first cars weighed only .
It is rumored that, at its debut on 15 March 1961, Enzo Ferrari called it "the most beautiful car ever made", but this statement has not been fully confirmed.Classic Car Review 1964, article by Sean Curtis In 2004, Sports Car International magazine placed the E-Type at number one on their list of Top Sports Cars of the 1960s."Ten best Sports Cars of the '60s", Sports Car International. May 2004. Issue 162. Retrieved 2017-01-29. In March 2008, the Jaguar E-Type ranked first in The Daily Telegraphs online list of the world's "100 most beautiful cars" of all time.
Overview
The E-Type was introduced as a rear-wheel drive grand tourer in two-seater coupé form (FHC or Fixed Head Coupé) and as a two-seater convertible (OTS or Open Two Seater). A "2+2" four-seater version of the coupé, with a lengthened wheelbase, was released in 1966.
Later model updates of the E-Type were officially designated "Series 2" and "Series 3", and over time the earlier cars have come to be referred to as "Series 1." As with other partly hand made cars of the time, changes were incremental and ongoing, which has led to confusion over exactly what a Series 1 car is. This is of more than academic interest, as Series 1 E-Types—and particularly Series 1 roadsters—often have values in excess of Series 2 and 3 models. (online 4 March; print 6 March)
The Series 1 cars essentially fall into two categories: Those made between 1961 and 1964, which had 3.8-litre engines and (on all but the very last cars) partial synchromesh transmissions; and those made between 1965 and 1967, which increased engine size and torque by around 10% to 4.2 litres, and also provided new reclining seats, an alternator in place of the dynamo, an electrical system switched to negative earth, a more reliable brake servo,"Selecting the right Jaguar E-type for you; Understanding the different 'series,'" www.thecarnut.com, accessed 1 October 2019 and other modern amenities. Styling was unchanged.Jaguar E-Type www.classic-car-history.com, accessed 1 October 2019
As a result, the 4.2-litre Type 1 generally became the most valuable form of the car. However, as of the end of 2014, the most expensive regular production Jaguar E-Types sold at auction included a 4.2-litre Series 1 roadster, with matching numbers, original paint and interior, under since new, and a history of being in the original buyer's family for 45 years, for $467,000 in 2013,Hemmings Daily, 22 Nov 2013. and a 3.8-litre 1961 "flat floor" (an early production variant with flat footwell floors, lacking later recessed panels) Series 1, for $528,000 in 2014."Auction results and data for 1961 Jaguar E-Type Series 1 (XKE, S1), Conceptcarz.com, accessed 1 October 2019 Special run racing lightweights go for far more still. For example, a 1963 E-type Lightweight Competition advertised as very original and with much patina (wearing the "factory installed interior and bodywork showing the patina of decades of use," although it was re-painted and has a non-matching numbers – albeit factory provided – engine), one of just twelve that were built, sold for $7,370,000 at the 2017 Scottsdale, Arizona auctions.Automobile Magazine, May 2017 edition, at page 94 (print ed.).
Being a British-made car of the 1960s, there are some rather rare sub-types of Series 1 E-Types, particularly at the beginning and end of the Series 1 production. For example, the first 500 Series 1 cars had flat floors and external bonnet latches. At the close of the Series 1 production run, there were a small number of cars produced that are identical in every respect to other Series 1 units (including triple SU carbs, button actuated starter, toggle switches, etc.), except that the headlight covers were removed for better illumination. It is not known exactly how many of these Series 1 cars (sometimes referred to as for convenience sake as "Series 1.25," but per Jaguar, Series 1) were produced, but given that 1,508 Series 1 convertibles were produced worldwide for 1967, combined with the fact that these examples were made in just the last several months of Series 1 production, means that these, like the flat floor examples that began the Series 1 production run, are the lowest volume Series 1 variant, save of course for the special lightweights.
Including both left and right hand drive examples, a total of 7,828 3.8-litre Series 1 open two seaters (OTS) were built, with 6,749 of the later 4.2-litre Series 1 OTS's having been manufactured.etype-s1-s3-serial-production.comE-Type UK, 24 July 2017. The 1961 Jaguar E-Type Series 1: The Car that Started It All
While the 1968 Series 1.5 cars maintained the essential design of the Series 1 models, US emission regulations saw its triple SU carburettors replaced there with twin Zenith-Stromberg units, resulting in a drop in claimed power from and torque from .1961–1968 Jaguar E-Type www.topspeed.com, accessed 1 October 2019
Of the "Series 1" cars, Jaguar manufactured some limited-edition variants, inspired by motor racing:
The "'Lightweight' E-Type" initiated and designed for competition was intended as a racing follow-up to the D-Type. Jaguar planned to produce 18 units but ultimately only a dozen were reportedly built. Of those, two have been converted to low drag form and two others are known to have been crashed and deemed to be beyond repair, although one has now been rebuilt. These are exceedingly rare and sought after by collectors. *The "Low Drag Coupé" was a one-off technical exercise which was ultimately sold to a Jaguar racing driver. It is presently believed to be part of the private collection of the current Viscount Cowdray. In 2014, Jaguar announced its intention to build the remaining six lightweights, at a cost of approximately £1 million each.The Independent, 14 September 2014, www.independent.co.uk.
Safety and emissions regulations in the North American market resulted in Series 2 and 3 E-Types being fitted with a larger grille, wider wheel arches, and bigger bumpers. And they were also fitted with a bigger radiator and cooling system because the Series 1 were notorious for overheatingAuto Express, 9/8/2014 www.autoexpress.co.uk
The New York City Museum of Modern Art recognised the significance of the E-Type's design in 1996 by adding a blue roadster to its permanent design collection, one of only six automobiles to receive the distinction. The MoMA XKE is a Series 1 OTS.Five for Friday (Plus One): MoMA's Car Collection, 4/6/2012. The Victoria and Albert Museum in London also has an example of the Series 1 OTS in its collection.
Concept versions
E1A (1957) After the company's success at the Le Mans 24 hr through the 1950s, Jaguar's racing department was given the brief to use D-Type style construction to build a road-going sports car to replace the XK150.
The first prototype (E1A), designed in 1957 by Technical Director and Chief Engineer William Heynes, featured a monocoque body with Jaguar's fully independent rear suspension and the XK engine. The car was used solely for factory testing and was never formally released to the public. The car was eventually scrapped by the factory.
E2A (1960) Jaguar's second E-Type concept was E2A which, unlike the E1A, was constructed from a steel chassis with an aluminium body. This car was completed as a racing car as it was thought by Jaguar at the time it would provide a better testing ground. E2A used a 3-litre version of the XK engine with a Lucas fuel injection system.
After retiring from the Le Mans 24 hr the car was shipped to America to be used for racing by Jaguar privateer Briggs Cunningham. In 1961, the car returned to Jaguar in England to be used as a test vehicle. Ownership of E2A passed in 1970 to Roger Woodley (Jaguar's customer competition car manager) who took possession on the basis the car not be used for racing. E2A had been possibly scheduled to be scrapped. Roger's wife owned E2A until 2008 when it was offered for sale at Bonham's Quail Auction, where it sold for US$4,957,000.
E-Type Concept Zero (2017) Jaguar unveiled a modern revival of the 1968 E-Type series 1.5 roadster with an all-electric, zero-emission powertrain in September 2017. The vehicle has a 40kWh battery-powered electric motor and can accelerate to 60mph in 5.5 seconds. On a full charge, the vehicle has a range of . The battery pack is designed to fit in the space occupied by the original six-cylinder motor without any modifications, and will fit in any model Jaguar using the same motor. The electric motor replaces the original transmission.
In August 2018, Jaguar confirmed it would offer all-electric E-Types for sale starting in summer 2020. However, this plan was halted in 2019.
Production versions
Series 1 (1961–1968)
The Series 1 was introduced in March 1961, initially for export only. The domestic market launch came four months later, in July 1961. The cars at this time used the triple SU carburetted 3.8-litre six-cylinder Jaguar XK engine from the XK150S. Earlier cars utilised external bonnet latches that required a tool to open and had a flat floor design. These cars are rare and more valuable. After that, the floors were dished to provide more legroom, and the twin bonnet latches moved inside the car. The 3.8-litre engine was increased to in October 1964.
The 4.2-litre engine produced the same power as the 3.8-litre () and same top speed (), but increased torque 18% from . Acceleration remained pretty much the same, and times were around 6.4 seconds for both engines, but maximum power was now reached at 5,400 rpm instead of 5,500 rpm on the 3.8-litre. That all meant better throttle response for drivers that did not want to shift down gears.Motor Magazine 1964 The 4.2-litre's block was completely redesigned, made longer to accommodate larger bores, and the crankshaft modified to use newer bearings. Other engine upgrades included a new alternator/generator and an electric cooling fan for the radiator.
Autocar road tested a UK spec E-Type 4.2 fixed head coupé in May 1965. The maximum speed was , the time was 7.6 seconds and the from a standing start took 15.1 seconds. They summarised it as "In its 4.2 guise the E-Type is a fast car (the fastest we have ever tested) and offers just about the easiest way to travel quickly by road.".
Motor magazine road tested a UK spec E-Type 4.2 fixed head coupé in Oct 1964. The maximum speed was , the 0- time was 7 seconds and the time was 14.9 seconds. They summarised it as "The new 4.2 supersedes the early 3.8 as the fastest car Motor has tested. The absurd ease which can be exceeded in a never failed to astonish. of testing confirms that this is still one of the world's outstanding cars".Motor UK Number 42