• Restored example of one of the most desirable E-Type variants, the Series I 4.2-Litre Roadster
• Classic, early E-Type design elements of covered headlights and high taillights combined with improved performance of the 4.2-liter engine and full synchromesh gearbox
• Strikingly finished in red over black leather with a black fabric soft-top
• Accompanied by a copy of its Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust history certificate and an ultra-desirable factory E-Type hardtop finished in black

After Jaguar’s utter dominance at the 24 Hours of Le Mans throughout the 1950s, the engineers at Coventry were tasked with developing a production version of their champion race cars. The new model would borrow heavily from the venerated D-Type, winner of Le Mans a stunning three consecutive times from 1955 through 1957.

Power was provided by the race-proven Jaguar XK engine. Initially displacing 3.8 liters, later increased to 4.2 liters, the double-overhead-camshaft, inline, six-cylinder engine wore an aluminum, straight-port cylinder head and was fed by a trio of SU carburetors.

It was the jaw-dropping body design from Malcom Sayer, however, that cemented the E-Type’s legacy with a generation of car enthusiasts. Sayer worked alongside master sheet-metal craftsmen to develop the E-Type’s stunningly long bonnet, covered headlights, and rear haunches. Performance matched those cherished lines. Road tests of the period found the E-Type capable of rocketing to 60 mph in under seven seconds on its way to a 150-mph top speed.

The E-Type presented here is among the most desirable examples of the vaunted big cat. A 1966 Series I example, it benefits from the enlarged 4.2-liter, triple SU-carbureted engine and full synchromesh gearbox while retaining desirable, early E-Type styling elements of covered headlights, toggle switches, and over-the-bumper taillights.

Completed 25 October 1965, the open two-seater presented here was uniquely trimmed at the factory in Opalescent Maroon over Maroon leather upholstery. A left-hand drive example, the car was dispatched on 16 November 1965 for sale through Jaguar Cars of New York.

Today, the car has been restored in striking red over black leather with a black fabric top. Notably, it is also accompanied by a factory E-Type hardtop refinished in black, a copy of its Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust history certificate, and a selection of past service records.

Desirably equipped, fully restored, and ready to show or drive, this Jaguar E-Type presents an excellent opportunity to own a highly coveted Series I model replete with the more powerful 4.2-liter engine and late-series upgrades for improved performance and drivability.
To view this car and others currently consigned to this auction, please visit the RM website at rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/am23.