1963 Jaguar E-Type 'Series 1' 3.8-Litre Coupé
Registration no. 698 WKT
Chassis no. 860970

"If Les Vingt Quatre Heures du Mans has been responsible for the new E-Type Jaguar, then that Homeric contest on the Sarthe circuit will have been abundantly justified. Here we have one of the quietest and most flexible cars on the market, capable of whispering along in top gear at 10mph or leaping into its 150mph stride on the brief depression of a pedal. A practical touring car, this, with its wide doors and capacious luggage space, yet it has a sheer beauty of line which easily beats the Italians at their own particular game."
There have been few better summaries of the E-Type's manifest virtues than the forgoing, penned by the inimitable John Bolster for Autosport shortly after the car's debut. Conceived and developed as an open sports car, the Jaguar E-Type debuted at the Geneva Salon in March 1961 in Coupé form. The car caused a sensation - spontaneous applause breaking out at the unveiling - with its instantly classic lines and a 150mph top speed. The newcomer's design owed much to that of the Le Mans-winning D-Type sports-racer, a monocoque tub forming the main structure while a tubular spaceframe extended forwards to support the engine. The latter was the 3.8-litre, triple-carburettor, 'S' unit first offered as an option on the preceding XK150. Its engine aside, only in terms of its transmission did the E-Type represent no significant advance over the XK150, whose durable four-speed Moss gearbox it retained.
With a claimed 265bhp available, E-Type's performance did not disappoint; firstly, because it weighed around 500lbs less than the XK150 and secondly because aerodynamicist Malcolm Sayer used experience gained with the D-Type to create one of the most elegant and efficient shapes ever to grace a motor car. Taller drivers though, could find the interior somewhat lacking in space, a criticism addressed by the introduction of foot wells (and other, more minor modifications) early in 1962. Today, the E-Types graceful lines live on in modern Jaguar sports cars, and there can be little doubt that William Lyons' sublime creation would feature in any knowledgeable enthusiast's 'Top Ten' of the world's most beautiful cars of all time. Indeed, even Enzo Ferrari felt obliged to concede that the E-type was 'the most beautiful car ever made'.
This 'Series 1' E-Type coupé was manufactured on 30th October 1962 and supplied by Henlys Ltd of London to its first owner Mr G S Baduel Esq of London SW1 on 18th April 1963. Ordered in Opalescent Silver Blue with light blue leather interior, the car was equipped with a Radiomobile 900T stereo system. The E-Type was issued with the London registration mark '698 WKT'.
A matching-numbers example, the E-Type was subject to a complete 'last nut and bolt' restoration to original factory specification by leading Jaguar specialists Fullbridge Carriage Company in 1993, the engine and gearbox being rebuilt by GSE Motorsport (Gordon Spooner Engineering Motorsport). The interior is believed original. Only some 8,500 miles have been covered since the restoration and the car is described by the vendor as in generally excellent condition, with good bodywork and paint. A very correct and desirable Series 1, the car is offered with a comprehensive history file containing restoration invoices, current MoT, V5C document, and a Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust Certificate.