PROVENANCE
Melvin Holliday, Syracuse, New York (acquired new from Revelle Motors on August 18, 1967)
Charles and Shirley Gooding, Venice, Florida (acquired from the above in April 1971)
Current Owner (acquired from the above)

EXHIBITED
JCNA, 2010 (SE Regional Annual Award, Concours Preservation Class – Best Unrestored Original E-Type)
Jaguar Club of Florida Concours d’Elegance, Lakeland, Florida, May 2010 (Class Winner)
Suncoast Jaguar Club Concours, Sarasota, Florida, October 2010 (Class Winner)
Wisconsin Jaguars Milwaukee Masterpiece Show, August 2011 (Class Winner)

THIS CAR
When the E-Type was introduced in 1961, Road & Track magazine commented, “If a new car ever created greater excitement around our office than the new Jaguar XKE, we can’t remember it.” The monocoque chassis, with its welded-up center section and bolted-on tubular forward frame that carried the engine and front suspension, was extremely rigid. The curvaceous steel body shell – designed by Malcolm Sayer and Sir William Lyons – was very clean aerodynamically, thanks in large degree to Sayer’s background in the aircraft industry.

The Series I 4.2-Litre E-Type, with its larger and more tractable engine, improved gearbox, glass-covered headlights, with the taillamps and front signals placed above the thin horizontal bumper bars, is the most desirable version of this classic sports car. This example, from the final year before the imposition of major design changes, is one of the best examples seen to date.

By 1964, the E-Type’s original 3.8-litre twin-cam six had been replaced by a larger engine of 4.2-litre capacity. Neither the output of 265 bhp nor the readily achievable maximum of 150 mph changed, but maximum torque grew by 43 lbs./ft to 283 and came in earlier, so the car had much more mid-range punch. The old Moss gearbox with its “crash” first gear was gone; a new fully synchronized four-speed made the E-Type 4.2 much more enjoyable to drive. Braking was improved with a new Lockheed vacuum booster, and there was a new and more efficient alternator, and a new exhaust system. The leather seating was upgraded, and the overall level of refinement was impressive.

This left-hand-drive 4.2-liter Series I E-Type Roadster in Carmen Red is one of 8,366 produced from 1964 to 1967. A very original example, this E-Type has been kept in outstanding condition by three owners in its nearly 50-year existence. Its first owner purchased the car from Revelle Motors in Syracuse, New York, in August 1967, but drove it quite sparingly. After accumulating just 8,600 miles in four years, it was sold to an enthusiast in Florida who lovingly cared for the car for 40 years, maintaining it properly and often displaying the car at local Jaguar Club concours d’elegance frequently winning an award. The current owner purchased the car in 2011 with 28,000 original miles and states that it is such an outstanding survivor that restorers have used it as a template for their own projects. It is supplied with its factory fiberglass hardtop, owner’s handbooks, original tool kit and jack, original passenger footboard, top boot, a Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust Certificate, and a thick folio of records and maintenance invoices.

The originality of this E-Type, produced in the final year of the covered-headlight series, makes it a rare find. The Jaguar enthusiast seeking to add a top-quality Series I 4.2 E-Type Roadster to his or her collection could scarcely find a better example.