Gregor Wenner
Specialist Consultant
LOT 152
1965 Jaguar E-Type 'Series 1' 4.2-Litre Roadster offered with Hardtop Chassis no. 1E10156 Engine no. 7E1907-9 (see text)
Estimate: €130,000 - €180,000
Lot 152
1965 Jaguar E-Type 'Series 1' 4.2-Litre Roadster offered with Hardtop
1965 Jaguar E-Type 'Series 1' 4.2-Litre Roadster offered with Hardtop
Chassis no. 1E10156
Engine no. 7E1907-9 (see text)
Chassis no. 1E10156
Engine no. 7E1907-9 (see text)
• Desirable early 4.2-litre Series 1 example
• Restored in Italy
• Elegant colour combination
• Comes with hardtop
• Restored in Italy
• Elegant colour combination
• Comes with hardtop
Footnotes
'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 sportscar, 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 design owed much to that of the racing D-Type, 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. The latter was replaced when the 4.2-litre engine was introduced on the Series 1 in October 1964, a more user-friendly all-synchromesh gearbox and superior Lockheed brake servo forming part of the improved specification together with the bigger, torquier engine.
Apart from '4.2' badging, the car's external appearance was unchanged but under the skin there were numerous detail improvements. These mainly concerned the cooling and electrical systems, the latter gaining an alternator and adopting the industry standard negative ground, while the interior boasted a matt black dashboard and improved seating arrangements. The top speed of around 150mph remained unchanged, the main performance gain resulting from the larger engine being improved acceleration and flexibility.
Today, the E-Type's 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'. Retaining the sublime looks of the original while benefiting from the larger engine and the all-synchromesh gearbox, the Series 1 '4.2' is considered by many to be the most desirable E-type variant and is highly sought after today.
Manufactured on 8th October 1964 and delivered to Montreal, Canada later that same month, this early '4.2' was originally finished in 'triple black' (exterior, interior, hood). In the 1990s the E-type was exported to Vicenza, Italy where it remained with the same owner until 2014. The Italian owner carried out a full restoration, and when sold to our vendor in 2015 the car was said to have been used only occasionally since the rebuild's completion. The car retains a period-correct engine (stamped 7E1907-9) and gearbox.
Since acquiring the E-Type the current owner has fitted a Brantz Tripmaster for rallying, while in 2019 some works were carried out costing €6,000 (invoice on file), since when the car has hardly been used. We are advised that the lusty 4.2-litre engine performs very well, and there is no denying that with the rare hardtop in place this E-Type looks most handsome. Finished in the elegant colour combination of medium blue with a lovely dark blue leather interior, blue hardtop and blue convertible hood, the car is offered with Belgian registration documents.
Additional information
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