One of only 50 made
1974 Jaguar E-Type Series 3 V12 Commemorative Roadster

• One of the final limited editions of 50 V12 Roadsters
• Automatic transmission
• Five owners from new (three in the same family)
• Always garaged and maintained

The rare and exclusive E-Type offered here is one of 50 special V12 roadsters built to commemorate the end of the model's production in 1974. Chassis numbers commenced at '2822' and ended with '2872', all bar one of the 50 cars being finished in black.

Testing the E-Type Series 3 back in 1972, Road & Track magazine reckoned the new V12 power unit, "a sheer delight... a lovely piece of machinery, lovely to listen to and lovely to behold... The idle is smooth and quiet with none of the mechanical busyness one normally experiences from the likes of a Ferrari or Lamborghini V12. And the smoothness lingers throughout the rev range".

This superior refinement would have counted for little had the Series 3 proved slower than its predecessors, but the new V12 engine was more than powerful enough to offset the weight gain over the preceding 4.2-litre six and ensure that performance was undiminished. Weighing only 80lb more than the cast-iron-block six it replaced, the all-alloy, 5.3-litre, overhead-camshaft V12 produced 272bhp. Top speed was well in excess of 140mph, and further good news was that the 0-100mph time of around 16 seconds made the V12 the fastest-accelerating E-Type ever.

Other mechanical changes beneath the Series 3's more aggressive looking exterior included ventilated front disc brakes, anti-dive front suspension, Lucas transistorised ignition and Adwest power-assisted steering, while automatic transmission was one of the more popular options on what was now more of a luxury Grand Tourer than out-and-out sports car. Flared wheelarches, a deeper radiator air intake complete with grille, and a four-pipe exhaust system distinguished the Series 3 from its six-cylinder forbears, plus, of course, that all-important 'V12' boot badge. The interior though, remained traditional Jaguar. Built in two-seat roadster and '2+2' coupé versions, both of which used the long-wheelbase floor pan introduced on the Series 2 '2+2', the Series 3 E-Type continued the Jaguar tradition of offering a level of performance and luxury unrivalled at the price.

This commemorative model has had five owners including the current vendor, the three most recent being members of the same family. The E-Type was used only for pleasure and has always been garaged and maintained. There are bills on file issued by recognised specialists for various works dating back to 2003, including one from Don Law Jaguar Specialists of Stoke-on-Trent for a minor repair after hitting a gate post manoeuvring the car at home (£3,938) and another from Kelbrook Classics of Barnoldswick for new chrome wire wheels in 2023 (£1,678). Also present are other bills relating to general servicing and maintenance. This most collectible of V12 E-Types is offered with current MoT and a V5C document.