1961 Jaguar E-Type 'OBL' - Chassis #38

The story of the E-Type requires little introduction, however, what perhaps may need some explanation is the position in the market of the very early cars and their importance to collectors and marque enthusiasts alike. In common with works of art, furniture, philately, fine wines and all the other things people collect, the rarest and best-quality items tend to attract collectors' interest and inevitably, the harder they are to find, the more expensive they can become. Should there be a number of well-heeled collectors chasing a particular painting, for example, then the result can be a serious clash of egos and wallets. This is equally true of classic cars and the E-Type is a perfect example. The most sought after of all the E-Types are the first 92 right-hand drive cars produced and these are easily distinguished by their outside bonnet locks (OBL).

Chassis No. 38 is indeed one of those OBL cars and is one of the oldest surviving, having been manufactured in June 1961 and supplied to Appleyards in Leeds to be utilised as a company demonstrator prior to being purchased by its first private owner, a Mr Straughan, as a stop-gap before acquiring a Mk2 Jaguar some 18 months later. With the E-Type returning to the dealer in part-exchange and the model still much in demand, it soon found its second new home where it was to remain for the next 50 years. Shortly after taking delivery and noted in the history file, damage was sustained to the engine block during the 1963 'big freeze' requiring a replacement block to be fitted, however the body, chassis, gearbox and rear axle remain 'matching numbers'.

Upon the owner's passing in the 1980s, the car remained within the family but was stored and unused until 2004, at which point the decision was taken to totally restore this historically important Jaguar. The task of restoring the bodywork was handed to Alan Proctor of Worksop, Nottinghamshire and mechanical aspects were attended to at Beamish Morgan Ltd. in Durham. It’s noted that at this point the recorded odometer reading was a mere 32,000 miles, so comparatively little work was required to refresh and bring everything back to life.

The Jaguar was purchased by our vendor nearly two years ago and, although he was generally pleased with he car, he is rather fastidious and there were one or two mechanical aspects that weren’t quite perfect, so it was off to marque specialists, Classic Motor Cars of Bridgnorth, for their professional mechanical attention and the account for this was a, not insubstantial, £60,000.

Today, #38 is gloriously presented in its original colour combination of Opalescent Dark Blue with a black factory hardtop and the red leather interior is enhanced by textured aluminium trim on the dashboard and centre console. The specification remains as the original order with manual windows, wood-rim 3-spoke steering wheel, Smiths gauges, toggle switches, heater and a radio. Naturally, the distinguishing features of the early cars (flat-floor, outside bonnet locks, welded bonnet louvres, larger drive shafts and wishbones, aluminium centre console and an air-intake box without grooves) are all present and correct.

The car is accompanied by its original tool kit, bonnet opening tool, the original operating, maintenance and service handbooks, various period leaflets, periodic maintenance vouchers (completed up to 17,522 miles in 1967), a period Tuning and Preparation of E-Type cars booklet, two lever-arch folders of paperwork, a photographic record of the 2004 restoration and all the invoices for the aforementioned 2022/23 mechanical restoration. The early registration number, KJH 20, will remain with the car.

With an odometer reading of just 32,035 miles and accompanied by its original 'factory' hardtop, a comprehensive history file and unbroken provenance, this beautifully presented and exceptionally rare early iteration of the iconic British sports car would fit well into any collection of special Jaguars. Your earliest inspection is welcomed and encouraged to appreciate this fine 'outside bonnet lock' Roadster.