1973 Jaguar E-Type V12 Roadster

2011 marked the 50th birthday of the iconic E-Type, which was well celebrated at our 2011 sale at the Silverstone Classic. This was when the largest gathering of E-Types in the world took to the circuit. From 1961, the E-Type evolved and improved in its lifecycle from the original Series 1 Coupés and Roadsters, through the Series 2 cars of the late 1960s until finally the Series 3 arrived - only in 5.3 V12 format in late 1971. Available only as a convertible or a '2+2', there were only 7,990 convertibles produced worldwide of the Series 3.This original Series III Roadster was built on 10th October 1973 and first registered on 1st November 1974 by Gibbons in Scotland and has been with its present owner since 23rd July 1990. A complete bare metal restoration took place in September 1990 by English Cars of Distinction. The body retained its original colour of Primrose Yellow but the trim was replaced with cream leather and dark brown carpets and mohair hood. The dashboard was also replaced with walnut veneer and a wooden steering wheel fitted to match. The original cockpit instrumentation and switchgear were retained. There are pictures in the history file of the car completely stripped to bare metal and many more detailing the restoration process. In addition, the engine had a complete bottom end rebuild with main and big end bearings, timing chain and piston rings rebuilt. This was carried out at 50,500 miles and was carried out by Mill Lane Engineering of Aldershot.

Mechanical components have had numerous upgrades and improvements including stainless steel exhaust manifolds, 4 x SU carburetors, Harvey Bailey handling kit, four pot calipers, aviation spec fuel pump, Koni shock absorbers, re wire and removal of the old emission control system and in June 2014 the gearbox seals were renewed and the torque converter tested. This E-Type has been treasured by its current private owner and a large history file details all expenditure carried out since the 1990s. Reading a believed genuine 78,950 miles from new, this car is presented in one of the very best colour combinations and is finished to a great specification. Any inspection is welcome and buyer's should be aware that the matching micro car pictured is available by separate negotiation.