Beautiful older restoration in British Racing Green with tan
leather and top. Chrome wire wheels, excellent paint and interior,
but not a trailer queen. $10,000 in receipts for recent
service.
This 1963 E-Type roadster is an early Series I car, not early
enough to have a flat floor or exterior hood latches, but pretty
early. It was comprehensively restored perhaps 10 or 12 years ago
and collected some trophies, then hit the road, which is really
what you should do with your thoroughbred. The handsome British
Racing Green finish is really the best choice on these cars and it
has the right mix of yellow in it, not a pure green but kind of an
olive green that was how it was done originally. Bodywork is
outstanding, with laser-straight panels and extremely good gaps,
all of which suggest the underlying structure is in excellent
order. The doors open and close easily, and with their
featherweight design, feel almost delicate. The hood swings forward
on well-oiled hinges, and the trunk lid (boot lid?) sits flush with
the surrounding sheetmetal. Paint is deep and glossy with
surprisingly few signs of use and the chrome is brilliantly
restored with no notable demerits.
The biscuit leather interior is the right choice with the BRG
paint, a handsome and completely British contrast that is
skillfully done. The leather is aromatic and beautifully fitted,
and aside from one or two scuffs on the heel pad of the carpets and
some “comfort marks” on the driver’s seat cushion, it shows almost
no wear. The Smiths gauges are as lovely here as in any British
sports car, and they all work except the temperature gauge. The
textured aluminum center console is correct and frames the stubby
4-speed shifter, which itself is wrapped in more tan leather. There
is no radio, although all Jaguars came with provisions for a
dealer-installed unit and one could surely be added here. Seat
belts with Jaguar logos on the latches were added and look proper
in the roadster’s interior, and there’s a bit of storage space
behind the seats that’s likewise fitted with plush wool carpets.
Overhead you’ll find a snug-fitting tan canvas top with a crystal
clear rear window, but it’s really only for emergencies, and the
matching tan boot gives it a dashing look with the top down. The
trunk is good for one or two small bags, but also includes a
matching wire wheel and spare tire and a sisal mat up top.
Mechanically, the E-Type’s 3.8 liter DOHC inline-six was
well-established in 1963, and as a result, it’s reliable and
powerful. A properly sorted E-Type like this can be driven with
confidence and we’ve found that it’s a reliable runner, always
starting easily and idling well with a little choke, even when it’s
cold. The block is not this car’s original block, but it is a
correct E-Type unit, serial number RA5755-9, which dates from
between March 1963 and early 1964 when 4.2-liter production
started. Interestingly, it does carry its original cylinder head,
serial number R61767-9, as indicated on the number plate in the
engine bay. It was fully rebuilt at the time of restoration and
still runs superbly, with good oil pressure and a burly
six-cylinder soundtrack through a fresh polished stainless steel
exhaust system. More recently, it has been fitted with an upgraded
aluminum radiator from Welsh Enterprises, as well as a big electric
fan up front to assist the laughably delicate 2-blade original
unit.
The 4-speed manual transmission shifts cleanly and smoothly and
clutch take-up is light and progressive. The brakes are firm and
confidence-inspiring, and as I mentioned, the exhaust system is
recent. The undercarriage shows signs of having been driven,
because this car was restored for the road, not the back of a
trailer, but everything appears to be in good order. The suspension
is that ideal combination of supple and competent that only Jaguar
seems to have mastered, and with 185HR15 Dunlop radials, it has
just the right period look with the confidence of modern tire
technology.
This is an eminently usable car, something you can drive to work
every day if you choose to do so, and always ready for a quick
early morning sprint down your favorite country road. The Jaguar
E-Type lives in a class of one.
For more details and photos, please visit www.HarwoodMotors.com
