1961 Jaguar E-Type Series I 'Flat Floor' 3.8-Litre Roadster
Chassis no. 885083
Engine no. R.2199-8
Body no. V1067
Gearbox no.- EB1315JS
1st Registration – Nov. 1961
*One of the first hundred (hand built) E-type produced
* Just restored (March 2018)
* Mint condition
*Only 14.000,00 km previous restoration
*Opalescent grey body color, Carmen red interiors
* Full restoration of all viable original components (circa 90%)
*Jaguar original parts
*First E-type registered in Portugal
*Heritage Certificate
Phone contact its 00351 914 378 072
NOTES
"If Les Vingt Quatre Heures du Mans have 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 Autosportshortly after the car's debut.
First introduced in 3.8-litre form in 1961, the Jaguar E-Type (XKE in the USA) caused a sensation when it appeared, with instantly classic lines and 150mph top speed. While, inevitably, the car's stupendous straight-line performance and gorgeous looks grabbed the headlines, there was nevertheless a lot more to the E-Type beneath the skin, which it beholds to nowadays.
The newcomer's design owed much to that of the racing D-Type; indeed, the E-Type would be one of the last great sports cars developed directly from a successful competition ancestor.
Just as in the D-Type, a monocoque tub formed the main body/chassis structure while a tubular spaceframe extended forwards to support the engine.
With a claimed 265 horsepower on tap, the E-Type's performance did not disappoint; firstly, because it weighed around 250kg less than the XK150 and secondly because aerodynamicist Malcolm Sayer used experience gained with the D-Type to create one of the most elegant and efficient shapes ever to grace a motor car. The Cd (drag coefficient) is of 0.4, adding credence to the old test pilots’ adage "If it looks good, it’ll fly good", and it does.
Developed from that of the original XK120 sports car and refined in the racing D-Type, the double wishbone, independent front suspension was mounted on the forward subframe that supported the engine. The rear suspension broke new ground for a large-capacity sports car, being independent at a time when most of its major rivals relied on the traditional live rear axle.
Dunlop disc brakes were fitted to all four wheels; those at the rear being mounted inboard alongside the differential to reduce un-sprung weight. 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.
Despite the E-Type's gorgeous appearance, taller drivers could find its interior somewhat lacking in space, a criticism addressed by the introduction of foot wells (and other, more minor modifications) early in 1962.
But of all the versions of Jaguar's long-lived and much-loved sports car, it is the very early 'flat floor' 3.8-litre cars built prior to February 1962 which, for many enthusiasts, remains the most desirable.
This wonderful example is among the first hundred totally handmade E-Types produced in Coventry, it has left-hand drive, the flat floor and various other features that characterize these early models, being the first one registered in Portugal (November 1961).
This mint condition vehicle retains all of the original features, is a pureblooded flat floor E-type which was restored over a five-year period to virtually factory-original specification (see photographic record on file), using mostly its viable parts and genuine Jaguar - not reproduction – parts, has the Heritage certificate shows.
The car has been used sparingly over the last 50 years, covering a little over 14.000,00 km as evidenced by the unbroken sequence of expired IPO (MoT) certificates on file. It also comes with its original tools and handbook (the latter now very rare), an old-style logbook.
Finished in Opalescent Grey (as in original condition) with Carmen Red leather interior, this beautiful and early hand built 'flat floor' E-Type is worthy of the closest inspection.