60th anniversary of the E-Type Jaguar

The Jaguar E-Type is one of the most famous cars of all time. Described as a “combination of beauty, high performance, and competitive pricing”, it sits high on pretty much every classic car enthusiast’s most wanted list (unfortunately, for most people, it remains there forever). Having now turned 60, the E-Type’s appeal and good looks show no signs of fading.

To mark its 60^th anniversary, Jaguar produced a handful of limited-edition collection models, just to underline how enduring the E-Type has proved to be. The special E-Type Collection cars come as a pair for the lucky buyers – they receive one E-Type 60 Edition Coupé and one roadster. If you’re thinking ‘two for the price of one’, think again: the pair come with a rumoured price tag of £650,000.

Jaguar has tried to bring the cars into the 21^st Century with a range of unique enhancements for “improved usability” including a five-speed manual gearbox with reinforced cast aluminium casing, a new enhanced cooling system and a modern infotainment system complete with sat-nav and Bluetooth connectivity.

The cars, which also feature an upgraded stainless-steel exhaust, dimensionally identical to the original, have been finished in bespoke grey and green colours inspired by the original paintwork when the models were first launched back in 1961.

That’s not all… each car is supplied with a tailor-made E-Type 60 car cover and jack storage bag!

Commenting on the Collection, Dan Pink, Director of Jaguar Classic said: “Sixty years after its unveiling at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1961, the talented team at Jaguar Classic are releasing the ultimate birthday present to the E-type: The E-type 60 Collection.

“The attention to detail demonstrates how this project has been a labour of love for our designers, engineers, craftspeople and partners. Exquisite detailing combined with enhanced usability ensure these E-types will be coveted and enjoyed for decades to come by their discerning owners.”

If you are lucky enough to own a classic Jag, speak to the specialists at Lancaster about classic car insurance. It’s always an honour when we get to insure an E-Tye – or any classic for that matter. We always strive to find you a competitively priced quote, so you’ve got nothing to lose.

More about classic car insurance later, but let’s get back to the Jaguar E-Type. So, where did it all start?

A car from the future, designed by a mathematician

Anyone familiar with the Jaguar D-Type from the 1950s, a sports racing car that was designed specifically to win the Le Mans 24-hour race, will be able to see similarities with the E-Type. D-Types won Le Mans in 1955, 1956 and 1957, so it wasn’t a bad base to start from, shall we say.

However, to suggest the E-Type was more than just a derivative of the D-Type would be doing it a disservice. It was unlike any other car on the market, with its long curved front bonnet and aerodynamic length making it seem like a design from the future.

It came out when the space race was kicking off, so the prospect of a car ‘from the future’ had obvious appeal. So, who was behind this futuristic design?

Malcolm Sayer is the man credited with designing the E-Type, who was also behind the Le Mans-conquering D-Type – but many people feel he didn’t quite get all the credit he deserved. More on that in a minute…

Sayer’s background was in aeronautical and aerodynamic design. He worked in the aircraft industry during and after World War II, before joining Jaguar in 1951.

His skillset was unique in the car industry and he applied the same principles he used on aircraft to create cars which were a marvel of engineering – and are still considered as such some 60 years on! The E-Type is one of just six cars to sit in the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

But Sayer never considered himself a stylist or artist. He designed cars based on science and mathematics – principles that were so intense, few of his colleagues could keep up.

Much of his methods were formed during his time teaching at the University of Baghdad in the years directly after the war, where he reportedly met a German professor.

"This gentleman taught him a system of designing shapes mathematically. Now today we would call that computer-aided design (CAD)," motoring historian Philip Porter told the BBC in a tribute to Sayer.

Remembering Sayer, who died on 22nd April 1970, aged just 54, former chief test engineer Norman Dewis said: "He would have a foolscap sheet the full length of his wall. All across that sheet were coloured curves and lines. Every six inches were vertical lines with figures. I used to say to him 'I can't even see a car'."

Despite his obvious talents, it’s reported that he wasn’t particularly well paid – much like most of the "backroom boys" of that era. His daughter, Kate, also believes that he was let down by Jaguar who she feels didn’t show him enough appreciation for all that he did for the brand – she even suggested he died from a broken heart.

It’s a sad ending to what is a remarkable piece of design. However, Sayer’s legacy was such that Jaguar even continued bringing his designs to life after his death. The Jaguar XJ-S, released in 1975, was another piece of work from Sayer’s pen and was a success in its own right.

A dramatic launch got everybody talking

The first E-Type to enter the world was the hand-built prototype: 9600HP. This was the E-Type that got everybody talking. Before the big reveal in Geneva in March 1961, the 9600HP was handed over to a few journalists – namely Autosport’s John Bolster, Motorsport’s Bill Boddy, The Telegraph’s John Langley and The Times’ Harold Nockfolds – as part of a PR effort to turn heads to Jaguar’s latest work of art.

However, with the journalists passing the 9600HP around one another, this left precious little time to transport the car to its big reveal. It was the task of Jaguar executive Bob Berry to drive the E-Type to the Parc des Eaux-Vives in Geneva as fast as possible. He made it by the skin of his teeth – just 20 minutes before the big reveal.

Upon his arrival, Jaguar founder Sir William Lyons famously said: “Good God, Berry, I thought you were never going to get here.”

Then Jaguar had another problem on its hands. Everybody and their aunt wanted to take the car out for a test drive, and another E-Type was needed to keep up with demand. Aforementioned Jaguar test driver Norman Dewis was told to ‘drop everything’ and deliver the open-top demonstrator 77RW to Geneva in quick time. He drove through the night, and was greeted with applause from the eagerly awaiting press.

These two drives have been honoured in the new special E-Type Collection. Each coupé model includes a stylised route map plotting the journey taken by Berry to get to the launch, alongside the words “I thought you'd never get here”.

Meanwhile, the roadsters include an engraving of the journey made by Dewis on his last-minute drive to Switzerland.

Upon its return from the Geneva launch, the 9600HP was converted to right-hand drive and used as a UK press car, with its claims of a top speed of 150mph put to the test. Autocar achieved an average top speed of 150.4mph and 0-60mph in 6.9 seconds with the car, to quieten any doubters. Soon, racing drivers and celebrities alike were knocking down Jaguar’s door to own one of these special cars.

A car that its manufacturer can’t leave alone

The E-Type Series 1 launched with its 3.8-litre engine from the D-Type and partial synchromesh transmissions, but it was upgraded in 1964 with the larger 4.2-litre XK engine. The 4.2 came with more torque and full synchromesh transmission.

In 1966, a 2+2 model joined the range and immediately split opinion. Adding in a couple of seats meant extending the length by nine inches and giving it a taller windscreen, but many people felt it just doesn’t look right – at least in comparison to the original. But it did bring an element of practicality. The question is whether you buy an E-Type for its practicality?

In 1967, Jaguar brought out an updated model, known colloquially as the Series 1 ½ as it was only in production for a single year. It brought the new uncovered headlight design that subsequently featured on all versions thereafter.

It was quickly followed by the Series 2 in 1968, which was the direct result of regulation changes in the US around vehicle safety. The most significant changes were the wrap-around rear bumper, larger front indicators and re-positioned back lights to below the bumpers, and an enlarged grille and twin electric fans to aid cooling. The upgraded cooling system was very much needed because the Series 1 cars were notorious for overheating.

The E-Type Series 3, introduced in 1971, marked the beginning of the end for E-Type; at least that’s what we all thought. Bringing a new 5.3-litre Jaguar V12 engine, uprated brakes and standard power steering, the Series 3 was available only as a convertible and 2+2 coupé.

Production continued until 1975, when it was replaced by the XJ-S. By that time, more than 70,000 E-Types had been welcomed into the world, making it one of the most successful sports coupes ever built.

However, Jaguar was not done with the E-Type just yet. In 2014, Jaguar resurrected the car, producing a lightweight version of the original. Jaguar committed to using the original construction process to build the car, which meant putting it together by hand to ensure the modern-day version wouldn’t have looked out of place in the 60s.

All 18 of the lightweight E-Types were quickly snapped up, so Jaguar moved onto its next E-Type project: the E-Type Zero. With this car, Jaguar preserved the classic, iconic design and build of the original E-Type but fitted an electric motor. By ensuring the electric powertrain had a similar weight and dimension to the outgoing petrol engine and transmission, Jaguar said the Zero “drives, handles, rides and brakes like an original E-Type”.

It’s been called “the world’s most beautiful electric car”, harking back to Enzo Ferrari calling the original E-Type “the most beautiful car ever made”.

However, it’s unclear if the concept will ever see the light of day. Hopes were raised when Prince Harry drove his new wife, Meghan Markel, to their wedding reception at Frogmore House in a silver blue Jaguar E-Type Concept Zero in 2018, which projected the car onto front pages around the world. But since then, Jaguar is said to have halted production on the Zero.

Time will tell if we see the E-Type Zero on the roads. For the time being, we’ll just have to ‘settle’ for trying to spot one of the 4,400 original E-Types cruising around the UK.

Classic car insurance from Lancaster Insurance

Are you the proud owner of a Jaguar E-Type? Then speak to Lancaster to see how much it might cost you to cover your pride and joy with classic car insurance.

The Lancaster Insurance team has been proudly arranging classic car insurance for more than 35 years.

Some of the many reasons you should choose classic car insurance from Lancaster Insurance include:

• Hard-to-insure classics and classics without MOT considered
• Classic Car Club member discounts of up to 25%
• Static show cover
• Historical rally cover
• Choice of repairer
• Salvage retention
• Free EU cover up to 90 days
• Two-year agreed valuation available for £18
• Laid-up cover available
• Limited mileage discounts

With 24-hour access to our claims line and UK call centre, you can be sure any claims will be dealt with as swiftly as possible.

If you’d like to speak to one of our classic car insurance specialists about covering your vehicle, or getting a valuation, call 01480 484826 or request a call back today.

Policy benefits, features and discounts offered may very between insurance schemes or cover selected and are subject to underwriting criteria. Information contained within this article is accurate at the time of publishing but may be subject to change.