Description

1966 Jaguar E-Type S1 4.2 Roadster

From a deceased estate; current owner since 1974; matching numbers UK car; driven into storage in 1974 and unused since; rolls freely; engine stuck; straightforward restoration project with great potential

Jaguar’s sensational new E-Type came out in 1961. Originally fitted with the 3.8 six-cylinder twin-cam engine from the XK150S, this was enlarged to 4.2-litres in 1964, offering similar power but more torque. Quite apart from their sheer beauty, these are genuinely quick cars even by today’s standards, yet remain easy to live with and maintain (unlike Italian exotica) with all parts readily available and a whole army of specialists to service them. Only around 1,860 4.2 Roadsters were built in RHD between September 1964 and June 1967 when the Series One was replaced by the Series 1.5.

First registered in June 1966, this original UK market S1 4.2 Roadster sadly comes with no history other than a VE60 green continuation logbook from 1972 (when the car was owned by a Mr KP Taylor of Basingstoke) and one old MOT issued in June 1973 when the mileage was recorded as 40,837 – the odometer now showing 47,038 miles. A solitary invoice shows that it was acquired by the current keeper from the Calcot Car Centre in Reading in May 1974.

On offer here from a deceased estate, we are told by the family that their father only covered a couple of hundred miles in the E-Type (including driving it from Reading to his home in Wales) before it was parked up alongside several other cars that he owned. It has remained in storage ever since, first in a garage in Cardiff, later moving to more secure storage in the Midlands. Quite how the animal bones got into the engine bay is a mystery!

The chassis and engine numbers on the car match those on the VIN plate (which looks to be original) and the engine number also matches that on the green logbook, although the latter erroneously records it as the chassis number (see photo). The registration number JDJ 710D was issued in St Helens in April 1966 but is no longer recognised on the DVLA system so the new owner will need to apply for a V5C in the usual way and payment of a £25 fee. The car may also need to be inspected to confirm the chassis number.

The car appears to be complete although some minor parts have been removed and stored in the boot, as shown in the photos. It still rolls easily and the tyres hold air so moving it won’t be a problem but it seems that the engine is stuck.

On offer here as a straightforward restoration project, it should amply reward the remedial works now required – the best E-Type S1 Roadsters routinely fetching four or five times the guide price suggested here. Pull your finger out and it could be back on the road for the summer!

For more information contact James on 07970 309907 or email james.dennison@brightwells.com