Jaguar Classic division planning to offer 10 fully restored E-Types

By Ronan Glon March 31, 2017

1 of 4

Jaguar E-Type Reborn

Jaguar E-Type Reborn

Jaguar E-Type Reborn

Jaguar E-Type Reborn

Jaguar’s Classic division is bringing back the E-Type. Ten lucky enthusiasts will have the opportunity to purchase a first-series E-Type that has been meticulously restored inside and out by the same company that built it over 50 years ago.

The project is similar to what Land Rover did with the Series I and, more recently, the original Range Rover. Jaguar’s E-Type experts will scout the classifieds to find original, numbers-matching cars in need of a restoration. They want to retain as much of the donor vehicle as possible, so the team isn’t interested in purchasing the rusty E-Type shell that’s been sitting in your folks’ backyard since Gerald Ford was in office.

Related Videos

Jaguar explains it’s in the ideal position to breathe new life into these rare, valuable machines.

“The resources and information available to Jaguar Classic’s expert technicians are unrivaled, which results in the most authentic E-Type restorations possible,” the company promised in a statement.

The idea is to bring each car back to its original condition; enthusiasts dreaming of dropping the F-Type SVR’s supercharged V8 in the E-Type’s engine bay will need to look elsewhere. The E launched with a 3.8-liter straight-six engine, and it received a bigger 4.2-liter six in October of 1964. Both engines were bolted to a four-speed manual transmission, though a three-speed automatic gearbox was available at an extra cost in certain markets.

Jaguar wants enthusiasts to feel safe, so it’s willing to make a few exceptions to the “all-original” rule. Notably, buyers can pay extra for an upgraded cooling system, an all-syncromesh gearbox, and bigger front brakes sourced from the second-series model introduced in 1968. The Es will also benefit from modern rust-proofing techniques.

Jaguar Classic will initially build 10 examples of the E-Type Reborn. Pricing starts at 285,000 British pounds (about $355,000); for that price, you could buy a Mercedes-Benz S-Class to drive during the week, a Porsche 911 Turbo to enjoy on the weekend, and still have money left over to build a garage. But, if you’re after the world’s nicest E-Type, Jaguar’s Classic center is the place to go.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Cars

2024 Polestar 2 gets a major overhaul for the 2024 model year

2024 Polestar 2

Volvo off-shoot Polestar is looking forward to an eventful year. It will begin production of the 3, its first crossover, and it will release a comprehensively updated version of the 2 sedan that's sportier than the outgoing model, more road trip-friendly, and better equipped.

The biggest visual difference between the original 2 and the new-look car due out in 2023 as a 2024 model is found on the front end. The electric sedan swaps its grille for what Polestar designers call a SmartZone that frames the front-facing camera and covers the mid-range radar used to power some of the electronic driving aids. While the shift isn't significant, it's symbolic. The grille created a visual link between the 2 and the 1, Polestar's now-retired first model; the SmartZone brings the sedan in line with the sleek-looking 3 unveiled in late 2022.

Cars

Electric trucks aren’t ready for the big leagues — but I still loved the F-150 Lightning

Ford F-150 Lightning

Electric cars are getting pretty cool. While Tesla popularized the concept of a "fun" electric car, these days there are quite a few options out there, like the Kia EV6, the Hyundai Ioniq 5, and even some luxury options from Mercedes and BMW. These cars offer awesome performance and often a sweet design, making them excellent choices for first-time EV buyers.

But with electric trucks, it's a slightly different story. To be clear, they're just as powerful, -- often more so -- than electric cars. But when you're driving a truck, you expect to be able to use that power in different ways, and frankly, electric trucks seem to have a way to go before they'll hold up in those settings.
Towing is tough
The Achilles' heel of every electric truck comes down to hauling: Adding a ton of weight to the load seriously impacts range -- and not in a trivial way. Add a camper or even a lightweight trailer, and you might find that you're getting half of the expected range out of a charge. That means that you'll have to charge up more than every 150 miles, and if you're towing a camper, it's very likely that you're driving further than that. And even lighter loads can have a heavy impact on range.

Cars

VinFast’s new electric cars will be available in the U.S. this year

VinFast VF6

As we move toward electric vehicles, all kinds of new car brands have been popping up -- giving the traditional automakers a run for their money. Over the past few years at CES, one of the more interesting of those has been VinFast -- a Vietnamese company that delivered its first cars in the U.S. in November. Now, the company is planning on more releases over the next year -- and at CES 2023, we learned more about what those cars will offer.

VinFast may not be very well known in the U.S., but it's actually one of the larger automakers in Vietnam. It certainly doesn't have the experience in manufacturing on the scale that it's hoping to in the U.S., but unlike many of the other electric carmakers, it is actually shipping cars -- not just building concepts. The VinFast VF8 crossover and VF9 SUV were announced earlier -- but little was known about the smaller VF6 and VF7 models, until now. Turns out, like their larger siblings, they're pretty compelling options.
VinFast VF6