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.
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.
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