Just lovely.
Jaguar
Everybody, wish the Jaguar E-Type a happy birthday. The British automaker is celebrating, and it’s doing it in a big way with the stunning cars you see here. On Friday, Jaguar revealed the E-Type 60 Edition coupe and roadster, and it will build six of them each. Six E-Type aficionados will have the chance to own not one of these, but both.
The company said it plans to sell them as a pair, so a buyer gets one of each with their purchase. One is the E-Type coupe finished in Flat Out Gray, and the other is the E-Type roadster that wears Drop Everything Green. These cars are full-blown restorations, not production continuations, meaning they’re 100% authentic from the day they rolled off the assembly line in 1961. The coupe honors the “9600 HP” to the car’s original launch, while the roadster harkens back to the “77 RW” a Jaguar test driver drove from England to Switzerland to make it to the reveal on time.
Jaguar Classic meticulously restored the 12 cars to their prime, but also approached them with some modern engineering. For example, the 3.8-liter inline-six engine features an electric cooling fan and electronic ignition to dial up the everyday drivability. But it still boasts a 1961-style alloy radiator. The Classic department also swapped out the original exhaust for a stainless steel version, which Jaguar said produces a slightly deeper tone. The biggest change the guys and gals who worked tirelessly on these cars made is a new five-speed manual transmission.
The transmission features synchromesh, helical cut gears and a reinforced casing to ensure reliability and durability. The gear ratios are also closer for smoother gear changes, too.
Inside, there are thoughtful nods to the E-Type’s reveal, including quotes from the men who helped make it happen. There are also route maps styled into the interior to commemorate the drives each one of them made to Switzerland to show off Jaguar’s latest creation. An “E-Type 60” logo features on numerous parts of the interior and exterior, while the horn button dons a 24-karat gold finish. Jaguar didn’t say how much the pair costs, but if you have to ask, it’s likely way more than you can afford.
Next year, Jaguar will invite the six owners and a guest to experience an E-Type pilgrimage, if you will. They’ll take the exact route driven to the E-Type reveal from Coventry, England, to Geneva on what sounds like an epic road trip — and a fine way to celebrate an iconic British sports car.
