Making History

Jaguar E-Type Flat Floor - Series 1 (1961 to 1962)

The birth of the E-Type in 1961 marked an important milestone in Jaguar’s history.

Unbridled beauty, high performance and competitive pricing made it one of the most desirable cars ever built. The first production E-Types, 3.8L six-cylinder powered and known as ‘flat floor’ models, are the rarest and most sought-after of all E-type Jaguar variants.

Introduced at the Geneva Salon in March 1961 to universal acclaim, the Jaguar E-Type was built in ‘Series 1’ form until 1968. It was at the time, and still is, the most iconic British sports car ever made. 

Series 1 cars were powered initially by the legendary 3.8-litre XK straight-six engine producing around 265bhp, which was good enough for a top speed of 150mph with the 0-60mph dash achieved in just 6.4 seconds: performance figures that were simply astonishing at the time.

The most beautiful car ever made

The E-Type also featured a Moss four-speed manual gearbox; power-assisted four-wheel disc brakes; and Jaguar’s innovative coil-sprung independent rear suspension, while the interior boasted aluminium surfaces; leather bucket seats; a leather-trimmed dashboard; and a beautifully crafted wood-rim steering wheel. The Jaguar E-Type represents the perfect harmony of design, technological innovation and superlative performance, and will forever live on as one of Britain’s finest contributions to automobile design; indeed, even Enzo Ferrari, no less, was forced to concede that the E-Type was ‘the most beautiful car ever made’.

This Car

A very early build, confirmed by Jaguar Heritage Trust Certificate, dates production at 1st January 1962. Imagine an open-top cruise each New Year’s Day celebrating the birthday of this glorious Jaguar E-type roadster.

Dispatched on 11th January in LHD configuration, the car was imported by Jaguar Cars, New York USA. 

Significantly, body, engine and gearbox numbers match the original ID plate, although the colour has changed from black to Old English white. Tan leather upholstery and black hood remain true to original specification.  

Imported into Australia in May 1997, a full and comprehensive rotisserie restoration ensued, during which time an expert conversion from LHD to RHD was completed – and certified by government approved engineers, Tonkin Consulting. 

Restoration was undertaken initially by Martin Johnson of Brisbane-based Cats Whiskers and completed in Adelaide by local Jaguar specialist, Peter Englehardt of Classic & Sportscars, Norwood, South Australia. This highly regarded firm services and maintains the car and its principal, Geoff Mockford, will happily testify to the car’s quality and performance.

The car is currently on non-transferrable South Australian historic registration.