Jaguar E-Type: the Most Beautiful British Car of All Time

The Birth of a Legend

The preview of the Jaguar E-Type took place on the eve of its official launch on 15 March 1961 at the Geneva Motor Show at the beautiful Parc des Eaux Vives restaurant on the shores of Lake Geneva. All invited motorsport journalists and racing drivers were in an excited mood until the crowd fell silent as the wooden cover rose above the long-awaited E-Type. After a period of amazement and silence, a loud applause full of enthusiasm sounded which continues to this day.

But the history of the Jaguar E-Type began seven years before its presentation at the Geneva Motor Show in 1961. The Jaguar D-Type, designed for the race track, anticipated some design features of the E-Type that followed. The eye-catching design of the Jaguar E-Type reveals many parallels to the appearance of the D-Type. Both sports cars have a remarkably long bonnet and a tapered rear end, which provide aerodynamic advantages on the race track and a cheeky appearance.

Picture 1 by Pyntofmyld / CC BY 2.0 | Picture 2 by Jason Goulding / CC BY 2.0 | Picture 3 by Steve Glover / CC BY 2.0

Technical Specifications of the Jaguar E-Type

The first series of the Jaguar E-Type is equipped with a 3.8 litre six-cylinder in-line engine with 3781 cc and 269 hp. Thus, the icon reaches a maximum speed of 240 km/h and cracks the 100 km/h limit in only 7 seconds. Further developments included the 1964 upgrade of the engine from 3.8 to 4.2 litres and the 1966 expansion of the model range with the Jaguar E-Type 2+2, which was equipped with two emergency seats and also offered a spacious luggage compartment.

Due to the great demand for the roadworthy version, the British manufacturer also ventured onto the race track in 1962/63. This led to the birth of the Jaguar E-Type Lightweight. In addition to the lower weight, the engine was also adapted for the race track, so that the engine output was increased to 320 hp. It was planned to produce 18 Jaguar Lightweights, but due to a lack of customers only 12 models were produced. In 2014 Jaguar resumed production of the Lightweight and produced the missing six units according to the original production plans from 1963.

Picture 1 by Peter Bonnet / CC BY-SA 2.0 | Picture 2 by Pyntofmyld / CC BY 2.0 | Picture 3 by Dominik Schwind / CC BY 2.0

The Linder Lightweight

A special model of the 12 Lightweight models was produced. The car was delivered to Peter Linder and had a motorization of 344 hp due to an increased compression. The sports car suffered a total loss in 1964. However, a mobile model of the Linder Lightweight exists since 1970, but it is still not known whether it is a reconstruction or a replica.

British style icon awards

In 2011, the British Institution of Mechanical Engineers present the Engineering Heritage Award to the E-Type.

In 2015 the Jaguar E-Type was voted the best British car of all time by an international jury at the Classic & Sports Car-The London Show.

Finally, in 2017 the E-Type received the German Motor Classic Award for the second time and was voted the most beautiful car of all times by the German magazine “Auto Bild Klassik”.

The Jaguar F-Type-A style icon to this day

To this day, the Jaguar E-Type is still regarded as a style icon and a popular classic car. As a result, the Roadster version achieves prices on the classic car market of over 100,000 euros. The coupé version is already available at lower prices, as more models have been produced.

Picture 1 by Pyntofmyld / CC BY 2.0 | Picture 2 by Pyntofmyld / CC BY 2.0 | Picture 3 by Steve Glover / CC BY 2.0

Jaguar rental today

The new models from the British manufacturer also impress with elegance and sportiness. The model series ranges from the noble sedan to the sparkling sports car and has the perfect vehicle ready for every occasion.

Rent a Jaguar XJ to make a noble appearance or rent a Jaguar F-Type to experience pure driving pleasure.