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Simply put, the 1962 Jaguar E-Type Series 1 3.8-Litre Roadster is one of the sexiest cars ever made. It’s not all looks though, while designing the E-Type, Jaguar used plenty of design cues from their 24 Hours of Le Mans-winning D-Type. For the record, the D-Type won Le Mans for three consecutive years from 1955 to 1957.
That pretty much means the E-Type has the pedigree of a racing champion combined with the appeal of Marilyn Monroe. From a driving perspective, this car has advanced technology for its era. It might even make you think Q from James Bond helped Jaguar tweak the performance of the E-Type, to help 007 catch villains.
For starters, the E-Type features the monocoque construction from the D-Type. This construction style uses a front subframe for engine mounting, a front suspension, and the steering assembly bolted directly to the body tub. This design has outstanding aerodynamics, especially when combined with the sculpted body.
This unique design enables two advantages. First of all, it’s a lightweight design. On top of that, it allows the E-Type to have a very low center of gravity to enable a very precise cornering ability for its time. It’s still a blast to experience it to this day.
The rear suspension is fully independent, using jointed axles as upper links and tubular lower links, with twin coil springs and shocks on both sides. Obviously all of those are factors contributing to the excellent handling properties of the Jaguar E-Type.
Of course, you can’t talk about E-Type performance without mentioning the legendary 3.8L inline-six engine featuring two Weber carburetors. It’s worth noting this E-Type has both its numbers-matching engine and cylinder head.
This engine produces 265 horsepower with 260 pound-feet of torque. Driving this car with the top down really feels like a go-kart made for adults. After all, it only weighs 2,721 pounds or about 1,234 kilograms.
Offered from The Iannelli Family Collection, this 1962 Jaguar E-Type Series 1 3.8-Litre Roadster is in excellent condition. The dark blue exterior features a prestigious cognac interior that oozes righteous ‘60s vibes. The soft top is black fabric should you ever want to take cover.
There are some performance upgrades that actually make this a very desirable E-Type from a driving perspective. You’ll notice slight alterations to the exterior to resemble the “Lightweight” Jaguar E-Types such as the removal of the front and rear bumpers.
The original chromed wire wheels have been replaced by the lighter 15-inch center-lock Dunlop ventilated steel wheels. Finally, you’ll notice the twin driving lights have been flush-fitted into the bonnet.
This is a collector’s car so if there is ever a Jaguar to do some bench racing with, it’s definitely this E-Type. For those who don’t know, bench racing is a ‘60s term for standing around your cars and talking about racing instead of actually doing it. Either way, you’re not going to want to put a lot of hard miles on this baby. Should you be the winner of this fine ride, please keep it out of the bone yard. Groovy.
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