Iconic jaguar E-Type

It is remarkable to think of the effect the E-Type had on the world when launched in 1961. At a time when 70 mph was considered perfectly rapid enough for a family car, here was a British-built sports car which could hit a claimed 150mph!

The top speed figure was possibly a little optimistic but the public didn’t object - with a list price of just over £2,000 it was half the price and just as striking as its more exotic rivals from Italy.

The Jaguar E-Type is without doubt one of the most important and prettiest sports cars of all time, at its Geneva Auto Saloon launch in 1961 Enzo Ferrari famously referred to the E-Type as the most beautiful car in the world, and he surely was someone who should know. Clearly the E-Type was strongly influenced by the famous Le Mans-winning D-Type racer of the late 1950s. Less famous but no less relevant was the lesser known E1A prototype of 1957; smaller and less powerful than the final production E-Type but showcasing the new independent rear suspension design that went on to be a hallmark of Jaguar models for four decades. The E-Type’s performance did not disappoint; it weighed around 500lb less than the preceding XK150 and sported one of the most elegant and efficient shapes ever to grace a motor car.

Chassis number 885801 rolled off Jaguar’s Brown’s Lane production line on 14th March 1962, to Left Hand Drive European specification, finished in Opalescent Dark blue with a matching leather interior. Bought under the tax-free personal export sales scheme, the E-Type was allocated the Coventry registration WK 951 on 2nd May 1962. The car was purchased by racing driver and distributor Peter Lindner.

In the early 1960s Peter Lindner was a German importer and distributor for both Aston Martin and Jaguar, and also a successful racing driver. Most of his early sales went to British or American servicemen stationed in Germany, before later enticing his fellow Germans to switch from their beloved Mercedes and Porsches. His racing career started in 1957 driving a Jaguar XK120, then a 3.4 litre Mark I saloon before going on to drive an Aston Martin DB4 GT and Lotus Elite. From 1963 he moved to a works prepared 3.8 litre Jaguar Mark II, later graduating to a Lightweight E-Type.

Lindner hired his friend Peter Nöcker to form a race team, and in May 1963 Lightweight E-Type 4868 WK (the fifth of the twelve Lightweight E-Types) was delivered to Lindner. After some success in 1963, for the 1964 season the Lightweight roadster returned to the factory to receive bodywork improvements. The car emerged with a rear copied from that of the “Low Drag Coupé”, transforming it into a sublime coupé.

On 11 October 1964, during the 1,000 km race on the Montlhéry circuit near Paris, Lindner sadly passed away (aged 34) after colliding with Franco Patria’s Abarth-Simca 1300. Clipping the bales of straw, the car was thrown about ten metres in the air, spinning in the process and ejecting Lindner who was not strapped in. The Jaguar hit Patria’s Abarth and pushed him against a wall. Franco Patria and the three marshalls were also killed immediately.

We understand around the same time our car, 951 WK, was sold to a Mr. R. Rockwell of Konstanz in Germany, who possibly took the E-Type home with him to the U.S. as by 1971 it resided in the state of Indiana. An English enthusiast acquired the E-Type in 1993 from dealer marque specialists Thoroughbred Motors of Sarasota, Florida. The E-type had been partly restored, leaving the bare metal body and front subframe to be repainted to its original colour.

Repatriated into the UK in the same year, the E-type was reunited with its original registration number '951 WK', which it wears to this day. The previous owner proceeded with restoration work including a bare metal repaint, and a conversion to Right Hand Drive specification by specialist M. & C. Wilkinson of Yorkshire, and further mechanical work by R.G. Bate Engineering of Merseyside. By 1994 the Jaguar was in use once again but since the late 90's has lain in dry storage.

Although clearly once more a candidate for restoration, the E-Type is in remarkably sound condition. The bodywork is very straight and appears to be largely rust-free, the engine bay and subframes are complete and present well. Offered in the history file are previous MoT certificates dating back to the late 1990s, previous restoration photos, a dating certificate confirming the original specification and also various bills and invoices for previous work carried out.

With a fascinating and significant earlier history and fundamentally in very straight condition, this would make a rewarding restoration project for any collector or enthusiast.

Lot 19 - 1962 Jaguar E-Type Series 1 Fixed Head Coupe
Estimate: £40,000 - 50,000

classic cars

AUCTION:

Saturday 12 February at 2.00pm
at Dore & Rees Auction Salerooms, Vicarage Street, Frome BA11 1PU

VIEWING:

Friday 11 February 10am to 6pm
Saturday 12 October 10am to 1pm
Marquee viewing at the Cattle Market car park
next to Cheese & Grain, Market Yard, Frome BA11 1BE