There is no doubt that the jaguar e type 1961 type e is one of the most beautiful cars ever built. It was an instant hit and even a man as celebrated for his love of beautiful machines as Ferrari founder Enzo Ferrari eulogised the new two-seater calling it “the most beautiful car in the world.”
The initial impact was such that Jaguar struggled to keep up with orders, a great surprise considering Sir William Lyons had initially thought that the E-Type would be a low-volume model. The first prototype was the Malcolm Sayer designed E1A which, although smaller than the production car, showcased the independent rear suspension and XK engine design that would become the hallmark of the Jaguar sports car for four decades.
Roaring into History: The Legendary Jaguar E-Type of 1961
Jaguar’s development engineers were adept at hearing feedback from road testers and sales personnel and incorporated a number of improvements to the design during the early years of production. One such modification was the relocation of the gearbox, moving it from in front of the seat to behind it. This provided more leg room but had the probably unintended consequence of making the earlier “flat floor” cars a preferable target for future collectors and thereby increasing their value.
Another improvement was the repositioning of the scythe shaped bumpers to meet US safety regulations which also improved the aerodynamic efficiency of the E-Type. A final modification was a change to the exhaust system in 1968 which allowed it to comply with revised US emissions laws and increased its power to 342 HP.