CLASSICS

Jaguar E-Type achieves world record price on auction

07 September 2023 - 09:35
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This very special Jaguar was the first E-Type ever sold.
This very special Jaguar was the first E-Type ever sold.
Image: Supplied

A new world record price for production Jaguar E-Types was achieved by a 1961 Series I 3.8 Roadster which sold for £911,250 (R22m) in the UK last week.

This special Jaguar was the first E-Type ever sold, and the fourth right-hand-drive E-Type Roadster built, according to Gooding & Company, which held the auction at London’s Hampton Court Palace on September 1. The car was also the personal car of Le Mans team manager and Jaguar director Frank “Lofty” England. 

Restored to concours condition by renowned Jaguar specialists Classic Motor Cars, the 62-year-old Jaguar is powered by a 3.8l in-line six-cylinder engine with an output of 200kW, powering the rear wheels via a four-speed manual gearbox.

Introduced in early 1961, the effect the E-Type had on the motoring public around the world is difficult to overstate. It was a civilised, road-going version of Jaguar’s Le Mans-dominating D-Type, capable of 240km/h straight out of the box, and one of the most beautiful cars ever put into production.

Last week’s auction realised more than £9.8m (R235m) in sales, with star cars from Ferrari, Jaguar, and Mercedes-Benz leading the sale. 

One of the highlights was a Ferrari 166 MM/53 Spider which achieved the top price of the day at £2.5m (R61m). This competition Ferrari, sporting Vignale bodywork, was offered directly from 63 years of continuous, enthusiast ownership, and came to auction for the first time at Gooding & Company’s London sale.


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