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We drive Jag legend to celebrate 50 years of E-Type

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the E-Type's debut at Geneva, we head to Coventry to drive the original show car - how does it shape up?

Jaguar E-Type cornering

Text: Luke Madden / Photos: Pete Gibson

22nd February 2011

It’s 50 years since the most famous Jaguar of them all made its Geneva Motor Show debut – but the E-Type’s graceful lines are just as jaw-dropping today.
 
To celebrate, we headed to the big cat’s heritage museum in Coventry to drive one of the early Series 1 cars, built in 1963. Under the elegant bonnet is a 3.8-litre straight-six producing around 261bhp. It gives 0-62mph in around seven seconds. Top speed was a claimed 150mph – although few customer models could reach the magic figure.
 
Twist the ignition key, push the starter button and the engine bursts into life with a growl from the twin exhausts. On the move, you’re reminded how far things have moved on in the past half century. There’s no synchromesh on first and second gears, so a gentle touch is required to engage them, while the brakes need a much firmer push before anything happens.

Yes, it feels old by today’s standards, but the E-Type was cutting edge in the Sixties, with its monocoque construction, independent rear suspension and all-round disc brakes. In corners, it feels planted and responds adeptly to steering inputs, although there is a fair amount of body roll.

Still, the ride is extremely comfortable: the soft suspension helps the Jag glide over uneven road surfaces, while the thick-walled tyres iron out any small imperfections in the surface. Of course, the E-Type can’t compete with today’s finely honed models – but it’s a measure of the firm’s genius that for sheer driving pleasure, it’s still up there with anything else on the road.

VERDICT:
The E-Type draws attention from passers-by like no other car, and you’ll find yourself smiling at the wheel, too. Let’s hope models like the XKR-S have the same effect another 50 years from now!

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7 Comments

150mph, a stunt only?

You say "few customer models could reach the magic figure", but wasn't it more the case that NO production six cylinder car could actually hit that figure?
Also, I though second gear should have synchomesh it was just 1st which didn't (though this was fixed in later models).

By aje21 on 3 March, 2011, 1:07pm

Jag E-Type anniversary !

I remember my first sight of an E-Type and as a young school boy it was unforgettable. The Swiss are celebrating it too. The watch company Tag Heuer are hosting a visit for E-Type owners with www.Swisswatchtours.com
Should be good !

By RoyHill1 on 4 March, 2011, 9:41pm

150mph, 265bhp - 1960's spin.

Brilliant car, an icon, but with a real bhp figure of 195bhp (Din) 140 mph absolute tops, the demo road test cars were at the very least blue printed, probably a bit more modified than that, 0-60 in 7 seconds sounds a little optomistic, although in those days everybody jumped on the band wagon of false power outputs especially the Italians, also look at the claimed Aston Martin DB5 Vantage figure of 325 bhp - that was more than the Le Mans Racers of a very few years before.
Bruce Skelton

By bskleton on 8 March, 2011, 8:47am

Jaguar Naff types

The E-Type is from an era when Jags had lashings of style.
Todays Jags look as though they were designed by a Schoolboy on the back of an exercise book.
Naff.

By toycollector on 8 March, 2011, 5:45pm

Ahead of it's time

Whether you think this car did 140 MPH or 150, or if it had 195 or 265 HP, this car was ahea of it's time and was the basis of all the great Jags that followed. Bolt a turbo to this engine and add fuel injection and we're talking about a different story all together. Also, remember that Petrol/Gas was not as advanced as it is today as far as detergents and octane goes, which would have allowed for higher compression pistons, resulting in up to 50% increase HP and Torque.

As far as the missing syncro mesh goes, remember that back then cars didn't even come with syncro, and you often head of a gearbox getting mixed up.

By Caribbean on 9 March, 2011, 10:35am

Sayibng that all modern Jags were desiend on a back of an excerise book telss me your real knowlge of cars um

By bskleton on 10 March, 2011, 11:34am

I will send this one with spell check, before the send button is accidently pressed, I must increase the compression of my V12 XJS to get 50% more power ??

By bskleton on 10 March, 2011, 11:39am

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Pictures

Jaguar E-Type rear
Jaguar E-Type track
Jaguar E-Type interior
Jaguar E-Type engine

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