E Type - 3.8 Series 1 - Flat floor - Chassis 342 For Sale (1961)
The Holy Grail. The 342nd stunning, ultra-rare Series 1 3.8 Flat floor; Roadster presented in fabulous deep blue metallic paint-work with light tan hide interior. Numbers-matching and the subject of extensive restoration over many years, it is a glorious car in all respects.
The E-Type is a British icon and quite possibly one of the most beautiful cars ever made. Production commence in Coventry of this now-legendary car in March 1961 initially for the export market only with domestic production being introduced come 4 months later. Using the tried and tested 3781cc inline 6-cylinder with triple SU carburettors from the XK150S, the early cars (up to the summer of 1962) had “flat floors” rather than proper foot-wells and are considered the most desirable of all variants. Equipped with Moss 4-speed manual gearbox with no synchromesh on 1st gear, all early cars came with leather-trimmed bucket seats and aluminium trimming to both the instrument panel and console. With just a “Jaguar” badge to tell passer-bys what it was, these early cars are most definitely the choice of the connoisseur with clean and perfectly balanced lines and mechanical simplicity and purity.
Our car most probably left the production line in late 1961 and was supplied new by Henley’s of London to a gentleman in Hertfordshire on the 22nd January 1962. A Jaguar Cars build certificate confirms that chassis no. 850342 was originally supplied in Cream with Dark Blue Hide with Dark Blue soft-top. The change of colour to its current blue metallic is not documented but interestingly the original buff log-book records that over a period of some years (1970`s) the car wore several shades of paint including black, white and red. Not all at the same time we assume! Certainly through this period it saw a number of keepers and we have many sundry bills and old MOT Certificates as well as a letter from one of the owners documenting a fairly extensive body-work rebuild and interior re-trim between 1973-76. We understand that shortly afterwards it went into covered storage in around 1980 and for at least 15 years lay "sleeping" before being sold as a "barn find" in July 2000 by a highly-regarded London auction house. Purchased by an enthusiastic collector, the car was transported to a Jaguar specialist in South Yorkshire where it was mechanically rebuilt incorporating some sensible period upgrades to include a 5 Speed Getrag gearbox and prop-shaft, alternator conversion and electronic ignition. Thereafter, the car was shipped south and a further full body restoration was undertaken and finished-off in the Jaguar Sapphire blue metallic seen today. Over the past few years, the Jaguar has been enjoyed sparingly only going out on dry days and from the documentation provided has covered less than 1,000 miles in the past 11 years.
With excellent panel-fit, virtually blemish-free paint and fabulous chrome, it is a joy to behold. The type of car that wouldn't look out of place parked-up in the sitting room as on the front driveway! It has a wonderful patina throughout with just very slight wear to the off-side bolster of the driver's seat being the only point of note within what is otherwise a fabulous and largely original cabin. Mechanically, it is on the button starting first push every time and settling quickly into a quiet 6-cylinder tick-over. On the road, power delivery is instantaneous and motorway cruising speeds are reached effortlessly. Easy gear changes and reassuringly good brakes make driving a real pleasure. It is surprisingly easy to drive and with period road test reports documenting 149mph and the dash to 60 in around 7 seconds, this is very much the stuff of supercar territory albeit in a 50-year old package.
The car comes with a file of early history including the buff log-book and continuation book, original supplying dealer information, some build-sheets, sundry bills and old MOT Certificates as well as a current one to October 2012. We also have later invoices for mechanical work from the period 2000-2002 and service and maintenance bills to date.
Registration number 80 XKE (original number was 4763 UR)
Chassis number 850 342
Engine number R3524-9
A very rare and desirable car.
Would part exchange with Ferrari 308 GTS QV or 2008+ Range Rover TDV8
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