If you are shopping for a nice automotive Christmas present for yourself, then consider one of the most beautiful sports cars ever made.
The Jaguar E-Type, also known as the XK-E, has been a coveted car ever since it was first presented in 1961, and it’s desirability seems to grow year after year. But the Series 1 E-Type has become a very expensive proposition, with most selling for more than $150,000.
This is sad because to most people, the Series 1 cars are the most iconic with their covered headlights and small grille openings. But if you are willing to forego those niceties, there is the Series 2 E-Type. Though not as pure as the original cars, they do offer some improvements that make them better in daily use. And they are still available for considerably less money.
The Pick of the Day is a 1969 Jaguar E-Type Series 2 roadster offered for sale in Dover, Massachusetts.
The Series 2 was not redesigned solely to deal with U.S. regulations but modified to work better. The larger grille openings improve cooling, and the uncovered headlights may not look as cool but they actually illuminate the road at night. The interiors of Series 2 cars are more comfortable than those in the first-gen E-types.
Hardcore E-Type devotees will likely balk at these statements, but they are true nonetheless. Just ask a any good Jaguar mechanic, who most likely will say the same thing.
According to this car’s private seller advertising the Jaguar on ClassicCars.com, this 1969 E-Type is finished in British Racing Green with a black leather interior. The car has covered only 77,000 original miles, the ad says, and importantly, it is a matching-numbers car that the seller claims needs nothing.
The car is perfectly tuned and runs smoothly, the seller says, and it drives like new. The paint is excellent, and the car is rust-free and never in an accident, the seller adds, with a correct Connolly leather interior that is soft and supple with no cracks or scratches. The car also has a new canvas roof and boot cover.
The Jaguar has been with the same owner for more than 20 years and has all of the maintenance records for that time.
These Series 2 E-types remain a good deal in today’s collector car market, but they are not likely to stay that way. This one has an asking price of $65,000.
The secret with the Series 2 cars, which no one ever talks about, is that from the driver’s seat, they look and feel almost exactly like the more-expensive earlier cars.
To view this listing on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day
If I had never seen a series 1 E-Type, I would think the series 2 was the best looking car I have ever seen. Having owned both, a series 1 and series 2, I prefer to own and drive the series 2. I’m contemplating purchasing a series 2 ots, to compliment my current s2, 2-place coupe. I don’t think the series 2 deserves a discount as large as the market dictates. I think they are a bargain especially when compared to other comparable marques in the price range.