2012-06-05 18:33:37 | pauls writes:

Car offered at:
www.ddclassics.com

Sellers description:
colour Primrose Yellow
interior colour Black
drive RHD
type Coupe
seats 2
year 5/1964
mileage 37.015 km / 23.000 mi
Chassis No. 861681
Engine No. RA69349
price 66.950 GBP
VAT No
city TW94HJ Kew
country United Kingdom
Stunning Primrose Yellow Series 1 E-Type. This fine example has been finished with a black leather interior. This late model 3.8 Fixed Head Coupe has had an extensive restoration and presents beautifully inside and out with a superbly detailed engine bay and chrome wire wheels.

A comprehensive history file accompanies the car including a photographic record of the bare metal rebuild. This is undoubtedly one of the best E-Types I have driven for some considerable time.

2024-05-30 08:27:48 | pauls writes:

Car at auction 5/24

carsonline.bonhams.com/en/listings/jaguar/e-type-38-fhc/ede4560b-af5c-4933-8496- ...

Auction description:

Matching Engine, Head and Chassis Numbers

UK Supplied 3.8

Mechanically Tuned Up Ahead of Sale

A Brilliant Driver

VIN 861681

28,000 miles

3800 Liters

manual

Primrose Yellow

Black

Right-hand drive

It's always nice to see a car with us that has clearly been enjoyed and used as it was designed to.

This is one such example: the current owner has had the car for nearly 11 years and the documentation underlines the care this example has received. It's also pleasing that this care shines through under road testing - these XK engines are a joy if well set up. Additionally, the car is a matching block, head, and chassis number example.

It’s no concours show-pony, it’s a car that wants and deserves to be driven.

Having done so ourselves we can report that it really does drive very impressively indeed – and that’s not something you can always say of Series 1 E Types.

The brakes have plenty of progressive stopping power, the engine pulls strongly, the steering is accurate and relatively light, the oil pressure is good and the gearbox is notchy and positive.

That the vendor thought nothing of driving it the 60 or so miles from his home to our Abingdon HQ speaks volumes about the condition and sheer usability of the car.

He has cared for this splendid E Type for nearly a quarter of a century and has never shied away from his duty of care or compromised on anything when it came to spending the right sums of money on the right jobs with the right specialists.

This is a matching numbers car - chassis, block and head - and is in very original condition, save for the addition of a 4.2-litre synchro ‘box and a Kenlowe fan. 

In 2018 the vendor parted with over £10,000 at CMC Ltd (Classic Motor Cars), on all sorts of remedial, maintenance, repair, replacement and fettling work.

This included properly overhauling and optimally setting-up the rear suspension - a job that no doubt went a long way to giving the car the exemplary handling characteristics it exhibits today.

Exterior

The bodywork is in irreproachable condition, and all panel gaps and shut-lines are crisp, consistent and even. 

The doors, boot and bonnet close with plenty of welcome weight and accuracy.

The Primrose paintwork is also in very good order, with a good deal of shine and depth of lustre to it.

We spotted a paint chip at the front of the bonnet, another on the edge of the luggage hatch, and a light scratch on top of the o/s/r wing.

Those very minor aberrations aside, the rest of the paintwork is pretty much fine, and even entirely standard stone chips and scuffs are more notable for their absence than their presence. 

The chrome work is in excellent condition all-round and we found no foxing, pitting or tarnishing of any note anywhere. The wire wheels are similarly well-preserved.

The rubber seal at the bottom of the passenger door is loose and dangling down. 

There is some delamination in evidence around the edges of the windscreen.

Elsewhere, the lights, lenses, badging, trim and other exterior fixtures and fittings have held up with commendable stoicism.

Interior

The good news continues more or less unabated on the inside.

The seats are comfortable and supportive.

The black leather upholstery is in very decent condition save for some wear to the driver’s seat bolster, where the leather has worn through in a couple of places on the outer edge.

Elsewhere, the seats have yet to earn more than a few creases, let alone any ingrained patina. 

The luggage area is fine.

So, too, are the door cards and the headlining. 

The carpets and mats are following the same script.

There is a little wear to the gear knob, but the steering wheel, handbrake, dials, instruments and controls all look to be in rude health. 

We noticed a few air bubbles under the vinyl on the central switch and gauge panel. 

We didn’t press every button, flick every switch or twiddle every knob, but those we did press, flick and twiddle responded in a timely, faithful and predictable fashion.

Mechanical

The engine bay is clean, shiny, dry and tidy.

The undersides look to have plenty of structural integrity

History Highlights

This car comes with lots of comprehensive history, and certainly its last 25 years or so are thoroughly well documented.

It had a new set of tyres fitted last year and, in May ’24, it was serviced and mechanically tuned-up by JWorx Classic.

The car comes with a Heritage Certificate of authenticity, a clear HPI report, plenty of old invoices and bills, a wad of old MoT certificates, and a current MoT that’s valid until 13.5.25.