2026-08-28 10:29:37 | pauls writes:

Car appears to be for sale, or once was, in New Zealand at:

waimakclassiccars.co.nz/classic-reviews/is-the-jaguar-e-type-series-1-roadster-t ...

This example, chassis number 879603 was sold new in New York in 1964. It has had three Kiwi owners, the last of which held onto it for 20 years. It has also been subjected to a full restoration and features Coopercraft disc brakes and an uprated cooling system.

Once you open the drivers door, it is a pretty easy process to get in. Once said door closes with a clunk behind you, you feel so snug and cocooned by your surroundings. The interior is a work of art. Every button and toggle switch looks so exquisitely put together and while that three spoke wood rim steering wheel does come at you a lot closer than you would think, it’s a beauty to hold and to behold.

What is appropriate, and what most of us will want to do, is give the E some stick. With the roof down and that six-cylinder opera emitting its torrent of symphonic bliss, the Series 1 can still shift, big time. Apply some throttle, or rather a lot of it, and that long bonnet rises. 80, 90, 100, 110, time to back off, all while turning yours truly into an organic giggle factory.

Even by the standards of today, the E Type is still a properly fast car. It doesn’t leave you breathless with neck snapping acceleration, but I’m actually glad of that. It’s the nature of the delivery which impresses most. Dropping down a cog or two and giving it death is met not with an instant whack but a pronounced surge of power. It gives an experience, and boy what an experience.

I can fully believe this car even today would sit happily at speeds in excess of 230km/h and all in sublime comfort. The ride in typical Jag fashion is supple and provides an almost uncanny mix of being soft when you need it to be and firm when you want to have some more fun. Talking of fun, when the going gets twisty, the E delivers, big time.

Heading towards the rolling hills near Ashely Gorge, the roads start to climb, fall, twist and turn. Here is where the E plays its joker, it is an incredible handler. With no power assisted steering, you know exactly what those front wheels are up to at any given moment. Some say the chassis of the E Type is so well sorted that you can steer with the throttle. You know what? You sort of can.

Feed in the right mix of lock and oomph and you can glide from corner to corner with such ease and little effort required on your part. Honestly, there are newer cars which aren’t set up as well as this. It also gives you the confidence to push even harder in each bend. The Jag likes to be driven well, and when you get that corner just right, it talks to you as if to say “well done old boy, care to have another go?”

I didn’t want this drive to stop. However, those few hours, a realisation of a long-held dream, went by all too quickly. The Jaguar E Type Series 1 is one of the most enchanting classics ever. Boy, do I envy whoever snaps this one up.