Jaguar E-Type 1965 review

Overview

Few cars can stop a crowd the way a Series 1 E-Type coupé can. Launched at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1961, Jaguar's D-Type-derived grand tourer combined 150 mph performance with looks so striking that Enzo Ferrari is famously said to have called it "the most beautiful car ever made". The 1965 cars are the sweet spot of the Series 1: the 4.2-litre XK engine, introduced in late 1964, kept the 265 bhp but added a useful slug of torque, a proper all-synchromesh gearbox, more comfortable seats and better electrics — with the delicate glass-covered headlamps and slim bumpers untouched.

On the road it remains a genuine event. The twin-cam straight six pulls with effortless, creamy torque from barely above tickover, the triple SUs give a soundtrack no modern car can fake, and the independent rear suspension — exotic stuff in 1961 — still gives the E-Type a poised, fluid gait on a flowing B-road. It is not a car you hustle like a hot hatch; the steering is heavy at parking speeds, the cabin is snug and gets warm, and the brakes ask for a firm shove. But as a grand tourer it is sublime.

Buy on condition and history, not specification. Rust is the killer: check the sills, floor pans, the bulkhead and the steel framework of the forward-hinging bonnet, and get the car on a lift before you commit. Matching engine, chassis and body numbers, confirmed by a Jaguar Heritage certificate, add real value. Cooling was the Series 1's weak point, so ask whether the radiator, fan and water pump have been uprated and watch the temperature gauge in traffic. Expect to pay from around £85,000 for a good, usable driver-quality example, with restored and matching-numbers cars asking considerably more.

UK price from: £85,000