Description
We are pleased to offer for sale what is one of, if not the finest, Jaguar E-Type Series 1 currently available on the market.
Delivered new on 1 November 1962, this icon of automotive design has benefited from a complete and meticulous restoration between 2015 and 2018, driven by a vision of perfection and excellence. It was in 2015 that a French specialist and owner of a restoration workshop acquired this Jaguar 3. 8L FHC, which was in need of a complete restoration. The car was completely dismantled, and the bare body was sent to specialist sheet metal workers in England. The body parts requiring rebuilding were shaped by hand using the original techniques. An all-aluminium bonnet was fitted, and at the same time, all the car's mechanical parts were completely reconditioned. In early 2016, having run out of funds to continue the restoration, the owner decided to sell the project. In the same year, the new owner, in his quest for perfection, sent the body, front chassis and aluminium bonnet to Italy to complete the finishing touches and paint the car. The Turin-based firm in charge was a 'clinic' specialising in concept cars and run by the close friend of a certain Giorgetto Giugiaro. Particular care was taken in preparing the surfaces, guaranteeing a long-lasting, flawless finish. The car leaves the workshop in stunning condition, with meticulous alignment, and receives the Opalescent Silver Grey paintwork before its return to France. On its return to France, the workshop that had begun the restoration begins the reassembly under the eye and instructions of its new owner. Once reassembled, the car is entrusted to an upholstery workshop that dresses the seats in high-quality lambskin leather, custom-dyed to match the other interior upholstery perfectly. The work is completed in 2018. Its owner took delivery of the car and drove it regularly, with several return trips to Italy, but the driving pleasure provided by the Getrag gearbox installed did not suit him. In 2023, he decided to take the car to an XK engine specialist, where the original engine would be rebuilt from scratch, with the liners and pistons replaced, the crankshaft checked/ rectified and a new Borg Warner/ Tremec 5-speed gearbox fitted.
When it came out of the garage, the long-awaited end result was there: the car was perfect in every way! A file of photos and videos illustrates each stage of the restoration. Today, this Jaguar E-Type 3. 8L MK1 FHC (Fin Head Coupé) is simply exceptional. Restored by the finest European craftsmen, we can tell you that it's very rare to see an example like this, in terms of its condition, its mechanics and its attention to detail. The driving experience is incomparable to that of most of the E-Types on the road today. Improvements: -Aluminium bonnet, saving around 40 kg in weight and improving the car's overall speed and balance. -Olead-free cylinder head. -Large debit oil pump. -Reinforced engine mountings.
Tremec 5-speed gearbox which transforms the driving experience often redundant with the original Moss 4-speed gearbox with unsynchronised first gear. -Modern diaphragm clutch. -Modern Hi Torque starter. -Dynator alternators with the look of the original dynamo.
High-performance aluminium cooling radiator. -Automatically activated additional fan. -Silicone hoses. -Electronic ignition. -Stainless steel exhaust manifold and system. -6 adjustable GAZ Shock absorbers. -Polyurethane silentblocks. -Coopercraft 4-piston front brake callipers, Kevlar pads.
-Wheel with Dunlop competition 6 x 15 spokes. -Silentblocks for rigid steering rack. -Optics for type H4 headlights. The vehicle comes with its invoice file, toolbox, mallet, jack, user manual, protective cover and original Moss gearbox. Our vehicles can be seen within 5 minutes of the Porte de Versailles and the Parc des Expositions in Paris. If required, we can pick you up at the entrance to the Retromobile Show, which runs from 5 to 9 February 2025.
