In celebration of the 60th anniversary of the iconic E-type in 2021, Jaguar Classic will create six matching sets of two 60 Edition cars – 3.8-liter coupe and roadster versions – that pay tribute to the two original cars that debuted in March 1961 at the Geneva Motor Show.
Those two 1961 launch cars are considered to be the most-famous of all E-types – known in the U.S. as XK-E – that were driven “flat out” from Coventry, England, to Geneva, Switzerland, for the world introduction and media test drives.
An Opalescent Gunmetal Grey coupe, registered 9600 HP, driven by Jaguar’s public relations manager Bob Berry, was the first to arrive in Geneva for a special showing, where the excitement generated by the E-type was such that Jaguar immediately ordered its legendary test and development engineer Norman Dewis to “drop everything” and drive a British Racing Green roadster, registered 77 RW, overnight to the Swiss motor show.
Berry and Dewis became the demonstrators for the stunning performance of the coupe and the roadster, their gorgeous bodywork wind-tunnel honed by aerodynamicist Malcolm Sayer.
Jaguar Classic draws on that heritage for its special-edition pairs.
“Every E-type 60 Edition built by the team at Jaguar’s Classic Works facility in Warwickshire will be an existing 1960s 3.8-litre E-type fully-restored to exclusive 60th anniversary tribute specification,” Jaguar’s heritage division said in a news release.
“Each E-type 60 Collection pair will include one Flat Out Grey ‘9600 HP’ coupe and one Drop Everything Green ‘77 RW’ roadster, with unique paint formulations exclusively reserved for these cars,” the release continues. “Each E-type 60 Edition will feature a number of 60th anniversary commemorative design details created in conjunction with Jaguar Design Director Julian Thomson.”
For information about Jaguar Classic and its services, visit the division website.
“The Jaguar E-type is a genuine icon, as sensational today as the moment it was unveiled in 1961,” said Dan Pink, director of Jaguar Classic. “It’s testament to the E-type’s advanced design and engineering that it can still be enjoyed and admired as passionately almost 60 years on.”
Every time I see an article about the E-Jags, It brings back memories of my 64 roadster from back in the early 70’s. I purchased it from a Foreign car garage I worked at part time that had used it for racing. They put the original engine back in and sold it to me for $1500! Unfortunately at the time I wasn’t very versed in the Lucas, Prince of Darkness electrical systems and after a couple years when it started to give me intermittent fits, I traded it because I was in need of reliable daily transportation and didn’t have a garage to store it in. We had just been married a year, money was not flowing like it eventually would and my work had me traveling all over for schools and training. I too, like Enzo Ferrari, think they were the most beautiful sports car ever made. I only have 2 pictures of my Jag left anymore. Over the years before I had a better computer system, the old film hardened, cracked and got thrown away. the one large picture i have left is framed and in my office to remind me how sad I am to ever have gotten rid of it.