1969 Jaguar E Type 4.2 L Series 2 Roadster

We know from a Jaguar Heritage Trust certificate that when this matching numbers car left the factory in the summer of 1969 it was in LHD configuration and destined for export to the USA.

It was originally ‘Opalescent Silver Blue’ with a black interior.

At some later point it was repainted in white.

We know that it returned to these shores in 2000 and promptly underwent a thorough restoration and, even more importantly, conversion to RHD configuration.

Today, as you’ve no doubt discerned, the car is a fiery shade of ‘Carmen Red’.

The vendor has owned the car for around 10 years, having bought the car from his brother, who had also owned the car for around 10 years.

For the last two decades the car’s mechanical and dynamic well-being has been entrusted to the respected automotive engineers at Richard T. Moore Classic Cars of Enfield.

The car starts, goes, accelerates, handles and stops as well as you would hope and want and, overall, it is in very decent condition – mechanically, dynamically and aesthetically.

There’s room for cosmetic improvement, certainly, but nothing we’ve seen has made us question the car’s structural integrity or mechanical honesty.
 

The car presents very well from every angle, and sits correctly in a low, flat, balanced stance.

The bodywork is untroubled by any significant flaws and we’ve seen no dinks, dents, creases or ripples worthy of attention anywhere.

The vibrant Carmen Red paintwork has retained plenty of shine and lustre throughout, but there are a few patches of blistering to be seen on the rear wing around the fuel filler cap; various places on the bonnet; atop the o/s/f wing; and next to a split in the paint at the top of the sill behind the passenger door.

We also noticed a few scuffs and scratches on the front valance, and other small outbreaks of blistering and/or signs of previous touch-ups at the site of various stone chips.

The black fabric hood goes up and down with a minimum of fuss and fits about as snugly as E Type hoods ever do. There are a couple of slightly ragged patches at the base of the hood where it attaches to a strip of metal trim.  

The black fabric tonneau cover is good.

Aside from a little surface rust peeking through the chrome plating here and there, the wire wheels are in very decent fettle. All five are shod in matching Dunlop SP rubber.

The chrome-work elsewhere is good and has successfully fended off most attempts to establish any foxing, pitting or tarnishing.

The rear bumper was fully re-chromed in 2021.

The lights, lenses, badging and other exterior fixtures and fittings are all good from what we can see, although some of the rubber window and door seals are loose or detached.
 

The interior of this car has weathered the passage of time with commendable resilience.

The black leather upholstery on the seats has just the right amount of light patina, and the seats themselves are comfortable and supportive.

The passenger seat-back locking mechanism has retired hurt.

There’s some surface rust on the hood frame and the lining of the hood has quite a few stains in evidence.

The door cards look good to us.

Apart from one or two places where they are working loose at the edges, the carpets are in decent condition.

The steering wheel, gear lever and handbrake look fine, save for a few nicks to the leather on the gear lever gaiter, and the dashboard instruments, buttons, switches levers and dials seem to be in good order and, as far as we’re aware, everything does what it’s supposed to do.

We noticed that the speedometer dial is a little ragged at the bottom. The rev counter dial is new.

The boot is intact and presentable, and contains a full-sized spare wheel.

The boot lid strut has gone AWOL and a handy piece of wood has been serving as a prop.

The dashboard roll-top looks a trifle bruised, scuffed and crumpled in places, and there’s some broken stitching and what look like signs of a previous repair on the passenger headrest.
 

The engine and engine bay are notably clean and dry, and everything appears to be in its right and proper place.

We’ve seen nothing to make us frown, tut or shake our heads.

The undersides of the car seem to us to possess plenty of structural integrity and the stainless-steel exhaust system remains in very decent condition.

The car has been fitted with Koni shocks at the front and a high-torque starter motor.

The car comes with the all-important Jaguar Heritage Trust certificate and plenty of bills, invoices and receipts attesting to work carried out over the years, primarily in the last two decades by Richard T. Moore Classic Cars.

Older history includes a handwritten record of every tank of fuel and bottle of additive consumed by the car over a period of a few years – people who go to those lengths tend to be very diligent curators of their cars.

There’s also a letter establishing the fact that in 2011, on the occasion of the E Type’s 50th anniversary, the car joined 766 other E Types at Silverstone and played its part in setting a new Guinness World Record.

The car’s mileage was recorded as being 80,468 in 2002.

Today, it has advanced to just 88,736.

It comes with a recent HPI report, full sets of keys, plenty of old MoT certificates and tax discs, a selection of spare parts and an owner’s handbook. 
 

The fact that it drives so well should tell you all you need to know about the quality of its LHD to RHD conversion, and the quality of the care it’s received during 20 years of ownership by two brothers.

One or two minor cosmetic jobs aside, this is a properly sorted and fettled example and one that should provide its next owner with many years of pedigree British motoring excitement and pleasure.

We like it a lot.

We are happy to offer this car for auction with an estimate in the range of £45,000 - £50,000.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays between 10am - 12pm or 2pm - 4pm. To make a booking, please use the ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.