1970 Jaguar E Type Series 2 2+2

Finished in Signal Red and a black hide interior, ‘ELL 12J’ is a Series 2 Jaguar E Type Fixed-Head Coupé that’s been in the same hands for more than half a century. A member of the Jaguar Drivers’ Club for more than 50 years, this is the owner’s fourth E Type.

Fitted with the 4.2-litre straight-six engine and the automatic gearbox, the 2+2 also benefits from being fitted with chrome wire wheels, power steering, Koni dampers, a stainless-steel exhaust, and a huge Webasto sunroof.

It was also repainted thirty years ago, comes with a good service and maintenance record (with around £8,000 having been spent in the last five years alone), and a long and advisory-free MoT.

The antithesis of the bodge-it-and-flip-it examples you sometimes see being touted around the auction circuit, this is a charming and much-loved example that’s on-the-button and ready for its new owner.

The coachwork is very good: the bonnet louvres are straight and even, the shutlines are very tidy, and the flanks are free of ripples. It also sits foursquare, which isn’t always the case.

As for the Signal Red paintwork, whoever did the respray three decades ago really knew their stuff because the finish is still glossy and bright - mind you, given it’s only covered 1,500-odd miles since 2006, it hasn’t exactly led a hard life…

The chromed wire wheels are also in a decent shape but there is some pitting and discolouration to them, so we can see the winning bidder will probably want to get them re-chromed to bring them to the same standard as the rest of the car.

The tyres are matching Dunlop SP Sport, and while they all have good tread left on them, they were fitted in 2010 so are due for replacement.

Nonetheless, as we will never get tired of telling you that experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly.

Speaking of the E Type’s chromework, while the rest of it is in a decent condition, there is some pitting, most noticeably to the front and rear bumpers, which also have some fine scratches to their surface.

It’s not that they’re bad, it’s more that the bodywork is so good that the bumpers rather stand out by comparison.

The red Webasto sunroof spans almost the whole length of the roof, giving most of the benefits of being in a convertible with none of the drawbacks. It slides fore and aft smoothly, seals tightly, has no damage or wear to the fabric, and features a good internal headlining. The two metal plaques are still in situ too, which is yet another reassuring sign as to the quality of the Jaguar’s curation.

As is the presence of extra Yale locks, which have been neatly fitted to the fuel filler flap and the two doors. Other signs of enthusiastic ownership include window stickers for Le Mans and the E Type Register.

As for problems, apart from the chrome we mentioned earlier, we can’t see anything we’d worry about as any marks the paintwork has are minor and can be chalked up to the car’s developing patina.

And this pleasing patina extends to the interior; the front seats were rebuilt with new foam in 1990, and they survived the following 35 years with only a gentle softening alongside some light creases and cracks to the leather, chiefly to the driver’s seat.

Still comfortable, they could be rebuilt again to firm them up if you intend to cover big distances (although the foam in the headrests was replaced only recently) but they’d be fine for local use. Either way, feeding the leather should be all that’s otherwise needed as it would be a tragedy to lose their hard-won patina.

The rear seats are very good. Still being firm, their leather coverings are free of any serious aging or wear.

The carpet in the driver’s footwell is also new, and this joins some very good carpets in the rest of the cabin. The vinyl trim used on the door cards, rear quarter panels, sills, and inside the boot is all very good with only minor marks.

Lifting the boot trim might reveal dirty paintwork but the metalwork itself is solid and free of rust, which is far more important. The boot also contains a full-size spare chrome wire wheel, tool kit, and jack.

The Astrali leather-covered steering wheel is a nice period touch, the lettering on the instruments and switches is still bright and vivid, the front seats are fitted with Kangol seatbelts, and the radio is a delightful twin-spindle Radiomobile.

Oh, and the automatic gearbox you think you don’t want allows for a lot more foot room than you get in the manual cars, which gives taller folk a sporting chance of being able to actually drive it – and as the E Type is more of a sporting grand tourer than an out-and-out sportscar anyway, we think the auto ‘box suits its nature better than you might think.

As for flaws, the doors and boot need to be slammed hard to get them to latch, the headrests have lost some colour, the sunvisors are grubby and the nearside one has lost its mirror, the carpet is hanging down beneath the steering wheel (given a careful poke, it slots back up beneath the dash), the offside door pull is coming away, and the driver’s left foot has rubbed through the carpet on the transmission tunnel.

Despite not needing one, it’s wonderful to see that the Jaguar has an MoT until August 2025. Not only that but it is free of advisories.

Which is not a surprise when you see the service and maintenance record. With 71 pages of photographs in the section there’s clearly here’s too much to list here, but a summary of the last five years is:

• 15.10.2019 and 79,558 miles – decoke of the cylinder head plus other top-end work and an oil service and fresh brake fluid by Track & Classic Automotive at a cost of £2,338
• 25.08.2022 and 79,796 miles – overhaul of the steering rack and front suspension plus other miscellaneous work by Southern Classics at a cost of £4,983
• 31.08.2022 and 79,798 miles – new waterpump, drive belt, and coolant by Southern Classics at a cost of £628

Other goodies fitted over the years include an electric fuel pump and Koni dampers.

As the video shows, the E Type starts well and develops good oil pressure. It also revs and idles nicely.

The engine bay itself is agreeably presented without being overly fussy; we can’t see many people feeling the need to do much to it other maintain its current condition.

As for the underside, it is grubby but solid. No MoT tester has ever mentioned structural corrosion, and the presence of a twin stainless-steel exhaust system and a neat combination of paint and underseal speaks well of the money and love that’s been lavished on it over the years.

They bought the car when it was two years old, and it’s stayed in their hands ever since.

A copy of Jaguar Driver from June 2014 comes with the car as it contains a lovely article on this very car and its devoted owner. It’s an fascinating read that reveals he bought Derek Bell’s Primrose Yellow E Type at one point – and then used it to tow his racing E Type to events. That’s quite a boast, isn’t it?

It also talks about his last outing in the car, which was the Silverstone event in 2011 to commemorate the E Type’s 50th anniversary.

The recent Vehicle History Check is clear, and the history file includes the original Operating, Maintenance, and Servicing Handbook, a vast array of old MoT certificate and expired tax discs, and a wad of invoices and receipts.

It also has two sets of keys plus extra keys for the additional Yale locks that are fitted.

As icons go, they don’t come much better than the Jaguar E Type – and if you’ve ever fancied one then you can’t do much better than to buy one that’s been in the same hands for the past half century.

Chrome wire wheels, Signal Red coachwork, and a Webasto sunroof mean it’s to a great specification too, and the presence of an automatic gearbox might not be the downside you imagine…

As for what it’ll sell for, we estimate the virtual hammer will fall somewhere between £28,000 and £38,000, which should give you plenty of headroom to get the (non-urgent) cosmetic jobs done at your leisure.

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