1964 Jaguar E Type SI 3.8

According to the Jaguar Heritage Trust, chassis number 889749 indicates that this car was one of the last three LHD fixed-head coupés to be built in 1963 (the first in 1964 being 889752). It is also one of the last 100 or so fitted with the 3.8-litre (3781cc) straight-six XK engine.

The car was “barn found” in America around the millennium by a specialist from Brisbane who was commissioned by the current owner’s cousin in New South Wales, Australia to buy one example of every post-war Jaguar model up until the merger with BMC. Norman Crowfoot had bought several cars in a variety of conditions and set to putting them right mechanically and aesthetically.

In the case of this E- Type, that work included replacing the missing bonnet and front wing and converting it to right-hand-drive but nothing in the way of body repair. Over time, he built up quite a collection of Jaguars and Daimlers.

Search “jdcsa crowfoot collection” to see a 4-page magazine article detailing the collection, including this E Type.

Little is known about the car’s previous life Stateside other than it had a parking permit in it for a USAF base. The owner likes to think it was owned by a fighter pilot - it certainly is the kind of car they went for - but sadly there’s no record of it.

First seen by the current owner during Norman’s restoration process, he was beguiled by the car and eventually persuaded his cousin to sell it to him. Subsequently, the Jaguar was shipped to the UK and registered with the DVLA in August 2013.

He’s had the engine rebuilt, changed the wheels and replaced the headlining but otherwise the car is pretty much how it left Australia. He’s used it a little over the last 9 years - the most notable trips being to an E Type gathering 'up north', a trip to Reims and a tulip rally around the Isle of Wight.

As he’s now into his 90s, he no longer feels that he gets the best out of a car like an E Type, so he wishes to sell it on. Here’s to all of us getting beyond 90 and still driving classics!

Finished in Carmen Red - probably the colour most associated with the E Type - the paintwork is generally very good but there are small areas of micro-blistering on the bonnet. In terms of damage, we found a few small dents in the bonnet and front wing and the nearside bumper is a little loose but nothing major.

The shut lines and panel fit would benefit from some fettling; the driver’s door for example bows out at the bottom and the passenger door sticks on the rubber when opening. The bonnet too is misaligned with the sill on the near side and the curve of the offside scuttle, and the tailgate sits slightly proud of the roof.

In terms of the brightwork, both overriders have scrapes on the bottom edges - usually a sign that the front-hinged bonnet is opening too far. There is a section of trim missing from the rear screen and the A-pillar finishers have been screwed in place, which is not usual practice.

If all this sounds a little negative and nit-picking, don’t be overly concerned as the car still looks and sounds amazing out on the road and we believe that most of these niggles can be addressed fairly easily with a few hand tools and a bit of patience. It is the attention to detail on such cars that matters.

To finish on a positive note, the chrome wire wheels are all in very good order - the current owner having replaced later wheels that had low profile tyres and rubbed the arches. All are fitted with Dunlop SP Sport tyres dating from 2017.

The interior is trimmed with black leather and vinyl and looks generally good, with just the typical scuffing wear to the driver’s seat bolster. Wood-rimmed E Type Moto-Lita steering wheel aside, the rest of the cockpit is no-nonsense black with just the stainless steel or chrome of the gauges, switches and other controls standing out. And the rev counter is missing its clock module. Or it may have fallen inside the instrument??!

The centre console has a period Motorola radio, which does actually work - if you can still find anything good to listen to on LW and MW - once you’ve raised the aerial with the switch on the side of the console.

In terms of other equipment, we found that the fan, map light and interior light (also missing its lens) weren’t working. The windows are manually wound and, like many E Types, are a bit stiff - particularly on the driver’s side. There’s a clip-on overtaking mirror in the glove compartment, which could be fitted to the passenger door if required.

The carpet in the front has heel-holes but otherwise intact and, up above, the original style soft-feel headlining is excellent.

There’s a question mark around the exact type of vinyl used to trim the sills and the dash top but overall the interior is a comfortable, tidy and well presented space.

A good deal of attention has obviously been paid to the engine bay and the engine itself as it looks very clean and well presented, with signs of renewal and careful maintenance.

The undersides of the car look very tidy with no apparent damage or corrosion of any significance. The exhaust system is stainless, at least from the downpipes rearwards, and the brake lines look relatively recent, as do the dampers and springs.

The rear luggage space is clean and tidy with the luggage rails in place on the floor covering to aid loading. Underneath the floor cover, and the board, is a full size spare wire wheel which was bought at the same time as the road wheels and looks in excellent condition with unused rubber. The centre of the spare contains the tool-kit insert which has a few items missing but is a nice-to-have feature.

The car’s most recent MOT expired in September last year but had been subject to annual testing back to its return to the UK in 2013, despite its age exemption. The record also shows that the car has been driven less than 5,000 miles since being repatriated. The odometer now reads 62,154 miles.

When the current owner first saw the car it was mounted on a rotisserie being sorted by Norman before being diligently repainted, layer by layer with hand-flatting in between. The interior was also retrimmed in Australia by Norman and his handy wife.

On repatriation to the UK, the engine was rebuilt by race mechanic Phil Perryman of Sawbridgeworth, who also fitted a later gearbox - retaining the original to come with the car. The current owner has since kept the car in good condition and made sure that any changes made took the car back towards the original specification where possible.

There is a small history file of invoices from current ownership and the vendor is also willing to make the correspondence between himself and his cousin available to the new owner.

This is a good, sound example of the early series Jaguar E Type in the most quintessential and desirable colour combination and one that has gone through some extensive restorative work within the last 5,000 miles or so. The engine starts well and sounds really strong delivering a fruity parp from the twin tail pipes when revved.

As we’ve said, it would benefit from a few minor repairs and a little bit of fettling, particularly to the bonnet fitting and the doors - as well as some minor fixes inside. With this in mind, we think it will sell for between £60,000 and £70,000.

Ask a hundred people to describe or draw a classic British sports coupé and surely 80 of them will sketch a red Jaguar E Type like this one. Does that make it a cliché or just a popular expression of desire?

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; we are open weekdays 9am-5pm, to arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.