1967 Jaguar E Type

‘JUF 109E’ is a rare thing these days, a Jaguar E Type with an honest patina. 

It hasn’t been restored or been given a pre-sale makeover and has had just two registered keepers in its life, with the last one curating it for an incredible 37 years. 

Finished in Opalescent Silver Blue with a Dark Blue leather interior, this fixed-head coupé offers the useful 2+2 seating and is said to be “very reliable”. 

It’s also “really, really nice to drive”, completely unmolested, and remarkably original. 

The Opalescent Silver Blue has a lovely patina to it – and that’s not using damning with faint praise, we mean it, it’s lovely. Genuinely lovely.

Because so many of us are drawn to classic cars, in part at least, because of the romance they bring with them – and if you rip the heart out of a car by over-restoring it, then that’s all gone. 

Whereas cars like this, cars that have been loved and polished and preserved, retain all of that history; every mark and scar tells a story, and when you inevitably add your own, it’s not going to break your heart.

In fact, as it’ll be nothing more than another paragraph in the car’s still-developing legend, you might even smile.

And it’s not as if the E Type looks rough because it absolutely doesn’t; take it to your local classic car show and we bet you’ll be swarmed by folk who are equally charmed. 

Some of them might comment on the panel alignment, which we suspect is as good now as it was when they bolted it together in 1967.

And the paintwork, which is still largely the same paint they put on it more than half-a-century ago, is still smart enough to raise a smile. 

They’ll love the chromed wire wheels too, wheels that are as well-preserved as the rest of the car and are shod with a set of 185R15 Avon radial tyres, albeit they are now getting on a bit.

Nonetheless, 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. 

The lamp lenses are all good too, as are the badges and window glazing. 

As for work to do, if it were ours, we’d concentrate on replacing the perished rubber seals on the rear window to keep the water out and then live with it for a while.

Maybe break out the Autosol and spend half a day polishing the chromework, although the chrome flaking off the underside of the offside rear bumper will take a bit more effort than mere buffing.

You could get quotes for sorting out the bubbling on the front wings and boot lid, but we’d be more interested in finding someone who is keen to preserve as much of the car’s originality as possible rather than someone who just wants to fit new panels and give it a full respray.

But YMMV and if you want to create a concours example, there would be far worse cars than this to start with.

If you loved the coachwork, prepare to be wowed by the interior too because it is every bit as enchanting. 

The driver’s seat, for example, might have lost of a lot of its colour but it’s not tattered and threadbare. The passenger’s seat and rear seat have all lost colour too, but it’s more limited on them and they’re in an even better condition than the driver’s seat. 

The headlining is free of major damage too, with only a small tear and some staining spoiling its finish. We suspect both could be remedied without having to replace it. 

Of course, that iconic row of instruments and toggle switches are present and correct, and they’re joined by a delightful period push-button radio. 

It’s still got the original Jaguar-branded seat belts too, plus a very nicely presented luggage area. The latter might have seen suitcases during its trips to Le Mans, but we doubt it’s ever been used for a tip run or to take the dogs out. 

There’s a full-size spare wire wheel under the floor. 

Of course, there is work to do because there are scuff marks and even small tears all over the place. But, like the coachwork, how deep you go – and how much you spend – will depend on your attitude to a patina.

Again, if it were ours, we’d get a good trimmer to revitalise the leather and deep-clean the rest. We’d take a look at the steering wheel too, as it’s got some cracks to the rim.

But once we’d done that, we’d probably leave it there, for a while at least. Find out what really bugs us, and then do that. 

The engine bay is exactly as you’d expect; full of character but still clean and neatly ordered. The 4.2-litre straight-six bursts into effortless life and settles into an immediate and rock-solid idle. 

There’s healthy oil pressure there too, and it revs very smoothly. It’s also got a great exhaust note, which brings us neatly onto the subject of the exhaust tailpipes not being central; we can turn a blind eye to a bit of wear, but not misaligned exhausts.  

Other than that the seller tells us that the engine coughs when you floor it, but he suggests this might be down to the limited use it’s had recently and thinks that an ‘Italian tune-up’ may be all that’s required to clear its throat. 

However, we do note that there is some rust to the bottom of the bulkhead on both the nearside and offside corners> this looks like it has taken hold and will therefore need attention. 

The E Type comes with a huge history file that is neatly collated across no fewer than four folders. 

Its paperwork includes a typewritten letter from Jaguar dated the 24th of February 1989 detailing its specification when it left the factory. The files also contain its original Operating, Maintenance, and Service Handbook, the lubrication and maintenance charts, the official Jaguar Service Manual, a copy of the Spare Parts Catalogue, and many expired MoT certificates.

There are also too many invoices and bills to list here, but some of them have Post-It notes attached to summarise what they’re for – and a history file as neatly collated as that is never a bad sign, is it? 

As for its background, having had it for 37 years, the registered keeper has plenty to say and we paraphrase his notes here:

“I purchased it in June 1984 from G.E. Clement of Empire Cars, 83-85 Preston Road, Brighton, who had owned the car for five years. It was sold to me unregistered but in his name and with a current MoT. Brighton DVLC registered it to me as a local Brighton car with the correct registration for year of manufacture, which was December 1966. It had been sold new to a to Christine Carr by Henlys and given the registration number ‘GRV 808E’. 

“The car was acquired primarily to complement my Jaguar XK120 Roadster and to use on an annual pilgrimage to the Le Mans 24-Hour race. The E Type was a more comfortable and enjoyable car, and I drove it to Le Mans on three occasions without a problem other than a F900 speeding fine in 1989! 

“I had converted the cooling system to use a 14.5" Kenlowe Thermomatic fan, reconditioned the radiator, and fitted a new header tank. I did not, and do not, have a problem with overheating, and because modern petrol uses ethanol, I choose to use a premium grade. 

“Other improvements made include the conversion to Petronix Ignitor electronic ignition which is recommended for easy starting, although it could easily revert to the factory set-up if required. 

“The handling is excellent thanks to the Koni shock absorbers and coil springs that were fitted in 1989. I used to take a friend plus luggage to Le Mans and the suspension needed to be able to deal with the extra weight. 

“The roof line is not spoilt by a Webasto sunroof, and the gearbox is manual, and of the 5,598 cars made of this type only 1378 are right-hand-drive. I don't know the number of those which are manual, probably less than a thousand. 

“The rear seats are useable for young children, and we enjoyed its early use as a rather grand family car with occasional shopping trips by my wife or to school with our two daughters. 

“Apart from the regular oil and filter change, which I often did myself, the car has almost exclusively been maintained by Tony Brooks Storington, who also for many years took the car for its MOT. 

“This was an ideal arrangement since he was able to test drive and check the car before the MOT and fettle it as required. The receipts for most of the new spares & his work are available.

“Tony also did the major mechanical work on the car such as rebuilding the rear subframe (2015), fitting a new clutch, and engine and gearbox mounts (2009), and replacing the clutch and brake master cylinders, the vacuum tank valve, the front brake discs and cylinders, and new bushes to the upper steering column (2004).

“He has also fitted a new brake servo unit, a clutch slave cylinder, and an indicator switch (2001) and has stripped and rebuilt the engine (1989). The details of the engineering work done by Lambourne & Ridley of Hove are shown on the receipt. Lindfield Motors supplied and fitted the Pertronix electronic ignition system in 2018.”

As for our notes, the recent Vehicle History Check is clear, and the car comes with two sets of keys.

The Jaguar doesn’t have a current MoT certificate, and while it is exempt by virtue of its age, we would strongly encourage the new owner to have it MoT’d at the earliest opportunity. The cost of an MoT is a small investment when offset against the purchase and upkeep of any classic vehicle, and it gives an independent, third-party assessment of the car’s condition, which not only provides reassurance to the owner (and any subsequent purchasers) but might also be invaluable in the event of a bump when negotiating with the police and any interested insurance companies… 

A car is only original once, and if you’re looking for an original E Type you can actually use and enjoy, this one should be right up your street.

And you should consider this one even if you’re looking for one to improve, not least because our estimate is between £25,000 and £30,000, making it very affordable. 

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’.