The E-Type Jag has had its fair share of CC moments already, but I trust we can squeeze in a few more. I’ve certainly bagged a few already, including some variants we’ve not featured before. Such as the later V12 – the most powerful, heaviest and least loved of them all, barring the 2+2. But it’s still an E-Type, and this one being fresh out of restoration, looked about as gorgeous as a Series III could.
These later E-Types are a little underwhelming, with their giant misplaced taillights and oversized grille. But the shape remains beautiful, and at least this one is not festooned with 5mph Dagmars. And that colour looks great.
Ladies and gentlemen, feast your eyes on the famous Jaguar V12 engine. This legendary (but troublesome) behemoth was produced for over a quarter of a century and was first introduced in the E-Type in 1971. In this first incarnation, it displaces 5344cc and features four carburetors to produce 272hp.
Managing to fit this whopper (over 7 feet of engine plus transmission!) where the XK straight-6 used to live was quite an achievement. But said XK only provided about 10hp less than the V12, and did so relatively reliably – not to mention a lot more frugally. So not everyone was convinced that the E-Type gained much in the operation, though reliability issues were ironed out with time.
Well, if nothing else, the V12 fully justified the E-Type’s elongated front end. Freudian analysis is not needed with these cars, it’s there for all to deduce. Still, what a profile!
Wire wheels are awesome and all, but they’re a hassle to clean and, to my eyes, look a bit anachronistic on later E-Types. These pressed steel “turbo wheels,” as they are colloquially known, are not only perfectly correct for the car (those were standard since the end of the Series II), but also practical and attractive.
However, those LED headlamps are just all wrong. It’s not the first time I’ve caught a classic with funny-looking eyes, but on such an otherwise superbly restored vintage Jaguar, it’s nothing short of blasphemy. Simple enough to remedy, though…
Some people will be floored by the V12, others by the sleek body. The thing that really gets my salivary glands going with these late-model E-Types has to be the interior. Almost as many gauges as an airliner, more switches than a Moog synthesizer, a commendable lack of wood inserts and creamy leather to sit on. It didn’t get much better than this in the early ‘70s.
The V12 E-Type is a flawed diamond. Too many compromises were made over the years in terms of its exterior styling, and the ginormous twelve cylinder up front doesn’t really bring much to the party, apart from added weight, thirst and complexity. But again, the overall shape still takes your breath away and the interior is drop-head gorgeous.
And in the end, even if it is overweight, a headache to fix and drinks like a fish, a V12 is still a V12 – automotive royalty, by any measure. Deep, 60-degree bow to you, then, E-Type. See you later, I’m sure.
Related posts:
Curbside Classic: c. 1965 Series I Jaguar E-Type 4.2 Roadster – Things Or Travel?, by Joseph Dennis
Curbside Classic: Jaguar XK-E Series II: The Stuff Of Dreams, The Source Of Nightmares, by David Skinner
CC Capsule: 1968 Jaguar E-Type – The Pride Of An Ethos, by Aaron65
Cohort Memories: Jaguar E-Type – The Jaguar Next Door, by Rich Baron
Cohort Pic(k) of the Day: Jaguar E-Type 4.2 Series II – “Sooo Beautiful”, by PN
CC Cinema: Bud Lindemann Reviews a 1968 Jaguar XK-E Coupe, by PN
I shared the story below back in 2018 on one of the linked E Type posts above, but I’ll share it here again, as this is actually what she had, only as a Curbside Classic, as opposed to one restored to near perfection….
A parishioner at a church I used to attend had a Series III V-12 Jaguar E-Type. She played the bagpipes of all things and somehow got the instrument to the church in that car (supposedly in the passenger seat). Hers was painted in the traditional “British Racing Green” or whatever that colour is called (and yes, I intentionally misspelled color for our friends across the pond ;o)…
I was playing guitar that day, and when it was time to leave, loaded up my instrument into the trunk of my Mustang. She elected to leave her bagpipes at the church. She went to start the Jag, and all we heard was click click click…. dead battery.
It was my pleasure to give her Jag a jumpstart with my Mustang. We were parked “Curbside”, so I turned my car around so my hood faced her bonnet. Good thing the cables were long enough. My Mustang’s battery is at the firewall on the passenger side, but her battery was amidships on the driver’s side with her bonnet opening in a most unusual way.
I loved it… not her misfortune obviously, but the opportunity to see one of these up close and personal in the metal, having always liked them as a kid. We got the V-12 started, and although running a little rough, it sounded great.
Turns out this was her hobby car and she even turned her own wrenches (to a point). I suppose if you’re gonna have an old Jag, you need to be able to do that to save yourself some money.
Of course a lot of rich lawyers went to this church, and I think she was one of them. ;o)
E-Jags are one of my favorite cars, but, the original ones, not these.
Lovely car and all, but I don’t understand those headlights. Circular DRLs with (I assume) an LED in the middle,
Does somebody actually think these look good? Really? Anybody?
If I had such a classic (surely nobody will quibble about a V12 E being a classic, unless you feel it should be Classic?), I would want to keep it as stock-looking as possible. Surely it must still be possible to get good quality lights that aren’t freaky-looking. And add some DRLs that would hide in the shadows when not in use.
Another vote for this paint job. Wow!
Beautiful photography of a work of art. Wheels are near perfect for this automobile.
That color along with the Ecurie ecosse badges make it for me!
I would wonder if that top original? It’s got the extra, unglamorous strip of fiberglass along the bottom that is an aftermarket cue. It’s certainly not chic. But, I agree wholeheartedly on the color and the interior. And, I suppose the auto trans is OK in a car like this…
I’ll be the contrarian here and say I really dig those LED headlights. First reason is they are likely the highest quality LED’s available with superior output and that translates directly to safety. Second is they are a rather subtle (in my eyes) way of bridging past with the future. Third is they can easily be changed back to OEM if the owner decides to sell.
The 10 horsepower increase from the new 12 versus original 6 cylinder has to be one of the lamest engineering feats of all time. How Jaguar execs thought a 10 horsepower increase was acceptable after spending all that time and money boggles my mind.
Let me preface this with I think the E Type is one of the best looking cars ever made, truly a stunner. But…
I saw the headline and thought to myself, yeah, the V12s weren’t the same, but I wouldn’t kick it out of my garage. But somehow looking at it, it just doesn’t look right. The profile shot doesn’t look right and the hardtop sure doesn’t. The taillights don’t look right, nor the exhaust, the rear bumper, might be the angle but the trunk doesn’t even look right.
It just doesn’t look like what I remember them looking like. Might be my memory, but…
Sorry, I have to correct: the displacemenr is 5344cc. I have the same engine in my XJ series 2 and I memorized that number.
D’oh! Dyslexia with numbers on my part. Thanks for the catch.
What the 12 brought to the party was incredible smoothness and torque. A buddy who was at U of MD med school in ’73 borrowed one from a Doc friend/prof and he drove it out to my apartment in Essex and took me for a ride. He had some Jag cred as he himself owned a beat up XK120 coupe that he bought for like $500 while in college and was restoring it as budget allowed; he drove it for years in primer.
The ’73 was silver and brand new with something like only 3k on the clock. We went out to the Beltway and… good gawd!! I’d never been in a car that accelerated so incredibly fast yet was like a turbine in it’s smoothness and quietness! Worth the complexity &c, an incredible luxury grand tourer, it just ate up the miles at any speed one wished. Years later I owned a ’69 E-Type fhc (the short coupe – pic) and even with it’s by-now ancient XK 4.2 6 cyl it was still probably as fast as the ’73 but Boy! that 12 was a completely different experience!!
The S3 Jag with a 4 speed is sublime. I owned 2 66 Es, but I got to drive an S3 from Indianapolis to Ft Copper on the UP of MI. Was bringing it to my friend’s dad who was trading it for a Morgan +8 his friend had up there. The drive up was on some interstate and mostly 2 land roads. As stated, the smoothness of the engine was otherworldly. If you didn’t lean into it you could get about 14mpg, sometimes slightly more. The S3 is my fave E type, especially if I were to drive if on long trips. It’s more refined, still very quick, smooth and comfortable.