1962 Jaguar E Type S1 3.8 FHC 'Flat-Floor'

This is not just any old E-Type.

This is a Series 1 3.8 FHC ‘flat floor’.

It’s number 162 of the 72,515 E-Types ever made.

It’s one of only 631 RHD ‘flat floors’ ever made.

It’s got matching engine and chassis numbers.

And it’s had one owner for nearly 50 years.

If it wasn’t currently sitting in a line-up of E-Types at our Abingdon HQ, we’d think it was a figment of our imagination.

This is the sort of thing that people dream of finding under some bales of straw and a few sleepy chickens in an abandoned barn.

Only this isn’t a barn find.

It’s far, far better than that. It’s just been garaged and unused for about 20 years.

The vendor is a Jaguar enthusiast who bought the car from the wife of the man who’d owned it for almost half a century. He was also a Jaguar enthusiastic, was mechanically very skilled and had a garage full of Jaguar bits and pieces.

In our opinion, the car’s current shabbiness is little more than skin deep. There is no rot anywhere that we can see, it seems to have a great deal of structural integrity and, although we haven’t run the engine, we know it isn’t seized and can’t think of any reason why a bit of expert TLC wouldn’t get it up and running again without too much fuss.

This is a fabulous project car. It’s one the most sought after iterations of a true automotive icon. We think any flaws are largely cosmetic, and it’s a good, solid base from which to begin the process of creating something really very special indeed.

Eagle-eyed E-Type aficionados among you will have spotted that it has a Series 2 bonnet.

Yes it does. We don’t know why.

It also has non-standard flared wheel arches. These are steel, not fibreglass and seem to have been added with a good deal of skill. You may or may not wish to retain or replace them.

The black paintwork is peeling, flaking, scuffed and, in some places, just missing. Underneath, though, there is nothing more worrying than entirely superficial surface rust.

The panels are largely free of any dinks, dents, warps, folds or creases. The rear door is in decent condition and has escaped the attentions of any meaningful rust.

All five wheels are in reasonable nick. The n/s/r light cluster is missing.

It’s all a bit dusty and care worn, but it’s certainly no basket case and we haven’t seen anything that would raise either an alarm or an eyebrow.

This appears to be a highly original and intact interior.

The seats are not those with which it left the factory. They need some attention but they’re not completely beyond hope.

A quick look at the footwells will have you saying, “Hang on a minute, you duplicitous bounders, didn’t you say it was a Flat Floor?”

Well, yes, we did. Because it is.

But somebody has replaced the flat panels with dropped versions. The reason could be as simple as needing the space to accommodate feet larger than about size 6½.

The Flat Floor models were famously unforgiving of the larger-footed driver.

“So”, we hear you ask, “how do you know it’s a Flat Floor if it hasn’t got flat floors?”

Because of the date of manufacture. That and the fact that the bulkhead behind the seats is the flat, non-scalloped version that came with the Flat Floor models.

And you really can’t fake that.

The engine bay doesn’t contain any surprises. Everything appears to be as it should be and is in its right and proper place. There is no sign of any leakage, seepage or weepage.

There are even one or two shiny bits here and there: reminders that the long-term owner of the car maintained and spent money on it as and when necessary.

The subframe looks to have plenty of integrity and there’s nothing more than a superficial bloom of rust dust on the car’s undersides and suspension components.

This rare car comes with a Jaguar Heritage Trust Production Record Trace Certificate, a wad of old MoT certificates and a few letters, one of which establishes that the car was being used and driven in 2005 (and presumably up to 2007, as suggested by the tax disc).

There are various receipts and bills, the original manuals and a few photographs taken, we’re guessing, some 15 years ago

It 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 the car re-MoT’d at the earliest.

The cost of an MoT is a small investment when offset against the purchase and upkeep of any classic car, 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.

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of this and other paperwork to support our claim that this car has been maintained to a very good standard.

If you’d like to inspect the car prior to placing a bid – something we would encourage – then please use the Contact Seller button to arrange an appointment.

And please be reassured, we’ve undertaken a full COVID-assessment and put into place strict control measure to enable us to safely facilitate a no-contact, socially distanced viewing that includes disinfection of the vehicle before and after your viewing.

However, if you’d rather not come to see the car in person, please give us a call and we can shoot a personal video of the car honing in on any areas you’d like us to concentrate on.

Or, even better, why not contact us with your mobile number and we can set up a WhatsApp video call? You get to direct us in real-time, giving you a virtual personal viewing experience while maintaining the lockdown. We like to call it ‘The Market’s 2020 Vision’…

This is number 162 of only 631 RHD Flat Floor E-Type coupés that have ever existed.

And that makes this arguably one of the most exciting project cars we’ve ever come across.

Yes, you’ll need patience, time and money to do this rare and iconic car justice. But not, we think, stupid amounts.

It’s a little shabby and care-worn. It’s seen better days.

The reality, though, is that underneath the peeling paint and the dust we think you’ll find a solid, honest vehicle that could be the perfect canvas for an expert restorer.

Obviously, you’ll need time to carefully consider whether or not to make a bid for this fabulous car.

While you’re doing that, here’s a short list of some of the people who have owned an E-Type.

Frank Sinatra, Britt Ekland, George Best, Charlton Heston, George Harrison, Tony Curtis, Steve McQueen, Elton John, Adam Faith, Bruce McLaren, Jackie Stewart, Donald Campbell, Roy Orbison, Sid James, Brigitte Bardot and…..[your name goes here].

Go on.

You know you want to.

We’re confident to offer this vehicle for auction with an estimate in the range of £80,000 - £110,000.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; 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’.