1964 Jaguar E TYPE S1 3.8 FHC

This delightful left-hand-drive Jaguar E-Type came to the UK from the kinder climate of the United States so it is, like so many of its American contemporaries, in a much better condition than a car of the same age that has spent its life here in its native country.

Recently fully restored and so now ready to find a new owner, it’s a 1964 Series One fixed-head coupe with the sweet-revving 3.8-litre straight-six engine, the manual Moss gearbox, and a brand-new red leather interior. Confirmed by the factory as a ‘matching numbers’ car, it is finished in cream and fitted with wire wheels.

This is your opportunity to get your hands on the early E-Type FHC you always promised yourself - and, in case you’re dithering, it’s being offered with no reserve, so will sell from the very first bid.

Once here in the United Kingdom, the Jaguar was dispatched to Hill’s Classic Car Restorers for them to weave their magic on the E-Type’s coachwork. As you can see, they did a sterling job of it and it now looks considerably better than it ever would have in period.

As well it might, as the work set him back the best part of £16,000. Still, quality doesn’t come cheap and the guys doing the work even dry-fitted the parts after fettling them to make sure they all fitted together properly before removing them, painting the car, and then fitting it all back together again.

Slightly OCD for sure, but wouldn’t you rather buy an E-Type that has been resprayed to this standard than one that’s been given a quick blowover by some flyboy under the arches?

The chromework is very good too after being largely rechromed. It’s straight and true and sets off the cream coachwork to perfection; it’s one of those colour combinations that works way better than you imagine, and it looks even better in the flesh than it does in the photos.

The chromed wire wheels look terrific from a few paces, and are shod with good tyres. However, we can see that the car’s new owner will almost certainly want to get them refurbished. Not, we hasten to add, because they’re rough but simply because the rest of the Jaguar is so good that anything that is merely in an average condition tends to stick out.

The wire wheels are also shod with matching Vredestein tyres, which have plenty of (age appropriate) tread. As we will never tyre of explaining, our 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. Their presence does not, of course, preclude the need for a thorough inspection - something the vendor would welcome, by the way – but do give you a shortcut into their attitude towards maintenance.

The red leather interior looks magnificent, which isn’t surprising when you learn that its last owner spent $12,500 on fitting a completely new interior. Strong money, but then there is no point in spoiling a car this good just to shave a few hundred bucks off the final bill.

So, the low-backed red leather bucket seats are as comfortable and supportive as they are wonderful to look at. Butter-soft, they’re completely unblemished and look to have been hardly used.

The same can be said of the carpets, which are fresh and unspoiled, while the door cards and centre console maintain the red theme and show the car’s original design off to perfection. Jewels abound, such as the chrome accents that come courtesy of the gearlever, handbrake, window winders, door pulls, steering wheel, and the miscellaneous bits of chrome trim that sparkle against the bold red background.

Other Easter eggs come via the fighter cockpit-style dials and toggle switches, all set in a black crackle-finish dashboard: few, if any, classic sportscars have a better interior than this, and the fact that it is almost all brand new and still smelling fantastic only adds to the Jaguar’s already considerable appeal.

The boot is just as clean and well-finished and is home to the spare wire wheel and tool kit. Lifting the carpet shows only painted steel and not a hint of rust. The side-hinged boot door is as beautifully trimmed as the rest of the interior and is as much of a joy to use as it is to behold.

The E-Type was partially restored in the ‘States by a Jaguar enthusiast over a period of about four years before making its way over here to be completed. The vendor is an independent classic car specialist who always goes to great lengths to ensure that his cars are top notch; in this case that meant (re)refurbishing the rear axle and differential, suspension and braking system simply because he couldn’t verify the work that had already been done.

The engine, on the other hand, was fully reconditioned in America along with the gearbox, and the vendor’s investigation left him happy that this work had been carried out properly. In total, he estimates that he has spent another 230 hours on the vehicle, or about £17,000 in total at retail prices (including the cost of the parts). That’s a lot of time and money, but his reputation is everything to him and he isn’t prepared to risk compromising that to save a few pounds.

We’ve driven it and can confirm it drives like an E-Type should being smooth, powerful and responsive. It does seem a little reluctant to start and idle from cold, so we suspect some minor adjustments still need to be made to the carburettors. This is, of course, entirely normal and all part of any classic car’s post-restoration shake-down. But once warmed slightly, this E-Type runs as smoothly as any we have had the pleasure to auction – it is superb….

As for the engine bay and underside, we’ll let the photographs do the talking. Our in-house photographer might be a talented chap but on this occasion a chimp with a box-brownie could’ve made this E-Type look good.

But, if you doubt us, please give us a call and we’ll happily set up a video WhatsApp video call and you can direct us around the car while keeping your distance.

We are pleased to be able to tell you that the Jaguar has a current MOT certificate that expires in January 2021.

The vendor invested an awful lot of time and money in getting the E-Type to the condition you see here. Attached are just some of the invoices for the parts that have been fitted, along with the bills for the bodywork.

Sadly, the rest of the Jaguar’s history file had been digitized prior to him buying it and a server crash in the USA caused the entire lot to be lost. Therefore it has no paper history bar a UK V5 registration document and a Jaguar Heritage Trust certificate detailing its original specification and confirming that it was supplied to Jaguar cars in New York on the 16th of March 1964.

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of this paperwork.

NB. We know that you will be limiting your social exposure over the coming days and weeks, so 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, contact us with your mobile number and we can set up a WhatsApp video call, where you can direct us in real-time.

Being offered with no reserve, we think the (virtual) hammer will drop at something beginning with a “7”, which is something of a bargain when you consider that it’s had £30,000 spent on the interior and bodywork alone; when you factor in the £17,000 the vendor has spent on the mechanical components, you’re not far off getting it for free...

And it gets even better because when the market softens, investors and collectors default to what they know – and everyone loves and knows the E-Type. They also want early, original cars in the very best condition – and this example ticks those boxes too. For that reason, we think this is a car that will appeal to the Jaguar E-Type enthusiast with an eye to maximizing their investment over the coming years.

This particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.

If needed, please remember we have a network of trusted suppliers we work with regularly and can recommend: Classic & Sportscar Finance for purchase-financing, Footman James for classic car insurance Thames Valley Car Storage for storing your car and AnyVan for transporting it.

BORING, but IMPORTANT: Please note that whilst we at The Market always aim to offer the most descriptive and transparent auction listings available, we cannot claim they are perfect analyses of any of the vehicles for sale. We offer far greater opportunity for bidders to view, or arrange inspections for each vehicle thoroughly prior to bidding than traditional auctions, and we never stop encouraging bidders to take advantage of this. We do take a good look at the vehicles delivered to our premises for sale, but this only results in our unbiased personal observations, not those of a qualified inspector or other professional, or the result of a long test drive.

Additionally, please note that most of the videos on our site have been recorded using simple cameras which often result in 'average' sound quality; in particular, engines and exhausts notes can sound a little different to how they are in reality.

Please note that this is sold as seen and that, as is normal for used goods bought at auction, the Sale of Goods Act 1979 does not apply. See our FAQs for more info, and feel free to inspect any vehicle as much as you wish.