1963 Jaguar E Type S1 3.8 FHC

The car is still very much in the same form as it was built, although it's possible the engine has been replaced at some point, as the number on the block doesn't match the one on the build plate. It is, however, still an early 3.8-litre E Type engine judging by its number being prefixed with an 'R'. According to the odometer, the car has covered 50,625 miles. The number on the block is 8975-9 & the heritage certificate states that it should be 8978-8, they're agonizingly close..

It was on the 21 November 1962 that this E Type rolled down the production line at Browns Lane in Coventry. Back then, it was cream with a red interior, according to the Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust production certificate that is included in the history folder. It didn’t stay on these shores long, being bound for Jaguar Cars, New York, USA. It arrived and was sold there, as an XK-E, in 1963.

There’s little information on the E Type’s life in America. By the end of 2015 though, the car was in Virginia, as the paperwork file also includes a Commonwealth of Virginia Certificate for Title for a Vehicle. An ‘Export Approved’ stamp on this shows that it wasn’t destined to stay there for long, and by around nine months later, it had returned to the country of its birth and been re-imported by the vendor. The vehicle passed its HM Revenue and Customs NOVA checks in August 2016 but hasn’t yet been registered for British roads.

The car is still very much in the same form as it was built & according to the odometer, has covered 50,625 miles, although there’s not enough information to confirm how genuine this total is. It has picked up a few American touches along the way, such as the red-band tyres and additional bumper reinforcement around the nose, for these delicate Jaguars often found themselves ‘victimised’ by the hefty bumpers of much larger US cars. But, overall, this is still an E Type as Browns Lane intended, all the way back in 1962.

In March of 2021, considerable work was done on the car, as part of what the vendor describes as a ‘repair and renovation’ using his own bodyshop. The car was stripped of its cream paint, and any issues with the body were sorted out. The car was then repainted in Opalescent Gunmetal Grey, an original 1963 Jaguar option and a particular favourite of the vendor, which is why it was chosen. The headlining in the cabin was redone at the same time.

For those used to early E Types in more scene-stealing colours such as bright red, primrose yellow or British Racing Green, how well the more subtle shade of Opalescent Gunmetal Grey suits this fixed-head coupe may come as a quite a pleasant surprise. More subdued it might be, but the darker, dignified hue sits well on this E Type, contrasting nicely with the chrome and lending the usually racy E Type profile a more stately and impassive persona. This is one very handsome machine.

With the ‘repair and renovation’ being just a few months old, the body and paint are obviously in very good order. The panel gaps are very tight and uniform throughout, and probably better now than when the car was new, Jaguar’s quality control not always being all it could have been in its rush to build E Types for all those who clamoured for them during the first few years of production. There are no corrosion issues lurking around the wheel arches or in the door shuts. Even the bonnet, never the easiest panel to align because of its sheer size, sits straight and evenly. Of particular note is the area where the rear numberplate usually sits; there’s often some superficial rust here or at least heavy marking from where grot has got trapped behind the plate over the decades. Here though, that section is just as good as the rest of the metal surrounding it. Take a browse through our gallery to satisfy yourself as to just how clean this Jaguar is.

There are some blemishes if you look closely enough. The nearside windscreen surround has a small dent, while the offside one has come away slightly. The chrome is generally good; there is some light pitting and discolouration in places on the front bumper, but the rear one is still in excellent nick. The two extra curved bars sprouting from the front overriders to frame the air intake give this car a distinctive appearance not shared with many of its home market sisters.

The wire wheels are chromed, and have been kept spick-and-span; somebody has obviously gone to great trouble to detail them, as cleaning wire wheels properly is not a five-minute job. The spokes all seem secure. The tyres are Coker Classic radials, an American firm specialising in classic rubber. While this suggests they were fitted while the car was still in the USA, they still look in great order with plenty of tread left.

The interior is less understated than the exterior, with red leather and carpeting. The scarlet hide is the colour this car began life with, so hasn’t been changed as the paint shade has. It’s been retrimmed, and the job carried out very well, although it does look an older renovation, done before the work on the body. There’s a welcoming patina to the interior; it’s aged very nicely, with only minor creasing apparent. The driver’s seat bolster shows some light wear from entries and exits, but it’s limited to just marking rather than splitting or tearing. Elsewhere, there are some small smudges in the surprisingly practical rear load area, presumably from items shifting around. Lift the false floor, and the spare wire wheel is present, and just as shiny as its road counterparts. There’s some natural wear and tear to the boot floor under the wheel, but this isn’t an area usually on display. Some sections of the original cream paint remain around this part of the car too, albeit only visible with the floor trim removed.

One departure from norm is the centre switch and gauge surround, which is now finished in aftermarket walnut rather than the brushed aluminium that was a factory feature of the 3.8-litre cars, before being superseded by plastic in the 4.2-litre models. The wood of the steering wheel rim also matches the walnut, or has at least been stained to look very close. Some of the stock aluminium does remain around the radio - a very nice period transistor unit - and the panelling by the gearlever and handbrake. It has a few chips here and there, but nothing major. The wood is in superb condition, and the same can be said of the headlining, with the latter being new in March. None of the gauges show any significant signs of age.

The engine bay has been well-detailed, but there’s some light dirt and grime noticeable up close in areas like the bronze-painted ‘ditch’ between the XK engine’s cam covers. This is a working environment though, after all. Items like the cam covers and triple SU carburettors have been freshly polished though; this is an engine bay you won’t feel any shame in showing off at shows, although a perfectionist might want to replace the very few wire bullet connectors added in places, as well the spark plug leads - one of them has a red cap, the other five are black. And, yes, that we’re pointing out such little quibbles is an indication of just how sorted everything else is.

Obviously, not yet being registered for UK roads, this E Type has covered very few miles since its 2016 repatriation. In fact, the Virginia registration document records the odometer as showing 50,180 miles just before it left the States. So, in five years, this Jaguar has done under 500 miles. However, the vendor tells us that the engine is ‘very sweet and revs nicely’. He also reports that it ‘drives beautifully’.

Beneath the car, underseal has been comprehensively applied and all the metal looks very solid. Some of the suspension components look as if they were only fitted yesterday, with many of the nuts and bolts not even showing any corrosion. The exhaust system is fully stainless, with chromed rear pipes.

There’s minimal paperwork, largely confined to a few documents relating to the import of the car from the USA and confirming that Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs were perfectly happy with everything. The original Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust production record certificate, issued in 2017, is also present.

This is a very smart, early E Type just crying out to be used, after five years or so of comparative inactivity. All the hard, expensive work has been done - the renovation work is fresh while the interior is very presentable (and we rather like the introduction of some wood into the cabin, something the E Type always lacked). So all that any new owner really needs to do is to have the car registered for the UK, and then start notching up the miles and enjoying what is a thoroughly lovely example of its type. The earlier the E, the more attractive it is to enthusiasts, and being a 3.8 model, this one ticks a lot of desirability boxes. We’ve estimated it at between £65,000 to £80,0000, which represents good value for a restored Jaguar E type such as this. The car has come a long way to return to its homeland; it deserves to be driven and shown off now it’s back in Blighty. As a fresh classic to the UK scene, it’s bound to stimulate a lot of interest when 2022’s show season gets underway.

Viewing is always encouraged. This particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; we are open weekdays between 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’.