1969 Jaguar E Type SII 4.2 Roadster

This beautifully restored Jaguar E Type OTS (Open Two Seater) was manufactured on the 16th of July 1969 as a manual left-hand-drive series 2. Finished at the factory in British Racing Green with Cinnamon leather upholstery, it was dispatched to Jaguar Cars New York, returning to the UK in 2012.

Professionally restored between 2013 and 2015, the car was stripped to a bare shell in preparation for a complete body restoration and a respray in its original colour. It was also fitted with a new Sage Green leather interior at the same time in addition to a new and matching green hood.

The engine was also stripped and rebuilt, and this work is said to have included a re-bore, a new crankshaft, a set of new pistons, and a cylinder head overhaul. The gearbox and rear axle were also fully refurbished, the wiring was replaced, and new brake discs and calipers were fitted all round, as was a stainless-steel exhaust system.

Estimated to have covered fewer than 1,000 miles in total since being completed, it’s been in the vendor’s care since May 2015. He’s used it sparingly since, but has undertaken the usual post-restoration snagging, so it’s running beautifully.

Very well restored, the panel fit and alignment is excellent. Few shapes are as iconic as this, which means anything less than perfect alignment jars immediately – there is no such unpleasantness here.

The paintwork is just as good and seems to have been applied with an unusual degree of skill and care. Sure, there are a few marks from polishing but buffing these out, along with those on the scuttle, would be as satisfying as it would be straightforward.

The chrome is stunning too, gleaming beautifully and presenting a wonderful contrast to the subdued green coachwork; that we should all choose our jewellery with such care and good taste.

The folding fabric roof is excellent, raising and lowering easily. It’s also free of damage and marks, and still looks like new.

The 15-inch chromed wire wheels are in a lovely condition being free of damage, rust, and other imperfections. The tyres are a bit odd though, being white-walled jobbies from Hercules. They’re legal but getting on a bit now and we suspect both looks and handling would benefit from something less esoteric.

Problems? Remarkably few. The passenger’s door latch catches a little, and there is a small dent/mark on the rear wing. There is also a small bubble on the top of the bonnet on the nearside wing seam (#70), the rear numberplate carrier is a bit tarnished (#136), and some of the screws holding the light lenses on are rusty.

As always, we’d welcome you here at The Market’s HQ near Abingdon to make your own assessment of the Jaguar’s condition.

The cabin is an absolute joy, in both specification and condition: The E Type’s is one of the all-time classic interiors and this one is especially lovely, still being bright and fresh and barely marked.

The dark green leather interior makes a change from the more usual hues and seeing this one we wonder why more people don’t choose it. It’s in a great condition too, and is all but unmarked.

The seats, for example, are firm and comfortable and show almost no wear, only gentle creasing showing they’re not brand new.

The huge wooden steering wheel gives the Jaguar the semi-vintage feel that’s such an important part of its appeal. It, and the legs-out driving position, make you feel at one with the car and it’s easy to imagine yourself hustling it along through the pre-dawn Parisian streets…

There’s a lovely Pye radio in there too, plus the usual array of gauges and switches that bring to mind the cockpit of a World War II fighter plane.

Please don’t be misled though because this is an E Type that is as practical as it is beautiful, as witnessed by the thick rubber mats that protect the carpets and sound-deadening that lie beneath; this is a classic British sportscar you could drive to your Swiss chalet to enjoy a few weeks of skiing without fear of sullying it - and wouldn’t it look awesome with skis attached to the boot?

Speaking of which, the boot itself is very clean and neatly organised. It contains a matching spare wire wheel and Dunlop tyre too, something that would be an integral part of your European touring equipment. The metalwork underneath the spare is solid and well painted too, but you could have guessed that by now, couldn’t you?

Flaws? Well, as per just about every E Type ever built, the manually operated windows are a little stiff, as are the door locks. They all work just fine though, so these are jobs for another day rather than anything more immediate.

The 4.2-litre engine starts and runs beautifully and, as you can see, it shows good oil pressure and no warning lights are illuminated. The exhaust pipes are nicely aligned and make a lovely noise when the straight-six engine is being revved.

The engine bay is well presented but we can’t help but think the new owner will probably want to detail it to bring it up to the same high standard as the rest of the car. It’s not that it’s especially bad, because it isn’t; it’s more a compliment on car’s overall condition than criticism of the engine bay.

The painted underside is every bit as good as you’d expect.

Mechanical faults include the nearside headlamp, which doesn’t work. The middle wiper is missing a retaining clip too, and neither the indicators nor the hazard warning lights do what they should.

The E Type 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…

The recent Vehicle History Check confirms its status as an imported car, and the E Type comes with a current V5 registration document.

Sadly, that’s the extent of the paperwork, although we believe that a previously obtained Jaguar Heritage certificate confirms that it retains the original engine, gearbox, and body. We don’t have it to hand at the moment so cannot confirm that it is a ‘matching numbers’ car.

There is also a photo album documenting the restoration. Its whereabouts are currently unknown, although the vendor will keep searching for it, so it may turn up!

This is a sharp looking example of a perennially popular model, beautifully finished and sporting an unusual - and unusually attractive - colour scheme.

Carefully shaken down over the past few hundred miles, this professionally restored, left-hand-drive Jaguar E Type is running well and is ready to thrill and delight its new owner, both here and abroad.

Being offered with a sensible reserve, we think the virtual hammer will fall somewhere between £75,000 and £85,000, a figure that’s far below the sum it would cost you to commission one yourself to this standard now.

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