1970 Jaguar E-Type Roadster Series 2

We are delighted to be able to offer the Jaguar enthusiasts among you the chance to bid on another E-Type, this one a Series II convertible that has spent the majority of its life in the salt-free climes of Dallas, USA.

Originally distributed via British Leyland in New York, this left-hand-drive Sable Brown example was despatched overseas in September 1970. Fitted with the same 4.2-litre engine, manual gearbox, and beige leather interior it left the factory with, it is fresh from almost $20,000-worth of recommissioning.

Now looking fabulous and running beautifully, this is a rare opportunity to get your hands on a fully fettled, ‘matching numbers’ Jaguar E-Type in an unusual - and unusually attractive - colour scheme.

We’re of the firm opinion that if you are going to go to the expense of buying a classic car, then you should go all-in and buy one that reflects the period, warts ‘n’ all – and there is no finer way of doing so than running a Sable Brown E-Type.

Now, we know that brown isn’t going to be everyone’s cup of tea but there’s no denying the quality of this one; achingly period and staggeringly lovely, we can only applaud the first owner’s left-field choice because we think it looks awesome.

It’s in fine condition too, thanks to having spent the majority of its life in Dallas, a state not known for its extensive use of salt or harsh winters. This means the quality of the panels is excellent and there’s no rust, rot or serious corrosion to worry about at all.

The panels are in great shape too, with a noticeable absence of dinks, dents and other damage. The doors also fit well, and while this might be a small detail, we have found that little things create great cars.

The paintwork is glossy and even and presents to a good standard; the odd small area has been touched-up here and there – most noticeably around the hood - and there are a few swirls in the paint from enthusiastic polishing, but the former is almost unnoticeable, and the latter could be removed with a professional machine polish. Patina is the name of the game, and it really isn’t anything to worry about.

The chromed wire wheels and spinners are in a great condition, and the wheels are shod with whitewall tyres. These are a mixture of Bridgestone on the rear and Michelin on the front, and while they might not be our first choice, there’s no denying that whitewall tyres suit the car’s somewhat raffish appearance.

The rest of the chromework is very good bar a small dink in the nearside corner of the rear bumper and some minor dents on the front grill surround.

The black fabric mohair hood is brand-new, and so fits and folds as it should. It is a high-end product and as wind- and water-tight as you have the right too expect, and so would allow for four-season use should the new owner fancy taking it to the ski slopes next winter. (How cool would a Sable Brown E-Type on winter tyres and a ski-rack be?)

If we’re being hyper-critical – and we try to be, as we know many of you will be relying on our descriptions alone to set your bids – then the boot lid could do with some finessing to get it to sit a little lower on the offside, it also happens to be missing its "E" from the E-Type badge....

Oh, and one of the twin stainless-steel exhaust pipes sits a little higher than the other. It’s still one of the best rear-ends we’ve ever seen though, and that includes Felicity Kendall’s in The Good Life…

The beige leather upholstery is in a fabulous condition. The Jaguar was retrimmed only recently and so the seats have developed only very light creasing. Still firm and supportive, they feel as good as they look.

The door cards, carpets, and the luggage area are as good as the seats, which is to say they are very good indeed. The luggage area in particular looks like new, and even retains the original label warning the owner to tilt the seat backs forward before lowering the roof.

The huge wooden steering wheel allows for a direct connection to the front wheels and allows for easy maneuvering at low speeds, which is vital given the steering’s unassisted status. That it looks absolutely fabulous is a by-product of the old engineering adage that if it looks right then it probably is…

The dashboard is also very good, being free of the sort of cracks that can happen if the car is left exposed to the sun, a problem that is one of the few drawbacks of buying a car from a sunshine state like Dallas.

The trademark Smiths dials and row of rocker switches are present and correct too, and are still well-marked and legible. In fact, they’re so good that they look like new, which means the car has either been extraordinarily well looked after or they’ve been refurbished or replaced at some point.

The E-Type has retained its original push-button radio, although modern speakers have been fitted above the transmission tunnel under the dashboard. It has also been fitted with new Kangol retractable seatbelts; period safety equipment is all very well, but it does lead to period-style accident injuries...

Lifting the carpets in the cabin reveals Dynamat sound-deadening pads and rust-free metal to the floors. Speaking of which, the boot is solid and free of rust too. Home to the spare wire wheel and fuel tank, the boot is neatly carpeted, although perfectionists might want to give it a clean as it is a little grubby in places.

Other work to do is pretty much limited to replacing the gaiter on the gearlever as it is a little worn, and getting the lid of the ashtray repainted. Both are very much nice-to-do jobs and are only noticeable because the rest of the interior is so good.

Oh, and the offside window winder handle is missing its knob.

Around $20,000 was spent in 2017 in refurbishing the E-Type mechanical components. The work was comprehensive but comprised, in brief: a full fluid and ignition service; rebuilding, tuning and synchronizing the SU carburetors; repairing the wiring harness; flushing the cooling system and fitting a new radiator, waterpump, heater valves, coolant hoses and coolant; servicing the front end of the car and fitting new steering rack mounts, tie rod ends, boots and grease; fitting new front and rear Gaz dampers; and, replacing the brake master cylinder and servo before rebuilding the braking system with new or refurbished parts including braided lines and new front and rear discs, and then finally bleeding the hydraulic system.

The engine was also stripped down and rebuilt with new bearings and thrust washers upon reassembly. The car was also converted to use a spin-on oil filter for easier ongoing maintenance.

It was then re-fettled here in the UK, with some further work being done to the braking system in addition to receiving a full check-over. Some of you may have been watching the white E-Type we sold this week; if so, you’ll be pleased to hear that this E-Type comes from the very same chap, and so benefits from the same obsessive attention to detail…

We’ve driven it, and can report that it drives well with no obvious faults. It’s a “good car” according to our head honcho, a man who’s prone to understatement and has examined more classic cars in his time than is probably healthy.

The engine bay is neat and clean, but given how clean the rest of the E-Type is we can see the new owner might want to invest a weekend or two to detailing it to bring it up to the same standard as the rest of the car.

The Jaguar’s MOT certificate expires in November 2020.

The car has a sheaf of invoices and bills to confirm the work that has been done to it recently plus a Jaguar Heritage trust certificate confirming its original build specification, a specification it carries to this day.

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 in recent years to the very highest standard.

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.

We know that a left-hand-drive E-Type finished in Sable Brown might have a somewhat limited market, yet we can’t help but think that its specification would be a boon for a Jaguar enthusiast looking for a car in which to tour Europe.

And, for anyone willing to motor down the road less travelled, a brown E-Type could be a very, very cool thing to own and one that is likely to be more of a draw than one finished in a more traditional colour.

For these reasons, we think the hammer will fall somewhere between £49,000 and £55,000, which market followers will recognise is peanuts for an E-Type of this quality; and remember, when the market softens, investors and collectors default to what they know – and everyone loves and knows the E-Type.

And, for our European friends for whom a LHD is a bonus, can we remind you that we can offer a door-to-door or port-to-port service, too?

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.