1964 Jaguar E-Type S1 3.8 FHC

This No Reserve auction is for a Series 1 FHC which appears to have led an interesting life with few custodians. The car’s first owner was a gentleman called Kypros Eliades, who had been a classic car enthusiast for decades. He had a small collection of classic cars, among which were two very nice Jaguars; a Mark 2 which had been fully restored to concours condition, and this E-type Series 1 with the 3.8-litre engine. Kypros and the vendor became friends, which is how the E-type’s story is known.

Built in 1963 (a genuine RHD 3.8 as proven by its chassis number), the car was shipped to Cyprus in 1964 and given the registration number XG417. Kypros used it sparingly along with the others in his collection, which leads the vendor to believe the mileage it is showing is correct. The car was restored between 1995 and 2005, a “slow and steady restoration”, as the owner describes it but one that has left it looking fabulous.

Kypros eventually got to the age where he could not drive his beloved Jaguars anymore and in 2015 asked the car’s current owner if he would like to buy the pair. He agreed and shipped them over to the UK in the early summer of that year.

The car has been professionally stored since then, is registered with the DVLA and given the registration number LKK 433B.

The restoration has left the coachwork in a very good condition, with good panel fit, no rust whatsoever, and a deep, glossy finish to the paintwork. Cyprus’s climate has clearly helped preserve it, but both the work that was done to it and the car’s obviously careful curation have played their part as well.

The chromework, lights and glass are as good as the rest of the E-type and the overall presentation is very, very impressive, even up close.

The car is fitted with matching, white-wall tyres, and the chromed, spoked wheels are in a good condition. If white-walls are not your thing, we think that the tyres could be swapped on the rims with little expenditure.

As we will never tire 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 we would welcome, by the way – but do give you a shortcut into their attitude towards maintenance.

The paintwork does have the odd blemish in it but these areas are very limited in scope and appear to be underneath the paint, so the underlying metal is all sound, we see no evidence of filler and there is no rust at all. The blemishes have been hard to photograph, which gives you some idea of how minor they are. There is also a small bump in the top surface of the bonnet where presumably it was slammed down on some protuberance.

The interior looks to be almost all new, and has been beautifully fitted. The blue leather seats, for example, still look amazing, and the view from the driver’s seat is unparalleled with a row of working gauges supplemented by an equally mesmerising row of switches.

The carpets are good too, as are the door cards and the dashboard. The huge wood-rimmed steering wheel is positively vintage in size and inclination and while the round wooden gearknob might not be original, it does feel wonderful in the hand. The revcounter appears not to work.

As an early car it is a strict two-seater, but what it lacks in practicality it more than makes up for in beauty.

The boot is tidy, and still features its plywood underfloor, but no spare wheel. The bootlid fits well but note that the top-hinge-to-lid-frame joint is OK but might need strengthening in the future. Look carefully at the photos and you will notice that the chrome trim and rubber seal on the top of the driver’s sill is missing from some shots – these are present but only loosely fitted for some photos.

We all know that Cyprus is definitely at the warm end of Europe which may explain the lack of a heater box (and the dreaded E-Type heater pipes) – who wants to use such a beautiful example in the winter anyway…

The drivetrain all looks very impressive, functionally correct, clean and tidy; the car starts, runs, and drives well but we have no information as to what was and wasn’t replaced during the restoration. The owner’s mechanic has given it the once over prior to it making its way to us and it performed very well on our brief test drive with no issues of note. Having seen little use since its restoration there will quite possibly be the odd running repair as part of its recommissioning back into regular use, the only items on the to-do list so far are involve some mostly inactive front lights (11/10/19 just to prove our point, there is a weep of brake fluid on the floor from under the bulkhead).

For this reason, potential bidders will be bidding on its current condition rather than being able to rely on a list of new and refurbished parts. With that in mind, we would urge any interested parties to pop along to see the car here at The Market HQ in Abingdon.

The engine bay is another highlight of the car, and it has been beautifully detailed. The underside of the car is virtually as clean as the topside too. For clarification, the engine number on the car is 4203-9 (as per V5 and Cypriot registration) and the chassis number is 861366. REVISED: The cylinder head number is RA4203-9. The vendor does not have a Heritage Certificate.

The Jaguar 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 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 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…

As we have previously mentioned, the car doesn’t have any paperwork to support the restoration, so potential bidders must rely on its obvious current condition alone. If you’d like to inspect and start the car prior to placing a bid please contact us to arrange an appointment.

We are honoured to be able to offer this very striking and well-finished turn-key E-type for No Reserve. The fact it is a Series 1 3.8 is further icing on the cake. The vendor, having used us before, has put faith in The Market, knowing that we deliver the correct prices for our cars. He is only selling as there are a number of other classics he is restoring and enjoying, leaving little time for this beauty.

A Jaguar E-type has always been a safe place to put your money, and the current softening of the classic car market hasn’t really changed that; quality will always out, and collectors, enthusiasts and investors will always default to what they know in conservative times – and everyone knows and loves an early E-type.

So, we think this will sell for between £59,000 and £69,000, at which price point it offers an awful lot of car for the money; our estimated price reflects both the fact that there isn’t any paperwork to support its restoration but that is counterbalanced by the quality of the work, which is evident and pervades the whole car. As No Reserve, it is now up to you to decide…

Viewing is always encouraged, and this car can be seen here at The Market HQ in 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’.

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

BORING, but IMPORTANT: Please note that whilst we at The Market always aim to offer the most descriptive and transparent auction listings of any auction, we cannot claim they are perfect analyses of any of the vehicles we have for sale. While we use our trade experience to assess every car that comes through our hands (and between us we have bought hundreds of classic cars over the years for our personal use…) we are fallible, and our assessment of a car may contrast with that you might form yourself.

This is why we offer a far greater opportunity for bidders to view, or arrange a professional inspection on their behalf of, each vehicle prior to bidding than any traditional car auction, and we will never stop encouraging bidders to take advantage of this by coming to see it in person.

That said, 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 those formed as a 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.