Reference
Common questions
The questions people actually ask about the E-Type, 50 of them, each answered briefly here and in full on the page that covers it. Where a figure is disputed, the disagreement is shown rather than hidden.
This page is an index as much as an answer sheet. The short answers below are summaries of material set out at length elsewhere in the archive, and every one carries a link to the page where the sourcing, the caveats and the detail live.
50 questions in the index
The car and its history
When was the Jaguar E-Type made?
It was launched at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1961 and built until 1974. Some of the last cars were first registered in 1975, which is why final-year claims vary.
Who designed the Jaguar E-Type?
Malcolm Sayer shaped the body as an aerodynamicist, William Lyons held final judgement on how it looked, and William Heynes led the engineering.
What did Enzo Ferrari say about the E-Type?
He is very widely quoted as calling it the most beautiful car ever made. A primary source is hard to find, so this archive records it as an attribution rather than a documented quotation.
What were E1A and E2A?
The two prototypes that led to the production car: E1A, an aluminium test car of 1957, and E2A, the 1960 competition prototype that ran at Le Mans.
Was the E-Type based on the D-Type?
Its central monocoque and front frame layout descend directly from D-Type practice, which is why it arrived in 1961 as a developed design rather than an experiment.
Names, series and variants
Is the XKE the same car as the E-Type?
Yes. E-Type is the factory name, XK-E was the North American market name, and XKE is the later run-together spelling of it.
Why was it called the XK-E in America?
The XK120, XK140 and XK150 had already established the XK name with American buyers, so the new car was introduced as the next XK.
How many series of E-Type were there?
Three official series, Series 1, Series 2 and Series 3, plus the collector terms Series 1.5 and Series 2.5 for interim cars.
How do I tell a Series 1 from a Series 2?
Headlamp covers, lamp positions, the size of the bonnet mouth, the badging and the carburettors are the quickest external tests.
What is a Series 1.5 E-Type?
A collector term for the 1968 model year interim cars, built from around August 1967, which combine Series 1 bodywork with open headlamps and other Series 2 changes.
Is Series 2.5 a real variant?
It is an enthusiast label, not a factory designation, used for late Series 2 cars carrying some Series 3 detail.
Which E-Types had covered headlights?
Series 1 cars up to the 1968 model year change. Open headlamps arrived on the interim cars now called Series 1.5.
What body styles were offered?
Roadster, fixed-head coupe and, from 1966, the longer-wheelbase 2+2 coupe. Series 3 dropped the short-wheelbase coupe.
What was the Lightweight E-Type?
A small 1963 competition programme of aluminium-bodied cars built for racing customers, and the rarest of all E-Types.
What is the difference between the 3.8 and 4.2 Series 1?
The 4.2 of late 1964 brought more torque, an all-synchromesh gearbox, a better servo and revised electrics. Quoted power was unchanged.
What is a flat-floor E-Type?
One of the earliest Series 1 cars, before footwells were added. Outside bonnet locks and welded louvres are related early features.
When did the E-Type get the V12?
Series 3, from late 1970 and announced in 1971, on the longer wheelbase for both roadster and 2+2 coupe.
Engines and engineering
What engine did the Jaguar E-Type have?
The twin-cam XK straight six of 3,781 cc, then 4,235 cc from late 1964, and from Series 3 the 5.3-litre V12.
Did the E-Type have an aluminium cylinder head?
Yes. The XK six used an aluminium twin-cam head with hemispherical combustion chambers, racing practice at the time it was designed.
How much power does an E-Type have?
265 bhp gross is the figure Jaguar quoted for both the 3.8 and the 4.2. It is a gross figure of its period and is not comparable with modern net ratings.
Did the E-Type really do 150 mph?
The claim rests on period road tests of factory press cars. A standard car in ordinary condition should not be assumed to match it.
What carburettors does an E-Type use?
Three SU HD8 carburettors on most cars, and twin Zenith-Stromberg carburettors on United States specification cars from the 1968 model year.
Is the V12 harder to look after than the six?
It asks for more discipline rather than more skill: twice the ignition and fuelling components, and cooling that is unforgiving of neglect.
Does the V12 overheat?
A healthy, correctly set up V12 cooling system copes. Most overheating is a fault, not a characteristic, and it is punished harder on the V12 than the six.
What gearbox does an E-Type have?
The Moss four-speed with a non-synchromesh first gear on 3.8 cars, and the all-synchromesh box from the 4.2. Automatic transmission was offered on 2+2 and Series 3 cars.
Why do E-Types run hot in traffic?
Cooling on Series 1 cars is marginal when anything in the system is below par. Jaguar's own answer was the larger intake and twin fans of Series 2.
Why do E-Types leak oil?
Age and design. Some seepage is normal, and the rear crankshaft seal is the classic source. Persistent pooling is a fault to trace.
Can an E-Type run on modern petrol?
Cars are widely run on modern fuel, with owners taking care over ethanol content and older rubber and seals. Ethanol tolerance depends on what is fitted to your car.
Numbers, identification and paperwork
How many Jaguar E-Types were made?
Roughly 72,500 is the usual approximation, and published totals differ. One published source, Magneto, gives 67,300, which is materially lower, and no primary Jaguar document giving one authoritative total has been found.
How do the production figures split between the series?
Series 1 is much the largest group, Series 2 the smallest of the three, and Series 3 roughly a fifth of the total. Published breakdowns disagree about how the interim and 2+2 cars are allocated, and both are shown side by side.
How many E-Types are left?
Nobody knows. No reliable global survival figure exists, and the xkedata.com register is a record of cars logged, not a survival survey.
Does an E-Type have a VIN?
Not in the modern seventeen-character sense. It carries a chassis number, an engine number, a body number and a gearbox number.
Where are the chassis and engine numbers?
On stampings on the car and on the plate in the engine bay. Read the stampings rather than the plate alone.
Can I decode a chassis number to find the year?
A number places a car in a series, a body style and an approximate period. An actual date needs the factory record.
What does matching numbers mean?
That the numbers on the car agree with what the factory recorded against that chassis number. A Heritage Certificate is what settles it.
How do I find out when my E-Type was built?
Order a Heritage Certificate from the Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust, which reports the build and despatch details from the original records.
Do mismatched numbers mean a problem?
Not necessarily. A replacement engine fitted decades ago is common history. What matters is that the car is described honestly.
Buying, condition and ownership
What is the best E-Type to buy?
The one with the soundest structure and the best history. Series and engine preference matters less than shell condition and paperwork.
Where does an E-Type rust?
Sills, floors and the box sections beneath them, the boot floor and spare wheel well, the rear arches, the suspension mounting areas, the front frames and the bonnet's inner structure.
Can a rusty monocoque be repaired properly?
Yes, and it is done well every week. The questions are cost, the quality of the jig work and whether the repair was done to last or done to sell.
Is a resprayed E-Type a warning sign?
Paint proves nothing either way. What matters is what it covers, and whether there is documentation of the work.
Is an original car always the better buy?
No. Originality is one value among several, and a sensitively improved car can be the better ownership proposition. Reversibility is the test.
Is an E-Type expensive to run?
It is a demanding classic rather than an exotic one. Structure decides the size of every later bill, which is why inspection matters more than anything else.
Are parts still available?
Remarkably so, for both the six and the V12, through specialists and the reproduction supply chain. Availability is rarely the problem; quality and fit sometimes are.
Can I maintain an E-Type myself?
Much of it, yes, with a workshop manual and patience. Structural, engine rebuild and geometry work belong with people equipped for them.
Can an E-Type be used every day?
It can be used regularly, and regular use suits it. Daily use in modern traffic asks a lot of the car and of the owner.
Is an E-Type reliable enough for a long tour?
A well-prepared car tours well, and many do so every year. Preparation and a sensible spares kit are what make the difference.
Why does this archive not quote values or prices?
Values move, they depend on the individual car, and pricing content pulls a reference site towards selling. The archive stays with what can be documented.
How much did an E-Type cost when new?
The 1961 roadster was announced at roughly £2,097 including tax in Britain, with sources differing by about a pound, and at a United States price far below its rivals.