Body styles, 1966 to 1974
The 2+2
A body style rather than a series. The coupe stretched on a longer wheelbase with a raised roofline, a longer door, occasional rear seats and, for the first time, automatic transmission.
Specification
- Introduced
- 1966, on Series 1
- Basis
- Fixed head coupe on a lengthened floorpan and wheelbase
- Roofline
- Raised and more upright than the two seat coupe
- Doors
- Longer, to reach the rear seats
- Rear seats
- Occasional, suited to children or luggage
- Transmission
- The first E-Type offered with automatic transmission
- Series 2 change
- A more steeply raked and curved windscreen
- Series 3
- The long floorpan became the only one, so every Series 3 uses it
Production
| Series 1 4.2 2+2 | 3,616 | |
|---|---|---|
| Series 1.5 2+2 | 1,983 | |
| Series 2 2+2 | 5,326 | |
| Series 3 2+2 | 7,297 |
Those are the per-body-style figures. Robson's breakdown instead gives a single 2+2 figure of 10,930 for the Series 1 period, counted separately from his 3.8 and 4.2 totals, which is why 2+2 numbers are among the hardest to reconcile between published sources.
The 2+2 was Jaguar's answer to owners who wanted the car and also had children. It is longer, taller and heavier than the two seat coupe, and the styling change divides opinion more than any other on the E-Type. Series 1 cars carry a flatter, more upright screen; the Series 2 revision to a curved, raked screen improved the line considerably.
Why it deserves attention
For an owner who intends to use the car, the 2+2 is the most practical E-Type. There is more room, more luggage space, and the option of automatic transmission for those who do not enjoy a heavy clutch in traffic. Structurally and mechanically it is the same car, so the archive's advice on rust, engines and running gear applies unchanged.
Points specific to the body
- The longer door is heavy and the hinges and their mountings take the load; check for droop and for repairs around the A post.
- The rear seat floor and the area behind it hold water in the same way the two seaters hold it in the boot floor.
- The larger glass area means more seals, and more places for water to get in unnoticed.
Sources
- Per-body-style production table reproduced in the Wikipedia Jaguar E-Type article, used here as the archive's secondary breakdown and cited as such.
- Production figures attributed to Graham Robson, widely reproduced, which divide the same cars differently from the per-body-style table.
- Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust research guide to E-Type chassis numbering and build dates.
Last reviewed .