The three official series, 1971 to 1974
Series 3, the V12 cars
The V12 E-Type. A 5.3 litre twelve cylinder engine, the long floorpan for both body styles, flared arches, a slatted grille and power steering as standard.
Specification
- Announced
- 1971
- Body styles
- Open two seater and 2+2 fixed head coupe, both on the long floorpan
- Engine
- V12, single overhead camshaft per bank, aluminium block and heads
- Capacity
- 5,343cc
- Carburettors
- Four Zenith Stromberg on most markets
- Gearbox
- Four speed manual or three speed automatic
- Steering
- Power assisted as standard
- Brakes
- Ventilated front discs, inboard rear discs
- Identifying points
- Slatted grille in the mouth, flared wheel arches, wider track, four exhaust tailpipes, V12 badging
Production
| Open two seater | 7,990 | |
|---|---|---|
| 2+2 | 7,297 | |
| Series 3 total | 15,287 | Robson gives 15,290, which agrees closely |
The Series 3 is the one series where the published breakdowns effectively agree, differing by three cars. Production ended in 1974, with a final run of roadsters completing the model.
The Series 3 is a different car with the same silhouette. The V12 is smoother and more powerful than the XK six, the chassis was widened to suit, and the short wheelbase coupe was dropped, so every Series 3 sits on the long floorpan. Whether that makes it the best E-Type or the least is an argument older than most owners.
The engine
The 5.3 litre V12 is an aluminium single overhead camshaft engine with a reputation for smoothness that is entirely deserved and a reputation for difficulty that mostly is not. Well maintained, with good earths, a healthy cooling system and correctly set carburettors, it is durable. Neglected, it punishes neglect faster and more expensively than the six.
What it means to own
- Twelve of everything, so ignition and fuelling work takes proportionally longer.
- Cooling matters more than on the six, and a marginal system will find you in traffic.
- Access is tighter, and jobs that are awkward on a six can be genuinely difficult on a twelve.
- Fuel consumption is heavy, which is a running cost rather than a fault.
The last cars
Production ended in 1974 after thirteen years. A small number of final cars were finished in black with a commemorative dash plaque, and those cars are documented individually in the Heritage Trust records rather than by any general rule, so treat claims about them as needing paperwork.
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.
- xkedata.com, for chassis number ranges and build-record detail.
Last reviewed .