When the jaguar e type  was first shown to the press at Geneva on 15 March 1961, pandemonium ensued. This is largely due to the fact that the car was stunning, and still is. However, there are some sceptics out there who claim that the E-type isn’t quite as flawless as we all think. Some of these sceptics are probably jealous or obtuse, but there’s also some truth to the fact that the E-type isn’t as perfect as we all like to think.

The E-type was a road-going version of the Jaguar D-type racing car. Malcolm Sayer had designed a sleek, low-slung body that helped to create an aerodynamically efficient car that could easily reach speeds of 150mph. This was a hugely impressive figure for a production car at the time, especially when you consider that the Beatles had only just conquered America.

The Iconic Jaguar E-Type: A Timeless Classic of Automotive Excellence

In the end, Jaguar decided that a bigger capacity vehicle was needed and so the XJ saloon was created. This was a bigger, four-seater model that offered better practicality, a luggage compartment, and synchromesh on bottom gear. It also had a more powerful engine that gave it more in-gear acceleration than the E-type.

The XJ21 was a popular car and sales were good. However, demand in the USA started to wane and, in 1974, new US safety regulations meant that all cars had to be fitted with ungainly rubber bumper overriders. These distorted the cars’ shape and also made them unable to meet the 30mph rearward crash test required for export to America. Sales slowed even more and by 1967, Jaguar had gone to a four-day working week, with production of the E-type down to just 4989 cars.