To coincide with the 1961 shock-and-awe launch of the Jaguar E-Type at the Geneva Motor Show, British motoring magazines produced road tests that delivered the equally sensational news that this was a true 150 MPH sports car. While the test cars were perhaps just a little tweaked, the high-speed runs also revealed that the fixed-head coupe was even slipperier than the open roadster, and a tad faster, recording a top speed of 150.4 MPH, compared with the 149.1 MPH for the open car. The fixed-head also arrived at its max a little sooner and was a little more costly, though both were a sensational value for the money, at less than half the price of contemporary Ferraris and Aston Martins. With its race-bred DNA and architecture, the monocoque E-Type was initially propelled by a 3.8L version of the famed XK 6-cylinder twin-overhead cam engine that had powered C- and D-Types to a string of Le Mans victories. Yet, more was to come. In 1965, the engine was enlarged to 4.2L, and although still quoted at 265 HP, the new unit delivered better bottom-end torque and midrange pick-up, as well as achieving peak power at lower revs. In one road test, a fixed-head topped out at 153 MPH with 0-60 MPH coming up in 7.6 seconds, prompting the reviewer to enthuse: “In its 4.2 guise, the E-Type is a fast car—the fastest car we have ever tested—and offers just about the easiest way to travel quickly by road.” In addition, by 1965, Jaguar had made other significant improvements, including a less clunky full synchromesh transmission, alternator electrics and more comfortable seats with an adjustable reclining back. That’s what is shown here: a 1965 4.2L fixed-head featuring the advancements, but without any compromises to the purity of form of the covered headlamp original, which Enzo Ferrari so envied and admired. So strong has been the allure of this particular West Coast car (Chassis No. 1E30867) that its original owner has possessed it twice, first from 1965 to 1978, then from 2015 to 2025, with only one other owner in between. When reunited with the car, the original custodian commissioned a multiyear restoration completed in 2023, during which the engine (No. 7E13600-9) was rebuilt and the exterior was refinished in professional-quality urethane single-stage Carmen Red instead of the original British Racing Green. It’s also worth noting that with a production run of 4,249 in left-hand drive, the 4.2L Series 1 fixed head coupe is rarer than its roadster counterpart, which, in its day, was the cheaper option; my, how times have changed.
