2011 is the 50th birthday of one of the greatest sports cars ever built (and, in the words of Road & Track, “the greatest crumpet collector known to man”), the Jaguar E-type. This fact has not escaped the attention of the auction houses: There will be no fewer than 14 E-types for sale during the upcoming auction week in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Shameless plug: You’ll find our 16-page tribute to the E-type in the March 2011 issue of Hemmings Sports & Exotic Car, hitting newsstands as we speak.) Here, grouped alphabetically by auction, are the Scottsdale cats as of this writing:
Lot Number 973.1 is a 1964 3.8-liter Series 1 Roadster, also known as the Open Two-Seater, or OTS. Like all B-J cars, it’s offered without reserve. According to the seller, the car was “fully restored to exacting standards by two JCNA [Jaguar Clubs of North America] judges, Scott Young and Larry West.” The original Moss gearbox, which is included with the sale, was replaced with a fully synchronized ‘box from a later 4.2-liter car.
Lot Number 391.1 is a 1969 Series 2 Fixed-Head Coupe, or FHC. A matching-numbers car, it was recently given a nuts-and-bolts restoration, and is described as being ready for the road.
Lot Number 649 is a 1969 Series 2 Roadster. The seller says the car has 44,000 original miles, and reports having replaced the water pump and the coil; the car also has a stainless steel exhaust, and a relined gas tank. There’s no mention about whether the paint or interior are original.
Lot 11 is a 1964 Jaguar E-Type Series 1 3.8 Liter Roadster, offered without reserve. It’s a matching-numbers example, and was given a full, concours-winning restoration.
Lot 104 is a 1965 Jaguar E-Type Series 1 4.2 FHC, offered without reserve. It was given a rotisserie restoration in 2009.
Lot 6 is a 1967 Series I Roadster Race Car, also offered without reserve. The subject of a $225,000, five-year restoration, the roadster has a five-speed Tremec gearbox, and a trio of Weber 48 DCOE carburetors that help the engine make 380 horsepower and 338-lbs.ft. of torque.
Lot 119 is a 1962 3.8-liter Series I Roadster. Sold new in California, the car has just 7,400 original miles. It still has its complete set of tools – not that they’ve been used much.
Lot 124 is a 1964 3.8-liter Series I FHC. It’s had a comprehensive restoration to factory-correct appearance, and has covered just 30 miles since. The original Moss gearbox has been replaced with an all-synchro ‘box from a later, 4.2-spec car. The 3.8-liter engine is not original to the car, but is the correct type. A stainless exhaust system has been installed.
Lot 144 is a 1967 4.2-liter Series1 OTS, offered without reserve. The car was restored in the early 1990s, and has been driven less than 4,000 miles since.
Lot 134 is a 1965 Series 1 FHC. The car was in original, rust-free condition with just 16,650 miles when the consignor bought it; it’s since been repainted, and has had a new interior installed. The original owner was Bob Leppan, who set a U.S. motorcycle speed record at Bonneville in 1966 aboard the “Gyronaut X1″ streamliner.
Consignment # 9254 is a 1965 4.2-liter Series 1 OTS, offered without reserve. The Austin Powers paintwork just hints at the modifications within: fuel injection, a high-flow cylinder head, Mallory ignition, a stainless steel header, high-capacity aluminum radiator, five-speed transmission (unspecified) and more. It rolls on D-type wheels.
Consignment # 9068 is a 1969 4.2-liter Series 2 2+2 Coupe, equipped with automatic transmission and air conditioning. The 2+2 was recently given a complete restoration, and the engine was rebuilt to cope with modern fuels.
Consignment # 9133 is a 1973 Series 3 V-12 Roadster, offered without reserve. The car received a professional restoration about 10 years ago by a New Zealand specialist; the owner passed away before the job was completed, but his widow had the work finished and had the car shipped back to the U.S. It’s been driven just over 2,000 miles since its restoration.
SILVER
Lot number 57 is a 1963 3.8-liter OTS. Unfortunately, we don’t have a photo, but Silver says it’s a white car with a black interior. The car is fully restored, and is reported to have 73,000 miles on the odometer. “Fully restored driver, not a trailer queen. Car has dealer installed air conditioning and it works,” the consignor says.