When was the last time you saw a daily driver Jaguar E-Type? The answer’s never for me. Heck, I rarely see a Jaguar over twenty years old of any variety on the streets, let alone a two-seater. So I did a double take, then a triple take, when I spotted this sitting in a shopping center parking lot.
The E-Type being one of the coolest cars of all time, they come pretty dearly these days with many buying them specifically so they can look good behind the wheel of such an icon. That’s certainly not the case here. The owner isn’t trying to be retro cool or have the fanciest collector car. He’s just getting groceries, as he does every week in his car, which of course makes him and his Jag way cooler.
We’ll look a little closer at this survivor Jag and its long-time owner after a brief survey of Jaguar and the E-Type, or XK-E as it was marketed in the U.S. (If you want to skip that and go straight to this car’s story, scroll down 9 photos to pick up the narrative.)
Clark Gable and Sir William Lyons at MGM Studios with Gable’s first XK120.
William Lyons started the company in 1920 (at the age of 20!) initially building motorcycle sidecars and branching out into automobile bodies. They built their first full vehicles in 1931, establishing an early reputation for building stylish, capable cars with aggressive pricing. Their sports cars were well-regarded, but became especially celebrated after WWII with the introduction of the XK120 in 1948. It was a brilliant car with a very advanced engine and high-performance chassis wrapped in a curvaceous, well-proportioned body. Beautiful people liked to be seen in them, such as Clark Gable above, who bought one of the first ones.
1955 Jaguar D-Type
The first step to the E-Type was the 1955-57 D-Type race cars. These won three times at LeMans and had top finishes in many other races. It was considered revolutionary in aerodynamics and the structural stiffness of its monocoque body/chassis. It was also an early adopter of disc brakes to great effect.
Prototype E1A in 1959
Meanwhile, Jaguar evolved the XK120 into XK140 and XK150 versions. By the late 50’s it was clear the company needed an entirely new design for its production sports car. The D-type racer (and derivative XKSS) served as the concepts for the new road car. Though the bodywork looks gracefully styled, its form was designed for function over appearance. The body designer was Malcolm Sayer, whose prior experience was in aircraft design. He was not so much a stylist as an engineer, though he was the rare engineer who also possessed artistic skills and sensibilities. The elliptical theme used for the D-Type was refined further for the E-Type using aerodynamic principals, mathematical processes, and extensive calculations though not any actual wind tunnel testing. The resulting shape was beautiful but also one of the most aero-efficient production cars of its time in the early 60s.
The suspension was as modern as the aerodynamics. The front had a double-wishbone torsion bar setup, while an independent rear suspension replaced the XK150’s leaf-sprung live axle. Inboard disc brakes can be seen to the sides of the differential.
The chassis was also quite advanced, with a monocoque or unitized body utilizing a large front subframe for the engine and suspension and a small subframe for the rear suspension. These techniques helped make it 500 lb. lighter than the XK150 while also much stiffer.
The new E-Type caused a sensation when released in 1961 (seen above at the official launch at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1961). Demand far outstripped Jaguar’s production capacity for good reason: The stunning body covered a car that had 265hp propelling it to 60mph in 6.8 sec on the way to a top speed of almost 150mph, and still delivered 17mpg (presumably not at 150mph!). The car came standard with wire wheels, four wheel disc brakes, leather seats and the aforementioned IRS.
The list price for all this excellence was $5,595 for the roadster, which is not bad for one of the highest performance sports cars you could buy in 1961/2. Adjusted for inflation, that’s $59k, or about $20k less than a base Jaguar F-Type today. It cost about $2k more than a base Corvette, but it was more sophisticated than the C1 ‘Vette. Any Ferrari or Mercedes two-seater would have cost you twice as much or more.
Today, E-Types are naturally enough most often seen at higher-end car shows, auctions, or concours events. I photographed this restored 1967 [Series 1.5 67-68; Series 2 68-71] at the RMSotheby’s auction in Scottsdale last year sporting a stunning maroon paint job that the photo doesn’t really do justice to (the auction house photos are much better).
The pre-auction estimate turned out to be quite optimistic when the gavel went down at $114k. Later year models like the 67 don’t tend to go for as much as the Series 1 cars. At RMS’s Monterey auction last year they sold a ‘64 roadster (same year and model as our subject car) for $285k!
So you can imagine my surprise one day at work when I spotted a Series 1 E-Type sitting in that shopping center parking lot. And the Jag wasn’t in a swanky part of town, where one might expect to occasionally see a classic European hobby car out and about on a weekend. This was in industrial east Houston, across several railroad tracks from anywhere that could be considered a fashionable district.
The fact that this was obviously no show car only made it more intriguing and its charmingly imperfect condition took away nothing from its inherent beauty to my eyes.
Just look at that expressive face and try not to love it. Count the number of windshield wipers while you’re at it.
It looked like a car that gets driven and I really wanted to know the rest of the story. With the window down, I thought the owner might be close at hand. He was nowhere to be seen, though, and I had to live with the mystery.
Some mysteries aren’t meant to persist. A couple months later I was driving in the same part of town and saw the Jag sitting in a driveway. The owner was closing the gate that leads to the garage preparing to leave. Of course I quickly parked and accosted him with enthusiastic questions.
The answers were well worth the wait. This gentleman has owned the car since 1966! Not quite the original owner, but close enough. It has basically been a daily driver the whole time, though he is retired and doesn’t drive as much these days and splits his driving with two other classic cars (which he showed me: a ’78 International Scout and ’66 M-B 280SE owned since 1970 that’s even nicer than the Jag). It has about 200k miles and is unrestored, though it has been repainted once and could probably use it again.
The engine is original, but has been rebuilt.
And what an engine it is! The XK Six engine had been introduced along with the XK120 car in 1948. Its dual overhead cams and hemispherical combustion chambers were unusual for its price class in the 1940’s and the initial 160hp rating was enough to propel the car to 120 mph (hence the name). The original 3.4L displacement was used through the end of the XK150’s run in 1961, though a 3.8L version became optional in 1958. Still fed by three SU carbs and making 265hp and 260lb-ft, the 3.8 became the standard engine in the new E-Type. 1964 would be the last year for the 3.8 when displacement increased to 4.2L in 1965. It was replaced in the E-Type by a new V12 in 1971 for the car’s final iteration (Series 3 1971-74).
When originally engineered, Lyons directed that the engine should not only be technologically ambitious, but also visually handsome. The XK engine delivered on both counts and reliably made extraordinary levels of smooth, responsive power for its size and era. And it would be hard to find a sexier looking mill from any time.
The owner confirmed that he had driven it to the grocery store the morning I first found it. Like all good auto caretakers, he parks it as far away as possible from other vehicles. I mean like seriously far away, as he has done for 58 years and counting.
Another thing that struck me that day was when I showed the photos to a coworker. He’s thirtyish, not a car guy, and when it comes to classic cars wouldn’t know a Jaguar from a Jalopy. He looked and said, “It’s kind of goofy looking and ugly. Like a cartoon car.” What?!? How can the sexy and sinewy silhouette that has spurred the imagination of multitudes be lost on the younger generation?
Perhaps it’s not so hard to fathom for a cohort brought up on front-wheel-drive cab-forward jellybeans, space-optimized minivans and SUV’s and four-door pickup trucks. The E-Type defies their sense of automotive proportions with its wildly long hood and narrow track accentuated by skinny wire wheels tucked under and partially concealed by the low wheel openings. Apart from having four wheels, it shares practically nothing in common visually with modern vehicles, even sports cars.
Apparently that’s me shadow flexing. No, my arms aren’t that big and my head’s not that small.
Even in 1961, the E-Type was a very distinctive car and its unique look continues to power its popularity among enthusiasts if not, apparently, the general public.
The owner of this fine ’64 will also attest to its general excellence and reliability. He fell in love with the car 58 years ago and doesn’t intend to end that marriage anytime soon. He has no desire to own any modern cars, so he’ll keep driving it around town with the few lucky people who see it witnessing, whether they realize it or not, the world’s coolest grocery getter.
photographed in Houston, TX January 22, 2023
related reading:
Curbside Classic: Jaguar XK-E Series II: The Stuff Of Dreams, The Source Of Nightmares by Dave Skinner
Cohort Pic(k) of the Day: Jaguar E-Type 4.2 Series II – “Sooo Beautiful” by PN
1961 Jaguar E-type Proves Every Bit as Great as It Looks – original December 1961 Car & Driver road test
I’m a fan of driving one’s old car regularly. It’s the best way to keep them reliable.
And while a trip to the shops isn’t exactly one of the world’s greatest drives, driving your classic can help make a mundane trip fun.
what a cool story, thanks for sharing
It surely would seem bonkers if middle-age folk from the mid-2050s pay fortunes for drab-grey Buick Envistas the cool kids’ parents had when they were kids, and cars from way before their time, like this Jag, just look alien to them, much how 1930s cars that arent’ 12 ro 16 cyilinder Cadillacs, Deusenbergs, or Packards don’t fetch what they once did now that harddy anyone remembers them or remembers even wanting them. I do remember the follow-up XJS as a kid which never did much for me, and long assumed they were produced a decade apart from the last Type E’s.
Yes, stock Model As and Ts and such have a much more limited market than they used to. Aspirational cars will always have some collector value. Back in the 30s, even a coupe or roadster A was aspirational to younger folks, so those were popular as classics. 4 door sedans not as much. Whatever is aspirational for folks today will be popular hobby cats in the future. I don’t think a Buick Envision is considered aspirational or fun by very many young folks today.
Of course, cars like the E-Type will always have a market, even when nobody remembers them new anymore.
What a cool guy! That’s the nice thing about salt-free climates – one doesn’t HAVE to have a newer car as a daily driver. Nice persistence on getting the story, Jon.
If you look closely at the engine pictures, the inner surfaces at the bottom of the hood edges look like they have some rust. I don’t know for sure if the Jag has been in the South its entire life, but with the rain and humidity here some rust is not out of the question. But nothing like salty areas, of course!
Very cool write-up and find, I love it!
Speaking of E-type DDs, back around 2010 I was renting a house just north of the hospital and would often bike through the parking lot on my way downtown or to campus (it was more direct to do so).
For a while, there was a restored dark blue 2+2 XKE series 3 V12 coupe there. Which, while it was an awesome sight to behold in central Iowa, was not the E-type I would’ve bought!
Thanks! I agree that a Series 3 wouldn’t be my choice (though probably the most affordable) The interiors are nice and I wouldn’t object to a V12, but I just don’t like opening up the front wheel openings. It neuters the classic look of the car. I haven’t looked at the specs, but I think the track is wider so at least there would be a functional benefit.
Props to the E-Type owner! Love his other vfehicles too.
The bonus is that regularly driven vehicles tend to stay running. My only car in the ‘States is 53 years old (just arrived to work in it) and I used to use my ’66 Corvette every day – including when I lived in Paris. These old cars can do what they were designed to do – if a bit less comfortably (rarely air conditioned), needing a lot more driver input and with a lot less passive safety. Parts availability and prices for some of them are actually very good and they can generally be maintained and serviced by the owner.
What a great find, and nice that you got to speak with the owner. Now this may sound as blasphemy, but as someone who was born half a decade before this car’s launch, and grew up with it as an iconic shape, I’ll say that at some point about 40 years ago I started to see some awkward surface shaping around the front, not helped by the details of the bumpers and chrome trim, nor by the US market headlight changes. Not quite cartoonish, but a little off. And with the passage of time, I can’t unsee that. Still, it’s a pretty fantastic car, and with its IRS and twin cams and disc brakes seemed so sophisticated compared to a C2 Corvette.
Having to drop the headlight covers in ’68 because of the US regulations was very unfortunate, and those additional bumperettes trying to protect the radiator opening don’t help either. But yes, it’s not exactly perfect, and I think that comes mostly from its evolution from the XKSS racer. Racing cars often have styling compromises for obvious reasons, but for a production car, that can impact a bit.
I think you mean the C1 Corvette? The C2 did have IRS, and got discs in ’65. As their engines, the Jag may have had overhead cams, but the Corvette could walk away from it.
Oops, I did mean C1.
I can think of no better use for a classic car than for it to be driven just like a “regular car”. So I wholeheartedly agree with this Jag’s owner’s decision. I just hope that he can keep his car safe from inattentive drivers driving vehicles that are twice as tall (or more) than the E-type.
Thanks for posting, Jon. I recognize the neighborhood though it is not one I visited often.
I lived in Houston all my life having recently relocated to central Texas. I may know the owner of this car. Mention of the Scout and 280 SE gives me confidence in my assertion. That the gentleman would use the XKE as a daily driver practically cinches my belief.
What is wrong with your coworker!? IMO, and I stand by it vigorously, the Jaguar XKE roadster and Dino 246 GT are the two most beautiful production automobiles ever to grace the byways of this planet.
Denver Harbor is the neighborhood. That’s neat you know the owner. I can pretty much guarantee there’s no one else with that stable of cars in the east side of Houston.
I guessing you’re not a Millennial. If so, your tastes would be in line with your generation. I’m sure there’s a car-loving minority of younger people who love cars like the E-type or Dino, but to the majority, even among those that might casually like cool cars, those old sports cars look alien.
Boomer, actually. I did not appreciate the aesthetic qualities of all automobiles of that era when I was younger. Thanks, I think, to an architectural education and many years of asking “why?” I’ve come to appreciate such cars as the first generation Corvair and Volkswagen Karmann Ghia.
In fact, my first car was a BMW 2002 when the high school lot where I parked it each weekday was heavy with Camaros, Chevelles, and Mustangs. Of course, I was as much taken with the fun of driving the BMW as the way it looked.
I endorse this heartily. It’s how cars are meant to be used.
Interesting find and great that you got to talk to the owner and get the history. I like that it gets used regularly, and looks used, not perfect.
Very cool car, and I have to say, good on the owner for using it as intended – while obviously taking good caution to preserve it. Maybe a controversial statement, but I’d put forth that every real car guy knows that museum-ready cars are for museums! Now, I’m not saying to drive your rare classic or ten-thousand man-hour restomod to work every day, but you’re incapable of truly enjoying a car if the thought of a few rock chips or scratches keeps the car in the garage under a cover for months at a time. There’s also something beautiful about the weathered but cared-for look. The “patina” craze went a little too far the other way – faked patina! come on, that’s about as classy as a Fiero with a Lamborghini body kit – but it did hit on the authenticity aspect that often gets lost with show piece cars.
On the E-type, I love the car, love the shape, and would love to own one (“if I were a rich man, ya ba dibba dibba”). I can sort of see the “cartoonish” comment, but to the extent it’s accurate, it’s more compliment than criticism. The thing is, if all stylists worried about was taking things too far, you’d have nothing but a bland swing back and forth between mildly boxy and mildly curvy styling. So I think the E-type was an example of pushing the envelope without breaking it (except in the minds of the stodgy cynics). Now, some cars (the Continental Mark II comes to mind) stand tall by being reserved and understated, bucking the trend of the day. Ironically, the Mark II was basically a market failure, which makes it kind of remarkable that Lincoln had the guts to run the same play (and win this time) five years later. In both cases, the cars that really work, stylistically, are the ones that poke through the artificial boundaries bureaucratic group-think tends to erect in car companies, whether it’s marked by excess (massive chrome grills and tail fins), or stodginess (the early 80s come to mind; maybe not the best example). I will say, the E-type coupe works a little better (to my mind). Either way, Jaguar did it right: a shape that you might guess originated in a cartoon doodle, but still looks functional and shows just enough restraint.
Of course, I’m not asserting it’s cartoon-like. That’s an opinion that was told to me which was so novel to me that I found it as fascinating as unbelievable. Upon reflection, I could kind of see how someone unfamiliar with the car or era might think that.
I agree that the world would be boring if every creator only made safe choices and never pushed the boundaries. But maybe the E-Type was a little safe? I wasn’t around, but I get the impression there was a wide consensus at the time that it was a beautiful design.
Sorry, I did get that it was a coworker who said it was cartoonish; I hope I didn’t come across the wrong way. The thing is, I could see a shape like an E-type – only blown out of proportion – in a cartoon. That’s not a bad thing: the essential shape can work both places. Maybe being able to draw a cartoon car is a benefit for a stylist.
The E-type was a big hit, as I understand it. I think even Enzo Ferrari heaped praise on it. I don’t think the E-type was unduly conservative – I actually think it pushed the boundaries just enough. Any further, and it might have been cartoonish in and undesirable way; suck those bulges in though, and you have something more like a Miata – does the job, but not in a “can’t look away” fashion.
Even in the little town at the bottom edge of the planet these cars were about and dailied years ago, Jags were actually quite common, having a large Jag wrecking operation nearby meant parts were easy to get, that wrecker still exists E types in as dailies not so much, The price of gas has seen to that$10-$14 per gallon has seen to that, plus of course they got valueable,
When my old car is fixed again it will see daily or close to it use when I am in the same town it easily copes with modern traffic our speed limit in 3rd gear doesnt bother it and the mpg though not at modern DOHC 4 banger standards isnt as bad as some older cars.$125 to fill it from empty isnt a help,My C5 gets similar MPG @3.3 tonnes towing.
Very nice, our own Jaguar a little (or a lot) further down the “_ -Type” ladder is closing in on 200k miles as well, who ever said Jaguars can’t go the distance, pssshhhh!
I’m a firm believer in driving cars rather than letting them sit in a garage and wiping them with a clean diaper, no car was built to just sit stationary, so one might as well enjoy them as much as possible. Otherwise just get rid of it and let someone else enjoy it. Same as with people, get out there and do stuff vs sitting on the couch 24/7, might as well just get embalmed now before the price goes up.
Good post and good job getting the backstory!
Nice pic! Go ahead and drive that Porshe in the snow! It doesn’t even look like a Carrera 4. I have no personal experience but I would guess 911s are actually decent in snow what with the rear engine.
A sedentary lifestyle kills for sure.
Thanks, I always try to get a backstory if I can. As much for my own curiosity as for any article.
Lovely story and car .
The paint perhaps is Lacquer ? .
A friend of mine Henry has a blue 1964 E-Typ Coupe, I prefer those .
He loves giving it the spurs, I can’t keep up even on my Motocycle .
Recently we were in central California on a long forgotten farm road (Ponoche Rd.) when the pavement ended and he ripped the exhaust system off……
He drove it back to the motel .
Kudos to all and sundry who still _DRIVE_ their auld crates .
I hate patina, my hobby car is all beat & rusted to crap and I hate it .
-Nate
Always though those Jags were great looking cars. A high school classmate had one in 1970 that was a 2+2. I know not a coupe but still a Jag and the only one I ever saw up close and personal.
Driving our old cars as dailies sounds nice but frankly scares me too much. Traffic and drivers in the Bay Area are either in too big of a hurry, not paying attention, or both. Since my father’s 04 LeSabre got whacked twice in 12 months hasn’t helped. Both times not paying attention. One of the old cars, if that happened, would need to be transported to Reno for repairs since they are all SS paint. No SS paint allowed in California unless a hobbyist. Can’t make BC/CC look like Single Stage and can’t have both on the same car. At least I won’t. Don’t even think about the chrome bumpers.
Still the World’s best crumpet collector, as Henry Manney once said !
This site has always been about cars no-one in the sensible world gives two hoots about, and I love it dearly for that.
But, my goodness, props, Mr S, props. I mean, really? A daily-ed ’64 Jag E-type, owned all-but since new? That’s just outrageously remarkable! And we only know this because of your efforts, so please, take that bow.
Your co-worker doesn’t just have to be from where he is in time to have the opinion he does, though.
I always thought the E to be slightly odd, at least, as deified. Those hidden wheels. That bonnet just a few inches too far. (“C’mon, man, put it AWAY!”) The slightly messy bum stuck just a bit too high for decency (which such messiness only got worse in time). Something of the dachshund can’t be denied, if you look a certain way at it, and fine as I’m sure that sausage-doggy is, the dog does look as much edible as loveable.
The V12 – convertible only, the coupe is a carbuncle – fixed a collection of this stuff. In my eyes, the delicately-lipped arches, with wheels that weren’t so shy, this especially was needed, as was the longer wheelbase which justified that honker of a schnoz, now led by an actual grille instead of a lippy space. History, of course, in the opinion-sense of some one like that meglo, Ferrari, says I’m wrong, but I’ve always noted that there’s been enough people in the actual market to justify my view, in the sense that they’re prepared to pay about the same for either (early or quite late).
I do hope the owner lives to 105, and when his time is up, he’s in the carpark in the Jag, intending to buy a roll of stickytape.
Thank you, justy!
My opinions on E-Types are more conventional, preferring the early cars. I think the hidden front wheels are integral to the look. Seeing the whole front wheel is somehow a bit much. The larger grille doesn’t really bother me, but the covered headlights are much cooler. My top choice would probably be a 4.2L series 1 (65-66)
Loving this! A number of years ago, I shot several pics of a chrome bumper E-Type in a country club parking lot, but have never written it up. I like this story better!
Great story! I always appreciate a fellow Houstonian car guy!