E-Type UK Restored This Series 1 Jaguar E-Type After Four Decades of Neglect

Designed by aircraft engineer and automotive aerodynamicist Malcolm Sayer after he penned the C-Type and D-Type racing cars, the Series 1 family was produced from 1961 through 1968 in no fewer than three body styles.

The 3.8 FHC before you is a 1964 model that's been sitting in the previous owner's garage since 1979, translating to four decades of neglect. Upon its discovery, the current owner shipped the car to E-Type UK for a nut-and-bolt restoration that includes the painstaking recreation of the original paint job of Opalescent Silver Blue.

Even though it's been sitting for so long between four walls, the garage where it was stored protected the Series 1 from rot and other forms of decay. It's only when E-Type UK sandblasted the chassis and body panels that the extent of the neglect became clear, culminating with what Jaguar E-Type UK refers to as "previous cheap repairs."

The sections that were too rotten to be saved – including areas of the floor as well as the inner and outer sills – have been replaced and strengthened to ensure the car's roadworthiness. Stiffer than when the E-Type rolled off the assembly line in Coventry, the vehicle was then cleaned, skimmed, and block sanded. Long hours of fine-tuning the gaps and apertures followed, and then, fresh layers of paint were sprayed.

Independent rear suspension, improved brake calipers and pads, high-lift cams for the straight-six engine with 3.8 liters of displacement, a lightened crankshaft, new seals, and a new five-speed transmission were also fitted, joined by an aluminum radiator, header tank, and stainless-steel sports exhaust system from the manifolds to the tips.

E-Type UK didn't mention how much the vehicle costs after the restoration, but there are a number of fixed-head coupes and open-top convertibles in stock with the 3.8 straight-six. For example, a Series 1 with 89,200 miles on the clock and a restoration from E-Type UK under its belt is listed for... wait for it... 185,000 pounds sterling.

"40 years of inactivity takes an enormous toll on every single part of a vehicle," said head honcho Marcus Holland. "Not only are we delighted to have delivered our client a car they've always wanted, but we're honored to have played a part in keeping this piece of British motoring history on the road."