Jaguar has taken the wraps off an eye-wateringly beautiful one-off creation from its restoration skunkworks, showcasing a 1965 Series 1 E-type Roadster at the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Pageant.
Rather than a present for Queen Elizabeth, the E-type is actually a customer-commissioned one-off project. Jaguar got to work sourcing a Series 1 E-type, and has spent the past 12 months rebuilding the mechanicals and refining that beautiful curved bodywork, giving it a deep metallic blue finish inspired by the Union Jack.
Under that long, swooping bonnet, Jaguar has ditched the factory 4.2-litre straight-six and replaced it with a 4.7-litre unit which is paired with a five-speed gearbox. The classic has also been fitted with upgraded suspension and brakes, a sports exhaust and a wider set of tyres.
Inside, the interior received a major overhaul and recondition from its weathered state, with Jaguar’s Classic trim shop even adding a few modern touches in the form of a touch-screen infotainment system with sat-nav and Bluetooth, as well as a set of LED headlights for the exterior. The lucky new owner of the E-type said:
“I wanted a classic E-type that could be relied upon for daily driving and be comfortable on grand tours while remaining authentic to the original- and I’m blown away by the results. You sense the history and knowledge when you enter the Jaguar Classic Works facility, and even after several visits, I still get excited to be in the building. I’m so proud of the car the passionate team has created, and I’m privileged to be part of its story.”
All up, Jaguar brought no less than fifteen cars to the Jubilee Pageant, including a handful of “historically significant” E-types, an I-PACE eTROPHY racer, and seven other historic convertibles to celebrate the Queen’s 70th year as the reigning Monarch.
