The world of E is out of control

Autosport Designs


$350,000.00

 

OUCH!!! Time to sell???

For me, not yet...but if the price is right...who knows?

 

classic showcase sold one in an auction at over $400k...these can go for big money.

 

Pete, this has your name written all over it: Autosport Designs

 

ohhh....3 pedals!!!!!

 

done at the factory!

I'm not wild about the color scheme but that's easily fixed

 

Totally insane price. Its more of a restmod car and probanly not even eligable for concourse. An eagle is crazy enough at this price but at least has reputation. I pass

 

Glad I just got mine

 

so 4 years ago I bought a very tired Espada then spent way too much money getting restored and BACK TO STOCK . I the took it to a few important shows , won some really nice awards . Met Valentino Balboni who actually was a judge at Amelia where I won three of those awards also assuming authenticity played a major role which it did . I have since put 16k in kilometers on it and loved every minute knowing it was working reliable and just the way it left the factory back in 1971.
So now what ................ getting the ich, I buy my favorite British car a 1963 E type Fixed head as shown in the picture . I then spend way too much restoring it , researching it for authenticity . Its matching numbers all around including the original 4 speed Moss box with NO syncro in first !!! then I spend lots of that on just getting it back the way it left the factory . I even pop for authentic original Dunlop crossply nylon tyres . Some say I'm nuts others say that's cool .
So here"s the catch ............... in the world of E types unlike other marques it seems only the early spyder buyers gives a rats ass about originality in fact most are rewarded ??, by means of a high selling price , for changing just about everything to make it drive like a modern car !!!
I for one don't get it !! why not buy a volvo if you want that experience . The real kicker is that stock its still a great car!!!! that's drives , shifts and stops just fine for a 51year old car > A testament to how advanced it was back then .

I cannot tell you today what a top notch authentic early series one COUPE is worth ( and almost don't care) as i have see very little on the market for sale that wasn't actually F 'd up with so much changed or wrong it will spin your head . Maybe I am too new to the British car scene to get it. Its not the same as the Italian car scene for sure .... time to drive now and think less.

just my 2 pence

Gary
Espada
8394
EtypeFHC
887465
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I don't have my E-Type yet. Therefore, I am appalled and deeply saddened by this price trend.

Stop the craziness people! Just STOP!

 

Very nice coupe, Doc!

 

The F type coupe is sexy

Might have an R in my garage after it depreciates some more

 

The early 4.2's are the best E-Type as far as I know.....And IMO there's not a much better experience than what a sorted E-type OTS can deliver, unless you get into the gazillion dollar territory. As long as you can fit in it. They're absolutely beautiful, relatively reliable and perform better than most European cars of that era.

With 190's and other mediocre cars escalating like no body's business it's justifiable that a great car like the E-type can garner respectable prices.

Coming from a '65 OTS owner of course

 

im glad i got mine when i was 16 yrs old......my first car and i still have it.

 

I just bought a '66 4.2L FHC for relative peanuts in a private sale so bargains are out there if you look (and with no small amount of luck). Former owner started a restoration 23 yrs ago and never finished. Body is completely redone with new metal. Engine runs strong. I need to have most chrome bits re-chromed and reinstalled. The interior also needs redoing but former owner included new interior in the sale. One downer is that former owner changed the color from original opalescent silver blue to pale primrose and rattle canned the front subframe and bulkhead to matte black. First order of business is having the car soda blasted and brought back to original color.

Agreed that prices are getting out of control though - even for non-numbers matching cars. It's not like these cars were limited production. Had someone offer me $20k more than I paid for the car sight unseen and before I had actually taken delivery.

 

Absolutely beautiful car. Even with now inflating prices, the S1 E-types are the most beautiful cars for the money and one of the best looking cars ever irrespective of price.

Your car looks just like mine should when done, right down to the color. I'm also going to try to bring mine back to as original as possible, though my car currently has a S2 radiator and twin fans installed, which I might keep since I live in FL.

 

Neat cars. And my old '63 OTS was that nice opalescent blue. They're finally having their days I see.

Edward, that's a neat story. How old are you now? I don't know how many 16 year olds today would pick the XKE.

But still. I would buy a lesser example for a whole lot less money. Or buy a top flight TR3 or MGA for way, way, way less money.

 

Maybe the most beautiful E I have ever seen.

But why on earth would they put those tires on it?

 

Hello all, Although this thread is about Jags I wanted to put my 2 cents in. I've always liked a good discussion about new versus older cars. I don't enjoy the affluence to own an exotic, though I have been fortunate enough to drive quite a few. They are indeed wonderful! Still I have not found one with the fun factor of my old MGB. It has been highly modified for auto-crossing, still, it drives like a 45 year old car. The steering and shifting are just a little stiff compared to the newer cars. What I like about it is it demands my attention to drive it fast. 90 mph feels like 120. I'm sure anyone with an older sports car, Jag, etc. will understand.
Happy motoring to all,

Ron

 

Mine very similar - '66 FHC, bought about 10 years ago for nothing. The guy that worked on the car for me told me it was likely sitting for about 30 years of its life. Interior was replaced at one point, and it's in good condition. Body isn't great, but I have rebuilt carbs, new brakes, new radiator, rebuilt rear and a reconditioned gas tank. Tires are new, car rides great, only 36,000 miles.

If the prices continue, I'll consider selling or trading mine for a S2 FHC + cash.

 

With my car, the body is in fantastic shape. No rust/rot anywhere. Whatever there was had been addressed 23 yrs ago when the previous owner started a restoration but got tired/bored of it. Interior is gutted and the dash/instrument panel have seen better days. Fortunately, the former owner gave me a new interior still in the boxes after 23 yrs and leather is still supple and foam shows no signs of degradation. Brakes are sticky as is the clutch, but engine starts and idles and car will drive. I'd like to restore it to #2 condition so that I'm proud to show it, but not afraid to drive it.

I don't believe that the car has the provenance to restore further. While the engine appears original to the car, there are signs that the cylinder head and gearbox were changed over the years. I do have stacks of receipts for the car dating back to 1972, which is kind of cool. A weird issue is that the car # on the builder's plate and the front chassis member match, but are not a number that E-type sources say would've ever been on a car of any series, let alone a series 1.

I've already toyed with the idea of selling it given that it's a big project and the money would've been better put to use restoring my Alfa Montreal. But the car's good looks ensnared me and I'd hate to give up so soon.

 

One word for you Gary. Volume.
There are far too many e-types, both ots and coupe for anyone to worry about keeping their car original. As you say apart from the first couple of hundred cars that people feel should be kept original being the first line of the breed , most people are quite happy to modify according to their needs. I did the same with my '63 3.8 Ots, even though it had originally been restored to concours level of originality. Mind you I only went so far as upgrading the calipers, bushes, ignition, gearbox and cooling so as to keep the basic character intact but improve the drive ability as I wanted to use my e more regularly and enjoy it without crunching the gears regularly and improve reliability.

It didn't matter to me so much the fact that I had altered a historical artefact as there are so many e's out there that if anyone was looking for a preserved relic they could find one. I think in low or very low production volume cars however there is a greater burden of responsibility to preserve what is there for future generations. That burden I feel reduces substantially as the volume increases. I wouldn't dream of altering my limited production Porsche 959 or even my f40(even though I know some do). Anyway I really enjoyed my e whilst in my possession and I know the next owner is continuing yo enjoy it too. Nothing wrong with that. If however someone wants to be a stickler for originality then that's fine too. However the e is not a model that is associated so much with that, hence the myriad of tuners available for the e.....

 

I'd stick with it! Sounds like the car is a driver, so drive it! Mine is maybe a condition 3 car. From 15 feet, looks great, get close and you'll see the flaws. But I've won many awards with the car, including 1 "Best in Show" and 2nd place in a British-only car show, E-Type category.

Mine is numbers matching, but I do have a different head on the engine. Interestingly, it came from a '66 saloon (I think a 420)? Otherwise, other than the body / interior color - it's mostly original (even the seat belts, which my mechanic said was nice to have with a driver car).

I love the Jag, would hate to sell it. However, I recognize when the values get nuts, maybe better to sell and consider something else. I'd be perfectly happy with a S2 FHC...

 

Each to their own.

Most people who restore E-Type back to orginal spec get bored and continue to develop the car for a bit of fun. At the end of the day everything is reversible with cash.

 

Yeah, but unfortunately it's not even a driver yet. I don't need it to be perfect, but I prefer the original opalescent silver blue (currently painted pale primrose). I'm also a sucker for good looking engine compartments and a series 1 Jag has one of the prettiest engine compartments out there. I don't want it/need it to be concours quality, but it'd be nice if the car looked reasonably close to how it rolled out of Jaguar. I also have no problem making it a bit of a resto mod with Wilwood brakes, slightly wider wheels and wider rubber etc, since it's not a series 1 OTS, numbers matching, flat floor car.

The replacement interior is black (sitting in original plastic wrap in boxes), even though it was originally dark blue but I can live with it. Engine and engine compartment seems a mishmash of series 1 (engine block, intake manifold, carbs etc) and series 2 (radiator and fans, cylinder head and cam covers etc). But right now, it's a shell with the drivetrain installed. All shiny bits (or what had been shiny bits back in the day) are sitting in unorganized boxes (brackets, screws, bolts, nuts washers are all haphazardly lumped together) in my garage and the old, ratty interior has been completely removed. Good time to remove the drivetrain and have the car soda blasted and resprayed in the original color I suppose. But putting everything back together will be akin to a massive jig saw puzzle.

Car # is 1E80087 stamped on both builder plate and front chassis member (near right side front shock). Since this number is impossible according to all Jag resources, I'm still trying to figure out the back story.