Jaguar fans and car fans in general, listen up. This year the iconic Jaguar E-Type turns 50! Yes, it has been that long. The car was launched at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1961, and so Jaguar is planning a few tricks to celebrate a big chunk of its history. Events such as the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, the Nurburgring Old Timer Grand Prix and the Goodwood’s Revival and Festival of Speed will be used.
“Half a century of progress has not diminished the significance of the E-Type,” said Mike O’Driscoll, Managing Director Jaguar Cars and Chairman Jaguar Heritage. “It was a sensation when it was launched, and remains Jaguar's most enduring and iconic symbol. The E-Type is simply one of the most exciting cars ever created and a legacy to the genius of Jaguar's founder, Sir William Lyons.”
The car sold about 70 000 units over the 14 years it was in production, and was bought by such celebrities as George Best, Brigitte Bardot, Tony Curtis and Steve McQueen. Today people like David Beckham, Beyonce, Will Smith and Jay Leno would be possible equivalents. Seriously cool.
“It is impossible to overstate the impact the E-Type had when it was unveiled in 1961,” said Ian Callum, Jaguar Design Director. “Here was a car that encapsulated the spirit of the revolutionary era it came to symbolise. The E-Type is a design that even today continues to inform the work we do in styling the Jaguars of the future.”
The Jaguar E-Type ran a 3.8-litre engine worth 265bhp (197.6kW) and 260lb ft (353Nm) of torque and could go about as fast as 240km/h. While today it might be mistaken for a hot hatch, back then it was considered a super car. In fact it was probably the fastest car in the world at the time.
If you bought the E-Type today you would pay the equivalent of £38 000 (R426 000) in today’s money. Not too bad for “the most beautiful car in the world”, as Enzo Ferrari once described it.
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