As it switches to an electric lineup, Jaguar is basically done with making cars powered by combustion engines. However, if you’re yearning for a freshly built yet vintage car with the leaping cat that feeds on gas, the Jaguar Classic department will hand-build one for you from scratch. Case in point, a “loyal, discerning client in Southeast Asia” wanted a pair of E-Types.
That’s how the Commemorative version was born, 50 years after production of the iconic roadster ended. Using original blueprints from the 1961 Series I all the way up to the Series III launched a decade later, Jaguar Classic built the E-Type Commemorative duo from the ground up. The pair specifically takes after the Commemorative Edition, a special version of 50 units sold in 1974 to mark the end of production. One is finished in Signet Green and the other in Opal Black as a nod to the colors offered half a century ago, right before the E-Type went away.
These are the only truly new E-Types built since then as previous projects have been restorations of existing cars. Power comes from a 3.8-liter inline-six but now with electronic fuel injection instead of the original triple carburetors. In addition, the old four-speed manual gearbox has made way for a more modern five-speed unit. Jaguar Classic says it needed more than 2,000 hours to implement all the upgrades over the classic car. Other tweaks have included a heated windscreen and even Bluetooth radio. Fancy.
Beyond the changes underneath the gorgeous skin, the E-Type Commemorative has Bridge of Weir tan leather seats. The hand-woven upholstery has never been offered before by Jaguar Classic and is complemented by black and tan leather trim. The pièce de résistance is noticeable on the anodized aluminium center console where there’s an engraving of an E-Type Series I blueprint.
Deakin & Francis, Britain’s oldest manufacturing jeweler, was responsible for the solid silver and 18-carat gold details. Elsewhere, knurled silver was used for those lovely instrument panel switches. The drophead coupe’s interior look like a work of art by blending in the nicest materials Jaguar Classic could find.
How much did the cars cost? Jaguar doesn’t say, but certainly a lot more than the E-Type Reborn launched in 2017 for £295,000 (or $383,000 in today’s money). We’re making this assumption based on the fact the Reborn was a full restoration of an existing car whereas the E-Type Commemorative is built from scratch.
In 2021, Jaguar Classic once again revisited what many claim to be the world’s most beautiful car with the E-Type 60 Collection to celebrate six decades since the Series I’s debut. The special version consisted of six coupes and six roadsters that were also comprehensively restored, echoing the launch cars from the 1961 Geneva Motor Show.
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