1973 Jaguar XKE E-Type

The Jaguar E-Type (XK-E) was introduced at the Geneva International Motor Show in March of 1961 and served as the replacement to the XK 120 which had premiered in 1948. Enzo Ferrari called the E-Type the most beautiful car ever made, and one example lives in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.

The Jaguar E-Type was produced from 1961 through 1975 and a decade after its introduction, the design had progressively matured through various developments resulting in the Series 3. They were much softer in nature, slightly larger, and had traded some of its youthful wildness for a matured, long-legged touring profile. The smooth and torquey 5.3-liter engine resting beneath the bonnet had originally been developed for LeMans, and body styles included a Roadster (convertible) or a 2+2 Coupe. These later cars are distinguished from their six-cylinder predecessors by the flared wheel arches housing wider tires, a pronounced bonnet bulge, large cross-slatted front grille, updated bumpers, four exhaust tips, and a badge on the rear that proclaims it to be a V12. Mechanical improvements included the uprated brakes (ventilated front discs), anti-dive front suspension, and Lucas transistorized ignition, and Adwest power-assisted steering was standard equipment, and a large horizontal scoop added to the underside of the bonnet to assist with cooling. An automatic transmission was one of the more popular options, replacing the standard four-speed manual.

The twelve-cylinder engine was more than powerful enough to offset the weight gain over the preceding 4.2-liter XK six, ensuring that performance was undiminished. The engine weighed just 80 pounds more than the cast-iron-block six that it replaced, and the all-alloy, 5.3-litre, overhead-camshaft V12 produced 272bhp, an output good enough for a top speed in excess of 140mph. Zero-to-sixty mph was accomplished in 6.4 seconds and it had a 0-100mph time of around 16 seconds, making the V12 the fastest-accelerating E-Type ever.

The interior was new and provided more comfortable seating, a smaller, dished, and leather-rimmed steering wheel, and stylish new door panels.

Approximately 7,990 Series 3 Roadsters were sold worldwide before production ceased in 1975.

The 1973 Jaguar XK-E (E-Type) was offered as a convertible or a coupe. Power was from an overhead-cam 12-cylinder engine displacing 326 cubic inches and delivering 240 (net) horsepower. There was a four-speed automatic transmission, disc brakes, rack-and-pinion steering, wraparound bumpers with overriders, and dual exhausts. They had an adjustable steering column, heater/defroster, leather upholstery, a padded dashboard, and reclining bucket seats with adjustable headrests. Pricing began at $8,500 (USD) for the convertible and $8,900 (USD) for the 2+2 coupe.

by Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2019