Jaguar E-Type
The 150 mph sensation of the 1961 Geneva show, at half the price of a Ferrari.
The story
Malcolm Sayer shaped the E-Type with aircraft mathematics rather than a stylist's pencil, and Jaguar gave it disc brakes all round and independent rear suspension. It cost about a third of what an Aston Martin did. Enzo Ferrari is said to have called it the most beautiful car ever made.
Inside
Early cars have an aluminium-finished centre panel with a neat row of toggle switches, a thin wood-rimmed steering wheel and low leather bucket seats. You sit almost on the back axle, looking down a bonnet that seems to go on for ever.
In period colours
Tap a colour to respray the drawing.
The bonnet, wings and nose lift forward as one giant piece.
On screen
The Italian Job Film, 1969
Two E-Types are among the beautiful cars the Mafia wrecks on a mountain road as a warning.
Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery Film, 1997
Austin's Union Jack-painted E-Type is the Shaguar.
Meanwhile, in 1961
Yuri Gagarin became the first man in space, and Tottenham Hotspur won the league and cup double.
Best-selling single of 1961: Wooden Heart by Elvis Presley
Before you buy a 1960s car
- Check the sills, floorpans, wheel arches and the bottom of the doors for rust.
- Ask for any old MOT certificates, service records and bills.
- Parts for popular cars are often available from specialists, but trim and body panels can be hard to find.
General notes, not specific to this model. Check the model's own history before buying.
Rivals of its day
Picked automatically: cars on sale at the same time with similar size, speed and price.
See the real thing
These open in a new tab: the car on Wikimedia Commons, the interior and the badge as Google image searches.
Today's money: the launch price adjusted for inflation to 2026, using the Office for National Statistics price index.