HISTORY
As it turns 55, we look back at the E-Type that everybody forgets and ask whether it might be the best buy of the bunch.
T HE JAGUAR E-Type is one of themost desirable models in the company’s illustrious history. Sleek, stylish, swift and certainly sexy, the E-Type tops the list ofmost desirable classic cars formany old car fans,whethermarque devotees or not. And yet there is an E-Type that has been long overshadowed – one that offers the real experience, butwith added value. Most enthusiasts are fans of the very first E-Type; the Series 1,with its enclosed headlamps, dainty tail lights, and bank of interior toggle switches. There are some though – contemporaries of the model, predominantly,who remember the impact its power output had –who advocate the later,more refined Series 3model, sitting on a longerwheelbase andwith 5.3 litres of V12 power.
But between the two sits the Series 2 – a model that turns 55 this year.While people are nowcontent to dismiss the car as a facelift, therewere awealth of revisions to the E-Typewhich changed its appearance and improved safety, butwithout compromising the purity of the driving experience in the sameway that the Series 3would radically alter the car’s character. The story of the Series 2 actually begins in 1967,with the introduction of a revised Series 1 that has now become known unofficially as the Series 1.5 model. This was a Federalised specification, with modifications made for safety and efficiency. The SU carbs were replaced with Zenith-Stromberg carburettors, the headlamps lost the glass covers, and the dashboard was revised with rocker switches in place of the earlier toggles. There were burst-proof locks, a new plastic surround to the interior mirror, and wider seats. All this made the model more palatable to the American market in the face of impending legislation, and it was upon this basis that the official Series 2 of the following year would build.
It’s not surprising that the Series 2 has become a bit of a forgotten child – with five years of Series 3 production, six of Series 1 and just under two years of the Series 2, production was always going to be overshadowed by its predecessor and its successor. Just 18,808 Series 2s were made between October 1968 and September 1970 – 8641 roadsters, 4878 fixed-heads and 5329 2+2s. By contrast, there were 15,292 Series 3s made across just two body types, and 38,389 Series 1s.
Externally, the revisions were clear – starting at the back the tail lamps had been re-sited below the bumper on a new bright panel – bigger units from Lucas, which would subsequently be shared with the Lotus Elan +2 and early iterations of the Europa. The bumper itself was now full width, with the rear plate sited beneath the bumper rather than recessed within it. Wire wheels when fitted lost the ears from their spinners an
