Jaguar Classic has unveiled its first matched pair of E-Type 60 Collection cars, and revealed full specification details for the 12 expertly restored and sympathetically uprated 3.8-litre E-Types built to celebrate 60 years of the iconic sports car. The E-Type made its world debut in Geneva, Switzerland on 15 March 1961. The public reaction to the lone coupé available for test drives was so strong that Jaguar rushed a second E-Type, a roadster, from Coventry to Geneva overnight.
Six decades later, the E-Type 60 Collection pays tribute to these two legendary cars: the Opalescent Gunmetal Grey coupé ‘9600 HP’, driven ‘flat out’ by Bob Berry to make the launch itself, and the British Racing Green roadster ’77 RW’, driven by Norman Dewis who was told to ‘drop everything’ to get to Geneva the next day. The E-Type 60 Collection cars, which are sold as a pair (one E-type 60 Edition coupé, one E-type 60 Edition roadster) are finished in exclusive Flat Out Grey and Drop Everything Green paint colours respectively. These colour formulations are inspired by the original 1961 colours and won’t be used on any other Jaguar.
The cars also feature a range of unique E-Type 60 design elements developed in conjunction with Julian Thomson, Jaguar Design Director; subtle enhancements for improved usability and driveability including a five-speed manual gearbox and enhanced cooling; plus the Jaguar Classic Infotainment System with built-in satellite navigation and Bluetooth connectivity. The most distinctive visual highlight for each of the specially produced cars is an engraving by artist and designer King Nerd on the centre console of each car, recalling the drive routes from Coventry to Geneva of those original cars. Each piece of art takes more than 100 hours to create by hand, in consultation with the owner.
