Jaguar E-type
THE EARLY CARS
JAGUAR ANNOUNCED the fabulous new E-type to the world at the Geneva motor show in March 1961. It wasn’t until July of that year that the first 50 two-seater roadsters were collected by the well-known gentry owners who had put their names down in advance. The first 91 right-hand-drive roadsters were fitted with outside bonnet locks; only four fixed-head coupés had these as well. Chassis prefix numbers on UK models started at 85 for the open two-seater, 86 for fixed-head coupés. Left-hand-drive cars started at 87 and 88 respectively.
There were many subtle differences on these early cars, notably the two bonnet louvres, which were cut out and recess-welded; the bulkhead had a blanking plate with three small pop rivet holes to allow the Kelsey Hayes servo unit to vent into the bulkhead rather than the engine compartment – later cars had four rivets. After the first 91 roadsters had been produced, Jaguar started making modifications by drilling holes ready for internal bonnet lock catchments. The rear lower bulkhead was flat, thus giving minimal legroom for both driver and passenger. However, in later months, Jaguar produced a special kit that could be popriveted in place to give extra legroom. Early cars also had short seat runners but these were modified later for the new, curved rearlower-bulkhead cars.
The dynamo changed from chassis number 850048, part number RB310, to a more advanced voltage unit. Early cam covers had milled recesses for the fixing nuts. Both clutch and brake reservoir units were bolted to the front bulkhead. In the early cars, the filler caps were round and later cars had square caps. Inside, the dashtop was easily recognised by its slimline design. The glovebox was originally in glassfibre and later cars’ in cardboard.
Boot hinges on the roadster had a spindly single open and close bracket and these were modified later to a double bracket to avoid breakage. Back number plate lights were manufactured by Butlers and not Lucas. In the spare wheel compartment, a single drain plughole was in the centre of the spare wheel compartment. The fuel tank was positioned in the boot with the top of the tank being totally flat in early cars. The instrument panel and centre console was of a dotted aluminium design. The scuttle panel in the rear bulkhead had four horizontal strengthening pressings and later cars had an added vertical strengthening pressing. Door hinges had greased nipples on each door and the early cars’ hinges were handed due to the fixing brackets for the door check straps, marked left and right.
The heater box’s top mesh grille was approximately 5in wide but made smaller on later cars. The early header tank overflow outlet pipe was positioned into the corner. The radiator was aluminium and the frame had horizontal slats. The fuel filter bracket was moved in slightly as it got in the way of the external bonnet catches. The engine breather pipe on cars up to chassis number 850091 was positioned straight onto the road. The chrome top door cappings were slightly recessed at the bottom by 4mm on early cars and had a wide lower windscreen chrome fixing. Also, on early roadsters, the top screen pillar caps were different and had rubber pads screwed on top of the screen rail to avoid wind noise at high speed. All early cars had PL headlights until mid-1962. Jaguar, on all early 3.8 models, used fixed-head doors that had been amended to fit the two-seater roadster. The air filter box on early cars was flat with no grooves. Top of the cylinder head between the two cam cover early cars were painted in a deep coral.