“ITS NEW OWNER DOESN’T RUN MUCH RISK OF PARKING UP NEXT TO ANOTHER”
Series I is the most coveted, and examples are usually proclaimed as the most visually pleasing, thanks to a more sculpted and sensuous snout that features less chrome work and a delicate small grille.
The Series III however had its own party piece when the curtains dropped in New York in 1971. Housed under its long bonnet sat a singing 5.3lt V12.
It was the V12 engine that grew the Series III’s front grille for additional cooling properties, where a larger radiator resides. Derived from a racing V12 intended for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the engine breathed through four Zenith carburettors, and was capable of 203kW.
An automatic transmission was a popular option and the floorpan now in use, from the longer 2+2, offered more cabin space.
This particular Series III E-type is for sale at the Healey Factory in Melbourne. In original specification, it represents one of only 1871 factory right-hand-drive convertibles (less than a quarter of the entire open-top production pool), and further still, one of the 12 per cent of all Series IIIs. It’s also one of the rare factory manuals which, according the Healey Factory, is the rarest specification of all this generation.
So it’s safe to say its new owner doesn’t run much risk of parking up next to another drop-top factory manual Series III.
So how much for this gorgeous classic convertible you might be wondering? Well, the car is listed at $225,000 unregistered.
Yes, that’s a lot of money, but far more affordable than a coveted Series I in this condition, and try to find a drop-top V12 Ferrari of the same vintage for anywhere near this price.
In today’s motoring climate of greyscale SUVs, and electronic gadgetry, the feeling the wind in your hair with all twelve-cylinders on full song has to be worth something!