WHEN JAGUAR BOSS WILLIAMS LYONS, by now Sir William, unveiled the E-Type jaguar at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1961, its ecstatic reception rekindled memories of the 1948 British launch of the XK120. British motoring magazines had produced road tests of pre-production models to coincide with the launch-and yes, the fixed-head coupe really could do 242 km / h (150.4 mph). OK, so the road-test cars were perhaps tweaked a little and early owners found 233 km / h (145 mph) a more realistic maximum, but the legend was born. It was not just a stunning, svelte sports car though; it was trademark jaguar sporting package, performance with superb value for money. is Astons and Ferraris, for example, were more than double the money.
ENGINES
The twin-overhead cam. six- cyhnder was a development of the otiginal 3.4-litre XK unit fitted to the XK 120 of 1949. First E-Types had a 3.8-litre unit,then 4.2 from 1964. Conigutation changed in 1971 to a wholly new V12
INTERIOR
The interior of this Series 1 4.2 is the epitome of sporting luxury, with leather seats, wood-rim wheel, and an array of instruments and toggle switches -later replaced by less sporting rocker and less injurious rocker switches.
