1961 Jaguar E-Type

To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION WITHOUT RESERVE at RM Sothebys Sealed June event, Bidding Closes 24/25 June 2026.
Offered Without Reserve $150,000 - $200,000 USD

• Full restoration by Jaguar Classic in the UK at a cost of nearly 400,000
• Numerous Jaguar Classic upgrades, including air conditioning, upgraded brakes, and suspension
• Highly sought after first model year E-Type Series I with flat floors

Built for the first model year of production, the E-Type offered here is an early Series I 3.8-Litre Roadster, further highlighted as an early production car due to its flat-floor configuration. A U.S. delivery example, it is believed that this car spent the vast majority of its life in the Pacific Northwest. The car had spent the vast majority of its life in static storage, finally emerging from three decades in a single-car garage in Seattle in 2018. Having been purchased early on in its life by a resident of Portland, Oregon, the car had been moved to Seattle with the intention of being fully restored, but this never came to fruition.

Purchased by the consignor from the long-term owners family in 2018, the E-Type was finally given the new lease on life it deserved. Immediately following his acquisition, the car was shipped to the U.K. where a full restoration was commissioned by Jaguar classic in Coventry. There, the car was refinished in Portofino Blue paintwork over a red leather interior. It received a number of factory upgrades to aid in drivability which included air conditioning, an aluminum radiator, four piston upgraded brakes, and a suspension upgraded kit. Restored at a cost of nearly 400,000, the car was completed two years later and was subsequently returned to California where it has remained ever since.

Arguably one of the most iconic automobiles ever built, a car even Enzo Ferrari allegedly stated was the most beautiful car ever built , the E-Type is to many the definitive British sports car. Easy to drive and enjoy on modern roads and practical enough for a weekend getaway, a well-sorted E-Type is a must have in any collection, and would be an ideal starting point for someone looking to enjoy their first collector car. Benefitting from a Jaguar Classic restoration, one would be hard pressed to find a more impressive example.
To view this car and others currently consigned to this auction, please visit the RM website at rmsothebys.com/auctions/s0626/.