One could argue that the jag e type -was the most influential car of modern times. But no one can really measure its impact on our culture, or how many people’s lives it touched. One figure we might float is that every single one of the 72,000 cars made was responsible for creating 10 or 20 Jaguar people and 40 or 50 car people who were profoundly influenced by this piece of modern art.
The E-type was Jaguar’s reaction to the XK120’s need for an overhaul. Its shape and many of its structural features were adapted from the D-type Le Mans racer but it was designed for the road and offered at a price that left Ferrari and Aston Martin in awe 13 years later.
Jaguar E-Type: Unraveling the Timeless Allure of an Automotive Legend
It wasn’t just the E-Type’s looks that stunned when it was first unveiled in March 1961 at Geneva but its performance as well. The E-type’s independent rear suspension, disc brakes and 3.8-litre XK engine put it in a different league to its rivals. This was a car designed for the road that had a racing pedigree and could achieve speeds of 150mph.
The early production models were built-up from panels supplied by Abbey Panels and welded together on a small factory line in Browns Lane. It was not until the Series 2 cars arrived that production methods were streamlined to meet demand and these were more like mass-produced sports cars.