Jaguar details recreated E-Type to mark icon's 60th anniversary

Jaguar will celebrate the 60th anniversary of its iconic E-Type sports car with a limited run of '60 Edition' resto-mod cars.

The manufacturer’s in-house Classic department will create six matching pairs of E-Types at its Warwickshire headquarters, styled to pay tribute to the two cars used for the model’s unveiling at that year’s Geneva motor show. 

Each pair will comprise a grey Fixed Head Coupé modelled on a prototype registered ‘9600 HP’ - the example driven from Coventry to Switzerland the night before the E-Type was unveiled – and a green Roadster.

The drop-top will be finished to match '77 RW’, which was driven non-stop overnight from the firm’s factory to Geneva by chief test driver Norman Dewis following an unprecedented demand for passenger rides at the motor show. The cars will not be available for purchase individually.

Both variants will take their power from an original-specification 3.8-litre straight six engine producing around 220bhp. When the E-Type was launched, this powertrain took both 9600 HP and 77 RW to a 150mph top speed in the first media road tests. 

The bespoke 60 Edition specification includes specially formulated ‘Drop Everything Green’ and ‘Flat Out Grey’ paints, named in reference to the story behind the car’s launch, and commemorative design details created in partnership with Jaguar design director Julian Thomson. 

The cars are available to order now via direct contact with Jaguar Classic, which has already acquired the 12 donor vehicles ahead of production beginning in March. The firm has not confirmed pricing, but given that Jaguar Classic's Reborn 3.8-litre E-Type comes with a price tag of around £315,000, the exclusive pair can be expected to cost around £650,000. 

Dan Pink, director of Jaguar Classic, said: “The Jaguar E-Type is a genuine icon, as sensational today as the moment it was unveiled in 1961. It’s testament to the E-Type’s advanced design and engineering that it can still be enjoyed and admired as passionately almost 60 years on.

“The E-Type 60 Collection is a lasting tribute for E-Type admirers, honouring the car’s legacy and the achievements of the team that created it – many of whom have descendants working for Jaguar Classic today, expertly restoring, maintaining and future-proofing enjoyment for generations to come.”

The announcement of the restoration project comes just over a week after Jaguar marked what would have been the 100th birthday of Norman Dewis, who died in 2019 aged 98. 

Dewis played a central role in the development of several iconic Jaguar sports cars during his 33-year career with the firm, including the Mk1 and XJ, as well as successful racers such as the C-Type, D-Type and XJ13 prototype.