Jaguar E-Type 1979 - Series 1 OTS Roadster

This lot will be auctioned via Iconic Auctioneers, The Iconic Sale at the NEC Classic Motor Show 2025 on Saturday the 8th of November, NEC, Birmingham, B40 1NT. , Few cars in motoring history can match the impact Jaguar’s E-Type made when it debuted at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1961. It looked like nothing else on the road and, with a genuine 150 mph top speed, it went like nothing else either. The earliest production cars, those built during 1961, are now regarded as the most coveted of all. Collectors value their purity of design and their numerous distinctive features.Among the most significant of these early traits is the non-recessed flat-floor and other hallmark details included outside bonnet locks, welded bonnet louvres, and various fittings that identify these first cars from the later production run. Even where those external bonnet locks were superseded around chassis 91, as here, the tell-tale mounting points within the sills occasionally remain, a detail frequently lost when later-pattern sills are fitted during restoration.Offered here at the NEC Classic Motor Show 2025 is chassis 121, a superbly presented, UK-supplied, right-hand drive Jaguar E-Type OTS finished in Carmen Red with black leather trim and a matching black hood. The Jaguar Heritage Certificate confirms it was manufactured in September 1961 and supplied new by Newsomes, Coventry, then first registered on the 29th September in the same year. Importantly, the heritage paperwork also confirms it is a matching numbers E-Type block and cylinder head confirmed when cataloguing for the auction. Overall, the entire car presents with the wholesome feel that discerning collectors look for. Other nice details include the welded bonnet louvres, its chassis plate appears original and flat top air-box.The accompanying comprehensive history file includes a wealth of old invoices, Jaguar Heritage Certificate, a copy of the buff logbook and other registration documents, old MOT Certificates, receipts for maintenance and upkeep over the years with the most recent dated May 2024, covering a full service, new battery, and braking system attention.Owning an early flat-floor E-Type offers an experience far beyond the ordinary, it’s an invitation into an exclusive network of custodians that preserve the early examples of Britain’s most admired sports car. Supported by an excellent global network of marque specialists and parts suppliers, maintenance remains straightforward, while eligibility for major classic events and Concours d'Elegance adds to the appeal. As an investment in both driving pleasure and collectability, examples such as this are hard to match, combining beauty, provenance, and engineering excellence in a way that continues to captivate enthusiasts worldwide.