Description
Offered for sale on behalf of a fastidious collector and long-time client is an exceptionally fine, mechanically excellent, numbers matching 1973 Jaguar E-Type Roadster Series III, finished in sharp and timeless Old English White over an incredibly well-executed refurbished tan interior. Sporting the desirable manual transmission and only 52k original miles, this gorgeous roadster was extensively sorted and refreshed by marque experts British Sports Cars in nearby San Luis Obispo over the past few years at a cost of more than $17k. The work included (but was not limited to):
- Oil leaks were repaired in the following locations:
- Speedometer seal
- Crank shaft
- Oil pan
- Oil cooler
- Filter housing
- New clutch
- Resurfaced flywheel
- New slave cylinder
- New return spring
- New transmission mounts
- Gearbox flush and seal
- New starter
- New brake pads
- New rubber lines
- Full A/C service with new compressor
- Coolant flush and new hoses
- New belts
- New fan (blades/motor)
- New u-joint
- New wire wheels, knock-offs and tires
- New steering wheel
- New headlamps
Unsurprisingly, the car is mechanically excellent, the original 5.3L V12 engine starting effortlessly without any smoke, idling consistently and pulling strongly and smoothly through each of the manual transmission’s gears. The car is a joy from behind the wheel, powerful, tight and with excellent road manners. All the gauges and switchgear work as they should, and the car runs, tracks and brakes straight and true.
The car’s Old English White paint is fantastic, lustrous and consistent and marred only by the most minor of imperfections, none of which are significant enough to appear in photos or detract from the car’s considerable appeal. There is a 1/2” scratch directly below the driver side windshield wiper that’s not been touched up (photo provided), but aside from that the finish is effectively show quality, cloaking an entirely straight original body that, to our knowledge, has never been in any accidents or had and rust or body work. All of the chrome, glass and rubber are in excellent condition, as are the new knock-off wire wheels, which are wrapped in tires with plenty of remaining tread. The undercarriage is entirely solid and rust-free, and the engine compartment is as clean as one would expect of a weekend driver.
The car’s interior has been entirely refurbished and is absolutely stunning. Supple and immaculate, the seats, carpets and interior panels show as virtually showroom new. That also extends to the trunk and the tan canvas soft top and boot cover. That said, the prior owner was a bit of an audiophile and had custom speakers, an amplifier and a subwoofer implemented into the interior at a significant cost. The execution of this implementation is fantastic – we’ve rarely seen better craftsmanship and while the originality of the original radio and speakers would also be appealing, the added benefit of this sound system makes for a great road-going experience, the perfect companion to the V12’s throaty exhaust note emanating from the quad exhaust at the rear.
This is an excellent opportunity to acquire a low mileage, numbers matching, truly turn-key and cosmetically immaculate Series III E-Type OTS, one finished in an understated livery to a level that will please even the most discerning collector. There are a range of V12 Roadsters on the market, but from experience we can assure you that this is a cut above 95% of them, a great grin-inducing investment that will provide years of motoring pleasure and pride of ownership for its next owner.
