$220,000 Outside Latch 1961 Jaguar E-Type Project

1961 Jaguar XKE Series I 3.8 Roadster Project Chassis: 875023 Sold by Bring a Trailer for $220,000 USD
Bat say "This 1961 Jaguar XKE Series I roadster was completed on April 18, 1961, and is #23 of 385 left-hand-drive roadsters built before Jaguar revised the model later in the year. It is said to have spent time in storage in Washington before being acquired by the selling dealer in 2020. The car is finished in yellow over black leather upholstery, and it retains a 3.8-liter inline-six and four-speed manual transmission. Features include a black soft top, a color-matched hardtop, welded hood louvers, exterior bonnet latches, and an AM/FM/cassette radio. The car is said to run on an external fuel source, and mechanical sorting is needed prior to use. This XKE is now offered as part of DriverSource’s Spring Motoring Collection with a tool kit, a bonnet key, a Jaguar Production Record Trace Certificate, and a clean Texas title listing it as a 1962 model."
bringatrailer.com/listing/196...
#etype
#jaguar
#auction

[@cratecruncher6687]

Unfortunate that the head was replaced at some point and the original OBL escutcheons have gone AWOL. Still a rare car that someone will enjoy spending their children's inheritance restoring. I have a '63 E-Type with the original fuel pump and sender. The little fuse box is just a box containing a three way bullet connector on my car. In tank fuel pumps are common place now but in 1961 I suspect engineers were a bit skittish about car bombs, lol. At any rate it's a pita to get the connecter and wires back in that tiny little box if you ever have to take it apart.

[@RichardMichaelOwen]

Yes I forgot to mention the head number thanks for pointing that out. That little box for the fuel pump connection looks out of place.

[@gf4353]

The OBL escutcheons or chrome flaps can be found on MK-V spats. 1949 through 1951. I have a '50 and a '51. I had an OBL car in 1969. The little spring would break, I ordered replacements but never put them on, they are in my jewelry box.

[@gf4353]

Flat floor cars. 534. RHD. and. 386. LHD. Flat floor cars were very uncomfortable. !!!!!

[@Mercmad]

@@gf4353 In fact lots of different UK built cars had exactly the same type of latch covers. They were pretty generic. i still find the keys at swap meets (precovid) .

[@bobkendall1805]

I more than likely saw that car when I was young, as in 1961 I was 6 and we lived very near the Browns Lane factory on Tamworth Road which was part of the Jaguar test route, as they used to road test every car for shake down. My brother and I used to spend hours looking and waving at the drivers. The smell is a very vivid memory, as the burning paint off the exhausts was thick in the air, and also we had a collection of bolts, nuts and washers that fell off. Still live in Coventry, and have fond memories of all the car factories that were the beating heart of City.

[@philtucker1224]

I was 7. Live long and prosper Bob 👍🇬🇧

[@markswain5021]

High Bob ,that isn't near !..I lived at what you call near ,150yrds from the southern gate next to the news agent just down the road in Ripon close no16 all my young life .My father worked there for many years ,I was 10 when it passed our house before it turned right off browns Lane into washbrook Lane and on round to you ! .

[@whizzo55]

I had a '61 Primrose Yellow roadster in high school 1968. It was a later one that had the latches inside. Traded my '67 mustang even. The bank thought I was crazy. Worked at Safeway all through High School to pay for my cars and the the Jag was my favorite.

[@dougcharles4516]

Hi Micheal. Great video. Trunk seal on the early 61’s was mounted on the boot lid. Bonnet latch key mounted on the right side rear transmission tunnel. Door sill trim definitely had chrome strip. Tool kit, that’s a new one! Met you at JOTI 2022 Doug Charles, 61 E-Type Opalescent Blue.

[@simoncrispe7242]

Hi Richard, great review of the OBL No23. I own No.29, built on 27 April 61, down here in New Zealand. A couple of things that you may not be aware of. This early car would not have had a hard top when new. The fitting kit for it must have been retrofitted. The shift knob is off a later car. The glove box is a rare original glass fibre one. The grab handle to correct without the chrome end pieces. The trunk floor should not have the exposed side seams on these very early cars. They were factory leaded. The exposed seams were only introduced as a cost saving exercise. That is the correct tool kit for the earliest cars. The single trunk hinges are correct. Radiator header tank should be duck egg blue. The cyl head should be pumpkin like the XK150S.

[@kittonsmitton]

Wow what a wealth of knowledge! Thanks RMO.

[@philtucker1224]

Great episode- thanks Richard 👍

[@craigevanson8063]

Your attention to the details is top notch.

[@velviaman3206]

Logo on the rear light lenses is called the Kite Mark.

[@dcallan812]

nice car, love the hard top roof.

[@jianoconnor8414]

Good job Richard !!!

[@99skychief]

Hello Richard. Love you passion and knowledge on these British cars! Maybe the next owner will be reaching out to you for its restoration, that would make for exciting videos to see the restoration process. Keep the videos coming. Michael

[@master-kq3nw]

Beatiful car

[@craigpennington1251]

If it doesn't have 10 lbs. of Bondo or Fiberglass repair it's good to go. That color can be pulled off on an XKE with wire wheels only. Thanks for showcasing another cool Jag. Love to have one but pricing is too insane.

[@markswain5021]

What a wonderful car Richard, if I was the lucky new owner I would give you the the job of giving it really good recommissioning job going through everything thoroughly like I know you would. I like the car as it is .

[@hermanchai5787]

The early cars had the tools in a custom fitted case in the spare wheel.

[@paulvarjac2882]

Voltage inverter at 19:58 is to convert negative earth accessories (Cassette deck, replacement washer pump?) to positive earth compatibility.

[@paulmarriner5906]

That box in the boot is a terminal box protection power feed for the fuel pump

[@markxl]

I remember being told that they stopped making wooden steering wheels because there was a danger of them splintering in an accident and piercing the driver's chest.

[@parrotraiser6541]

On the face of it, that's more of a detailing project than a restoration.

[@johndavey72]

Hello Richard. I must say it's very disappointing to see the colour change but would you leave it or change it ? The gear nob is incorrect , you can see the original on the front page of the book. That steering wheel is safer than the later ones ! And as you say ,the interior has been got at and that tool kit is out of a Jaguar MK2. But ,like yourself , l'd be quite happy to have it parked in my garage ! Thanks Richard .

[@gf4353]

Tool kit, you are absolutely correct sir

[@jagvette1]

I would restore it back to original color

[@jackdripper5675]

1961 E-Types came in some colours you often see on modern cars: gunmetal, silver-blue, silver-grey, pearl white and black. Also red , claret, maroon, BRG, indigo, cream, factory custom etc. all of which look nicer than pale primrose yellow IMHO !

[@carsandstuff365]

Most were opalescent colours .. blue silver blue grey , gunmental , silver beige , I don’t recall a Pearl white though .. they did do a very off white grey

[@mervingoose1151]

not one person has noted that the bonnet mouth was smaller on the early cars ,i know because i had chassis number 78 dhc ,chassis no 30 dhc derilect and chassis no 13 fhc which was the changeover from outside to inside bonnet locks ,,,,,also door chrome trim was thinner and the lower windsreen trim was wider ,carbs had brass dashpot tops as well on all 3.8s ,,,cheers from the uk ,.

[@mikehatch2114]

Kinda obvious that the car has been in a shunt and what a shame that someone pressure washed the patina off and rattle canned the underneath. Unfortunately, there are only so many, so, this ones gonna need a benefactor. Richard ?

[@carsandstuff365]

All early e types had black wish bones vs cad platted

[@benhur_9377]

👍❤️

[@gf4353]

The first 386. LHD had OBL. outside bonnet locks. There were 92. RHD. OBLs

[@timbutton4990]

B.S on the rear light lens = British Standard, possibly for the colour of the rear/stop light.

[@mervingoose1151]

one other thing i still have the butlers no plate covers somewhere !...

[@gazzafloss]

Shame they changed the colour, not that the Primrose is so hard to live with, but an original car deserves to keep its original colour that it left the factory with. If I was looking for an early "E" the colour change would be a deal breaker for me.

[@martinjones7411]

Odometer reading! It will have been round the clock, maybe twice?

[@jagvette1]

I believe the story of the bonnet louvers were they originally came from the locker doors in the changing rooms

[@jagvette1]

@@johnsmith1474 No I think it was just for the first one or two so they could show the public

[@graham6229]

@@jagvette1 I believe you are correct. First motor show model.

[@sharvey6146]

Are you going to buy it ?

[@worldofrandometry6912]

I was at school in the sixties when a classmate's big brother and his friend stole one of these, crashed it and was killed. That's what I always think of when I see them them. Sad times.

[@geoffreystearns1690]

Looks like it might be a flat floor. Reminds me of my '60 E-type, a very very early model.

[@patriottothecore6215]

of course it’s a flat floor

[@geoffreystearns1690]

@@patriottothecore6215 I had a difficult time getting my big feet around in mine....I later bought a '65 just to get the dip floor and a synchro 1st gear!

[@johndavey72]

It must be very very early as they didn't reach production until 1961 .

[@geoffreystearns1690]

@@johndavey72 I am aware of the incongruity. It had to be a '61 , but apparently was imported and registered as a 60. I bought it used from Peter Satori in Pasadena who said it belonged to a surveying company but didn't know where it had been originally bought and used.

[@gf4353]

@@geoffreystearns1690 I had a OBL car that was registered as a 1962. Bought in MIAMI. drove it daily as a High School Biology teacher. Traded it for a 1968 TORONADO, who knew. !!!!!

[@graham6229]

God dammit they put the steering wheel on the wrong side again.

[@richardsmith9509]

Richard, you gloss over all the many many shortcomings of this car: for $220,000usd I should expect perfection...I am totally serious

[@RichardMichaelOwen]

I forgot to mention the cylinder head. What else?

[@richardsmith9509]

@@RichardMichaelOwen From your overview: front bumper out of line, very worn seats, old tires, overspray in wheelwells, mouth has kink, hood needs shimming, ragtop is worn, taillights rubbers perished and also are out of line, hardtop seal is too large, front fender out of line and on it goes.....In reality, a $60,000 non professional older restoration at best. My XK8 is better in every respect

[@carsandstuff365]

Bro we well 64 3.8’s for more in England .. we bought a crap OBL roght hand drive recently for £350,000 and that’s cheap

[@STANLIZ4]

rear lens BS British Standard followed by the “kite mark” the no. relates to the BS specification. The car needs to go through your workshop and rtnd to original colour! No question!

[@STANLIZ4]

@@johnsmith1474 well spotted!!

[@johna1160]

"Washington is below the rust belt". Riiiiiiight, nice dry state. 9:20 RMO mistook tripometer for odometer.

[@RichardMichaelOwen]

John, go have a look at your own Jaguar and get back to me.

[@gf4353]

Yes , I wondered about that. Lol. Lol