Chassis No: 860120​

A rare opportunity to own an original flat-floor, full matching numbers, factory right-hand drive, fixed-head coupe.

Car number 120 off the production line (Chassis no: 860120).
Complete restoration to the highest standard by Richards of England.
Engine, gearbox (manual) and differential rebuild by a prestigious Jaguar specialist.
Finished in the original colour ways of; imperial maroon paint over dark red Connolly Vaumol leather.

​£POA

History

​The highly sought after “flat floor” was the earliest variation of the Jaguar E-Type 3.8 litre Coupé. Its 150 mph top speed and striking looks made it an instant classic amongst motor enthusiasts. Enzo Ferrari famously described the Jaguar E-Type as the most beautiful car in the world. Following its debut at Geneva in 1961, the E-Type was placed in the Museum of Modern Art, and it still remains there today. This car however, does not belong in a museum, it belongs on the road. Its 3.8 litre engine is capable of 265 bhp and 260 lb-ft of torque. Weighting around 500lb (227kg) less than its XK150 predecessor, the E-Type is fast off the mark and not just a pretty face.

​The Heritage certificate shows 860120 (chassis number) beginning life at Henleys of London. The date of manufacture was 18th December 1961 and first delivery was the 10th January 1962. From there the car was sold and delivered to a wealthy farmer in Ladybrand, South Africa. Mr Albie Malan was well known for his expensive taste in motor cars. He was a very successful farmer and a very capable driver. He was known to travel from his farm to Bloemfontein in record time. It’s believed that the car was then sold to the owner of Dorian Hats in Johannesburg during the 1980’s. It was seldom used during its time in Johannesburg and is believed to have been kept purely for its looks. In 1988 the car was sold and shipped to a John Lawrence in Aukland, New Zealand. From then until 2015 the car has been cherished, with many MOT and Servicing invoices still present in the cars history folder. Lastly, in October 2015 it’s understood that David Malins sold the car on behalf of John to our client.

It was at this point that our client commissioned chassis number ‘860120’ to undergo a complete restoration. From the chassis to the smallest component, everything on the car has been brought back to life with care and attention.

Restoration

​The engine was stripped down, along with the differential and original Moss gearbox, before being rebuilt by a renowned Jaguar specialist. Following soda blasting, any corrosive sections were removed and any required panels replaced, all carried out within our fabrication shop. This process saw over 500 hours of work being put into the body shell alone. Much of the original metal work on the Jaguar was retained using traditional techniques, including being lead loaded and filed. The car was painted in its original colour (imperial maroon) within our state-of-the-art paint shop. A light texture black finish was applied to the underside of the body shell to complete to process.

​Following this the car had a complete mechanical rebuild to the underside, suspension, brakes, axle/differential & engine bay. At Richards of England we put extra time and effort into smaller details to ensure a truly authentic finish. Details such as, colour matching the ‘dark/mid blue’ Girling shock absorbers, found only on early flat-floor Jaguars. We also introduced an exact replica of the early ‘side fin’ radiator, but manufactured in aluminium to help with cooling. This has been painted black, in-keeping with its correct period colour. The independent rear suspension (IRS) has been assembled in house and was dry fitted initially, allowing us to determine the correct tolerances and for the shims to be fitted. This is an essential process to the E-type. The ‘cage’ and required running gear components have been ‘wet painted’ in a Selemix satin black finish, along with a ‘colour matched’ silver to mimic the now obsolete ‘cadmium plating’. This finish carries much more quality than the popular ‘powder coating’, along with being thinner and more hard wearing. Therefore, showing off the casting marks and batch numbers of the components, which is a nice detail.

​The interior was re-trimmed using Connolly Vaumol VM893 Luxan hide (maroon) with vinide (vinyl) being fitted to all other trim panels. Correct wool carpets and a traditional wool head lining were cut by hand, before being fitted. The original bucket seats were repaired and painted prior to the trim being carried out. Along with the original ‘polka dot’ centre console, having been lightly restored to carry patina. To finish this stunning and iconic interior, the original steering was fitted. This showed some light splits and expected ‘wear & tear’, which were repaired and restored to a beautiful lustre finish.

​Thank you for taking the time to read 860120’s story. We’d like to welcome you the opportunity to purchase this fully restored flat-floor coupe, of which, very few have ever been brought to sale. Please contact us today on 01522 685476 to find out more and book a test drive.