It is rumored that when the Jaguar E-Type was first introduced in 1961, Enzo Ferrari referred to it as the most beautiful car ever made. Known as the Jaguar XK-E in the North American market, the car was an immediate hit. In addition to its absolutely jaw dropping looks, the car had incredible performance that left the competition scrambling to match it.
The original XK-E ran in production from 1961 to 1974, and has been immortalized in pop culture via films like the Austin Powers series and television shows such as Mad Men. It is widely regarded as one of the greatest British cars ever made.
The Jaguar XK-E is one of the most famous cars that the company ever produced, and the influence of its design is felt across the sports car market to this day. Here is how much this classic will run you today.
History Of The Jaguar XK-E
The Series 1 XK-E was introduced in March 1961 and originally was only intended for the export market, but was quickly launched in the United Kingdom as well. The design was an evolution of the Jaguar D-Type racing car, which had been built from 1954 to 1957. 7,820 E-Types were produced in its first year, which by the standards of these kinds of glamorous, partially hand-built sports cars is quite a big number.
Generational differences are not as clear-cut with partially hand built cars like the XK-E, however, with many design changes happening incrementally. The very first XK-E's are distinguished by flat floors and hood latches that are mounted on the exterior rather than the interior. Since XK-E's with those features are rarer, they go for higher prices. As well, in 1964 the original 3.8 liter engine was replaced with a 4.2 liter engine that offered better performance.
The Series 1 was produced until 1968, when it was succeeded by the Series 2 XK-E. Running from 1968 to 1971, the Series 2 featured a number of design changes to meet new US road safety standards. One of the most notable changes to the exterior was the absence of the glass headlight covers that the Series 1 had. Finally, there was the Series 3, produced from 1971 to 1974, which had a new 5.8 liter V12 engine as well as optional air conditioning and automatic transmission.
In addition to the classic two-door coupe configuration, several other variants of the Jaguar XK-E were made over its lifespan. As well as the hardtop, there was a two-seater convertible version. And, starting in 1966, a 2+2 version with a lengthened wheelbase was available.
Specifications Of The Jaguar XK-E
The Series 1 XK-E is equipped with a 3.8 liter I6 engine that produces 265 horsepower at 5500 revolutions per minute and 260 lb-ft of torque at 4000 revolutions per minute. That gives it a theoretical top speed of 131 miles per hour and a zero to sixty miles per hour acceleration time of 6.2 seconds. Backing up that power, the XK-E is also quite nimble and takes corners well, thanks to a four speed manual transmission, a light curb weight of just 2900 lbs, and rear-wheel drive that makes the XK-E one of the great exemplars of the two-seater roadster.
Fuel economy is not the Jaguar XK-E's selling point, unsurprisingly. On average, the XK-E will get about 13.9 miles per gallon, though that number will vary depending on your driving style. With a 17 gallon fuel tank, the XK-E will go an average of 234 miles on a full tank of gas.
Price Of The 1961 Jaguar XK-E Today
Back when it originally went on sale in 1961, the Jaguar XK-E had a list price of $5,670. When adjusted for inflation, that number works out to about $54,520. Which is a surprisingly reasonable price when you think of how desirable and technologically advanced the XK-E was, but the reasonable price was part of what made the XK-E such a hit in the first place.
Of course, time has driven that price way up. According to Hagerty, the average value of a 1961 Series 1 Jaguar XK-E is a hefty $172,000. And that number can easily be much higher, especially when early production XK-E's are most likely to be sold at auction. A 1961 Series 1 Jaguar XK-E in perfect condition has a whopping average cost of $372,000. Later year models of the XK-E tend to cost less, as perhaps unsurprisingly for such a sought after car, the earliest model is the most coveted. Of the 1961 model specifically, the most expensive models are the earliest ones produced that had flat floors and latches on the exterior of the hood.