-      3rd E-Type delivered new in France

-      Sold new to Bernard Consten

-      285th E-Type produced

-      Very early specification with external bonnet vents, flat floors and bolt-on bonnet grilles

-      Test driven by José Rosinski in the first issue of Sport Auto in 1961

On the eve of the 15th March 1961 of the Geneva Motor Show, Jaguar launched its new model at Parc des Eaux-Vives: the E-Type. William Lyons immediately knew then that he was unveiling a car destined to define its era.

Designed by Malcolm Sayer (aeronautical engineer behind the D-Type which won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1955, 1956 and 1957), the new model encapsulated all the experience Jaguar gained in racing to create a road car of exceptional innovation.

Among the guests present in Geneva was Bernard Consten, one of the most prominent characters in French motorsport at the time. Winner of the 1960 Tour de France Automobile in a Jaguar Mk2 alongside Jean Hébert, he distinguished himself as one of the brand’s most brilliant ambassadors in racing. Impressed from the moment it was unveiled, he immediately ordered an E-Type. This is precisely the car in question: the third E-Type delivered new in France, supplied by Royal Élysées in Paris, run by Charles Delecroix, then Jaguar’s importer for the French market.

Registered as 159 LT 75 by the young driver, it enabled José Rosinski to conduct a comprehensive test drive on the road and on the track for the first issue of the new magazine ‘Sport Auto’. Three exceptional pages in which he described this E-Type as a GT with remarkable stability at high speed, offering reliable and accurate handling, as well as braking capabilities regarded as a significant technological breakthrough, bringing the car closer to racing standards. From the moment it was unveiled, the E-Type set a new standard: an aerodynamic design of absolute purity, a semi-monocoque structure inspired by racing, independent suspension on all four wheels and four-wheel disc brakes – still a rare feature on production cars. Under its long bonnet, the 3.8-litre XK six-cylinder engine produced around 265 bhp and enabled top speeds in excess of 240 km/h, immediately establishing the model as a global benchmark in grand touring.

This 3.8-litre E-Type roadster, chassis No. 875285, is one of the very first batch of chassis delivered in 1961, distinguishable by its external bonnet latches, which were subsequently discontinued. For a year, Bernard used his E-Type on a daily basis until 1962, when the birth of his children prompted him to look for a more spacious car. He therefore traded in his roadster for a Jaguar Mk II, more spacious and better suited to his needs. But twenty years later in 1981, one of his friends tracked down the notorious E-Type in Paris; Bernard Consten wasted no time in buying it back. He re-registered it in his name on the 27th of November 1981. Always enthusiastic and full of energy right up until his passing in 2017, he took part with his wife Claude in several Jaguar Club rallies and other outings at the wheel. Preserved in its original condition, it recently had a full mechanical restoration carried out by the well-known specialist Jacky Jaguar in Courbevoie. Everything was revised, including the replacement of all four tyres, the engine, the gearbox, the brakes and the carburettor. The car runs beautifully and behind the wheel, it offers the very same driving experience described in the 1961 Sport Auto article, along with a lovely patina that further enhances its presence.

This is practically a first-hand car, having remained in the hands of champion Bernard Consten for over thirty years in total; it is one of the first 300 E-type cars to have left the Coventry factory in early 1961 and the third to be delivered in France. This “open two-seater” E-type is undoubtedly a significant car in the history of one of the finest models of the mid-20th century. Having belonged to a key and highly likeable figure in post-war French motorsport, a three-time French Rally Champion in the Touring Car class and five-time winner of the Tour de France Automobile between 1958 and 1963 (including three times in a Jaguar), this car benefits from a provenance of the highest order.

Its presence in Geneva in 1961 during the model’s international launch places it firmly within the founding circle of the E-Type, unveiled before the world’s press and the brand’s key representatives.

This example stands out as a unique opportunity, meeting all criteria of the most desirable classic cars.

Photos © Nino Hamet