To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Jaguar E-Type's debut at the 1961 Geneva Motor Show, Jaguar Classic is to produce six matching pairs of restored cars in coupe and convertible form. This pairing will replicate the cars that wore the '9600 HP' and '77 RW' plates that wowed the crowds at the Swiss show back then.
The 3.8-litre Fixed-Head Coupe, registered as '9600H HP' was driven straight from the factory overnight to a special unveiling at the Parc des Eaux Vives, by then- PR Manager Bob Berry, and arrived just a few minutes before demonstration drives began. Such was the demand for people to experience the Opalescent Gunmetal Grey car that Jaguar Test and Development Engineer, Norman Dewis OBE, was told to drop everything and drive the second car, a British Racing Green 3.8-litre roadster registered '77 RW', overnight from Coventry to Switzerland to help satisfy the enormous public interest.
Now the experts at Jaguar Classic are recreating these as fully restored cars, which will be sold only as a pair and with a maximum run of six. They will look all but identical to the original '9600 HP' and '77 RW' cars and will include a number of 60th-anniversary commemorative design details that have been created by Jaguar Design Director Julian Thomson. The cars will be painted in Flat Out Grey for the coupe and Drop Everything Green for the roadster, both unique paint formulations exclusive to these cars.
A car collector's dream
The Jaguar E-Type has long been a favourite of car collectors and the more well-heeled will no doubt be clamouring to secure one of the six pairs due to be made. Prices for cars fully restored by Jaguar Classic typically sell for upwards of €665,000, so it's likely that this pair could cost closer to €1.5 million given their collectability.
Dan Pink, Director of Jaguar Classic, said: The Jaguar E-type is a genuine icon, as sensational today as the moment it was unveiled in 1961. It's testament to the E-type's advanced design and engineering that it can still be enjoyed and admired as passionately almost 60 years on.
"The E-type 60 Collection is a lasting tribute for E-type admirers, honouring the car's legacy and the achievements of the team that created it - many of whom have descendants working for Jaguar Classic today, expertly restoring, maintaining and future-proofing enjoyment for generations to come."