1961-67 Jaguar XK-E

The first Jaguar E-Type sports car--called the "XK-E" in America-- had fantasy styling, high performance and comfort. It was more sophisticated than Ferraris or Aston Martins that cost more than twice its price.

The refined British XK-E seemed too good to be true and stole all attention when introduced at the Geneva, Switzerland, auto show in March, 1961, making other cars seem years out of date.

Among the car's admirers at the show were Prince Rainier of Monaco and his beautiful wife, Princess Grace-- the former famous American actress Grace Kelly. She's pictured with her husband at the show, giving the Jaguar a very appreciative smile. The car drew lots of similar smiles from others because no other mass-produced auto was as stunning.

The XK-E looked even better than Jaguar's ultrasleek hand-built D-Type sports/racing car that won the famous 24-hour race at Le Mans, France, three times in the 1950s-- or the 18 XK-SS road cars derived from leftover D-Types. The XK-SS was owned by wealthy auto enthusiasts, including actor Steve McQueen.

Offered as a two-seat convertible or even sleeker coupe, the XK-E was more mechanically advanced than the D-Type or XK-SS. It had the D-Type's front suspension but its own independent rear suspension for superior ride and handling. Its strong monocoque center section had front and rear subframes. The entire front body section flipped up for easy maintenance.

The XK-E caused as much excitement as the fast, gorgeous Jaguar XK-120 sports car did when the latter was unveiled at England's first post-World War II auto show in 1948. Like the XK-E, the XK-120 took the world by surprise and also made other sports cars look dated.

The XK-120 also had sensational styling and such things as a leather interior and comfortable ride. But it mostly featured Jaguar's advanced new dual-overhead-camshaft in-line six-cylinder engine with hemispherical ("hemi") combustion chambers. The smooth, untemperamental engine also powered the XK-E from 1961 through 1971, when replaced by a V-12, although Jaguar coupes and sedans continued using it for years.

Jaguar initially planned to build only a small number of XK-120s to showcase its new 160-180 horsepower engine--until it saw the overwhelming response to the car. Most XK-120s were sent to affluent America to help war-torn England with its balance of payments. It wasn't cheap at approximately $3,500, but it wasn't overly expensive for its styling, comfort and performance, either.

The XK-120 was followed by the mechanically improved, roomier 1955 XK-140, which retained the XK-120s slinky lines and had a 190-210-horsepower version of its engine, which powered Jaguar's winning D-Type sports/racing cars.

The XK-140 was replaced in 1958 by the XK-150, which retained the lines of its predecessors, but looked bulkier. However, it was roomier, plusher and more civilized for the U.S.market and had disc brakes instead of inferior drum brakes. A limited number had a special three-carburetor 265-horsepower "S" version of the XK six-cylinder to keep Jaguar's high-performance image alive.

That 3.8-liter.265-horsepower engine was standard in the low, curvy, sensual XK-E, which was as marvelously advanced as the first XK-120 had been.

The XK-E weighed only approximately 2,625 pounds. It did 0-60 mph in about 7 seconds and could reach 150 mph. The boxy 1961 Chevrolet Corvette looked like a truck next to the XK-E, which had aerodynamic styling from brilliant aircraft engineer Malcolm Sayer. With "tall" (2.94:1) gearing, the XK-E's svelte body reportedly let it hit 180 mph, a speed no 1961 Corvette could reach.

At $5,670, or about $1,000 more a well-equipped Corvette V-8, the Jaguar was an absolute steal. You had to buy a rare, temperamental Ferrari if you wanted a car comparable to the XK-E, and you'd pay twice as much for the Ferrari--if you could find one.

The XK-E had a beautiful wood-rim steering wheel and a dashboard filled with gauges set atop a row of aircraft-style toggle switches. The hood looked nearly a mile long from the driver's seat.

To hold down costs, Jaguar initially used the balky four-speed manual transmission used in the XK models. Also, early versions had narrow seats and a driving position that was rather uncomfortable, especially for tall Americans. But few owners complained because the car was so sensational.

The 1965-67 XK-E finally got a slick, modern all-synchromesh manual transmission, besides better seats and an improved driving position. It also had upgraded brakes and better electrical components.

An enlarged, smoother 4.2-liter version of the 3.8-liter six-cylinder was in the 1965-67 XK-E. It had the same 265-horsepower rating as the "3.8" and didn't make the car faster. But it had more torque, which let a lazy driver accelerate smoothly when starting out in third gear. Less gear shifting was needed.

To meet U.S. market demands, a nine-inch-longer four-seat XK-E coupe with room in back for two small children was added, with an available automatic transmission. But this version had a somewhat less lithe appearance than the two-seat XK-E.

The 1967 XK-E was the last of the really desirable E-Types because new U.S. regulations caused Jaguar to give the 1968 model clumsier bumpers and more upright headlights that no longer had slick plastic covers. And only two carburetors were used. The sexy aircraft-style toggle switches were replaced by rocker-style switches.

A powerful, but rather troublesome, V-12 replaced the XK-E's reliable six-cylinder in 1972. The V-12 models's styling was more cluttered, although it retained its sexy character. It was replaced in late 1975 by the plush four-seat XJ-S coupe, which was a high-speed touring car, not a sports car.

The 1961-67 XK-E still looks sensational and heavily inspired styling of the 1997-2006 Jaguar XK8 sports car. Outstanding beauty is timeless.