2004-09-10 18:28:31 | DAVID ROOME writes:

Car has black hood and two flat floor s not ( " Heel Wells ") it is thought that flat floors stop at chassis number 876541 this is 12 cars before this one ????

2008-02-15 13:19:43 | David writes:

Mileage 35,488

2023-07-17 07:21:21 | pauls writes:

Car now offered at:

www.carandclassic.com/auctions/1962-jaguar-e-type-ots-lhd-flat-floor-npba18

Seller's description:

1962 Jaguar E-Type Flat Floor OTS

Colour Cream

Odometer 54,512 Miles

Engine size 3800

Auction DetailsSeller Type Private

Town Dublin

Country Ireland

One of the last flat floor Series 1 cars and verified by Heritage Certificate

Matching numbers car still with factory colour combination

In long term ownership of Jaguar collector and expert on flat floor cars

Very rare opportunity to acquire a highly original flat floor believed never restored

Factory specification recorded on Jaguar Daimler Heritage Certificate number 3761:

Confirms that this is a matching numbers 

Cream with black interior as now

The last flat floor car was chassis number 876581/2 and this is car number 876553

Built on 15th January 1962

LHD car despatched to British Leyland New York on 1st February 1962

From New York the car was sold into California

The car was sourced for the seller in San Francisco and imported to Ireland to join his collection in November 1989

The mileage on acquisition was 34,120 

Sold with its original:

Marketing literature

Competition booklet

Maintenance booklet

Very rare red factory supplied wallet

Flat floor cars have many unique features not found on later models, which this car retains in full:

Flat floors (of course) with no footwells

Some of these cars were converted by dealers to have footwells

Drivers side flat floor was replaced in 1962 by the dealer in USA with the new heel well part supplied by the Jaguar factory, but the seller returned it to the original factory spec in 1989

500 early cars had side locking bonnets, flat floor cars retain the body pressings for this system but have internal locking

Rubber boot lid seal is on the boot lid rather than on the body

Straight bulkhead behind the seats without a cut out

Short exhaust tail pipes

Small bottle jack and original handle 

Early type steering wheel where you can see the metal and with finger positions differently located to later cars

Round brake and clutch bottles

Interior has early rear view mirror rod and early aluminium trim patterns

Hessian under carpet 

Original bucket seats

Aluminium floor-hinged accelerator with no rubber trim

Bumpers bolted inside out rather than outside in

Second version of door chrome with ribbed bottom edge

Door skin constructed in two parts 

Twin bullet door mirrors

Car serviced and maintained by seller’s own mechanic as part of a large collection:

Seller states that his annual maintenance expenditure on his cars exceeds £30,000

He also states that whatever the car needed, it got - his mechanic would present him with a list of parts and he bought them

Used to launch various Jaguar Ireland showrooms

The E-Type’s story is well known, but that of the flat floor cars perhaps less so. Jaguar did not expect the car to be as successful or as long lived as it was so early ones were not engineered for volume. Consequently they have many features subsequently lost as the cars were re-engineered for mass production.

The first 1,583 E-Types off the production line from 1961 were equipped with ‘flat floors’ rather than footwells. This shorthand is now used to describe very early cars, which inevitably are the most sought-after. The first 500 of these cars had side locking bonnets, meaning that there are only 1,083 flat floor cars like this one with the locking system adopted by the later cars. However, these cars still retain the pressings for side locking. 

What makes this car particularly interesting is that it is one of the last flat floor cars built (believed 30 cars from the end) and, because it appears never to have been restored, it retains all of the details that set them apart. The seller is a well known expert on these cars and has given talks on them. This should give added reassurance to the buyer on this car’s provenance. 

The Interior

Very original early E-Type interior with many notable features of these first cars still intact 

A very gentle patina of age supports the originality 

Slim black bucket seats in factory correct colour scheme

Simple aluminium trim with correct finish of early cars to centre console and dashboard

Naturally this car has two flat floors

Black carpets in very good condition 

Very good door cards appear virtually unmarked 

Full factory tool kit with roll 

There is a whole industry devoted to turning early E Types into immaculate examples, often achieving standards far in excess of the factory’s. This is not one of those cars and that is surely a key part of its appeal. It is highly original and, thanks to careful stewardship of its owner, it therefore retains the key features - often very minor details - that denote it as a genuine flat floor car.

It may not have been restored but the interior is in very good condition, strongly supporting the owner’s view that the displayed mileage is genuine. The slim bucket seats, black carpets and simply styled aluminium trim are all in very good condition. We have listed above some of the interior elements that show this is an early car and they can be viewed across the photographs. It is a comprehensive list - even the steering wheel is the correct early type with different finger positions from later cars. 

The Exterior 

Factory correct cream bodywork in very good condition

The seller believes the paintwork has likely been refreshed at some point but the car has never been restored

The general condition, in particular the shut lines and panel gaps strongly support this assessment

Restoration work would likely have lost some or all of the key features of these early cars but it retains them

The underside has been professionally undersealed and the car is dry stored as part of a large collection

The car is fitted with European specification indicators but the original LHD USA items are sold with the car

The black vinyl roof is either original or an older replacement and is very presentable with clear perspex panels and good fit (for an E-Type)

Factory correct black tonneau cover and hood bag

There are some very minor marks around the car such as a chip on the driver’s door but nothing unsightly

The early E-Type began life as an aerodynamic project to extract more performance from smaller capacity engines at Le Mans. Its evolution into a svelte road car was a secondary consideration, which makes its sinuous lines and enduring profile all the more remarkable. 

This early car demonstrates just why these cars are so loved. The factory correct cream finish is similar to the prototypes developed by Jaguar and shows the lines off very nicely. The owner acquired the car in 1989, since when it has been part of his large classic car collection. He believes it may have been resprayed during its time in America. If so the paintwork has held up remarkably well, just a small chip on the driver’s door detracting.

It also seems likely that the car has not been comprehensively restored. The flat floor detailing is difficult to replicate once lost and this car retains the key features that distinguish these rare cars. 

The structure is in very good condition, helped by professional undersealing and dry storage with regular use as part of an extensive car collection. 

The Mechanics 

3.8litre XK engine with triple carburettors

4spd ‘Moss’ gearbox 

Has covered 20,000 miles in the seller’s 30 year ownership 

Maintained by the seller’s in-house mechanic as part of an extensive collection

Matching numbers car that appears not to have been mechanically restored or rebuild

Acquired from San Francisco in 1989 with 34,000 miles on the clock 

Fitted with electrical fan

Running on waterless coolant

Still has its original internal fuel pump in petrol tank

The enduring appeal of the E Type lies not merely in its iconic lines. Beneath the bonnet is Jaguar’s venerable XK engine, which was originally developed for success at Le Mans. Early E-Types like this one were fitted with the 3.8litre displacement, which purists believe offers a sweeter-revving experience than larger displacement versions of this engine. These first cars were also fitted with the ‘Moss’ style 4spd gearbox which differs from later fitments in that there is no synchromesh on first and the gear change is quite different. 

The seller commissioned a dealer to source and acquire this car from San Francisco. It was imported to Ireland in November 1989 displaying 34,000 miles. The condition and originality leads the seller to believe this is genuine and it strongly appears to be. He has used it sparingly, covering around 20,000 miles in the intervening years. 

The car is part of a large personal collection which is maintained by the seller’s own mechanic. He states that he spends around £30,000 per year across all of his cars and purchases whatever parts are needed whenever his mechanic asks for them.

The seller owns another early flat floor car and is well known in Jaguar circles as an expert on these models.