Jaguar is currently only producing one model, the F-Pace SUV, after killing off the rest of its lineup in anticipation of upcoming electric cars that are still over a year away. Turns out that’s not exactly true, though — Jag just announced that it built two new E-Types for a customer in Southeast Asia. That’s right, I said new E-Types.
These two roadsters are a different animal from the 2017 E-Type Reborn and the 2021 E-Type 60 Collection, which were all restorations built on existing cars. Jaguar’s Classic division built the two new E-Types from scratch using original blueprints, with over 2,000 hours of work going into each one. Called the E-Type Commemorative, these Series I cars are inspired by the Series III Commemorative Editions of which 50 were built in 1974 as part of the car’s final production run.
Both are powered by Jag’s renowned 3.8-liter inline-6 engine, but with electronic fuel injection added and a five-speed manual transmission in place of the original four-speed. Other modern touches include Jaguar Classic’s Bluetooth-equipped radio and a heated windshield. Jaguar hasn’t said whether any modifications were made to the brakes, suspension or other components; it seems like powertrain changes aside, the new cars are just like the originals.
One of the E-Types is painted Opal Black while the other is Signet Green, both colors used by that 1974 special edition. The interiors have tan Bridge of Weir leather with hand-woven seat centers, something Jaguar Classic had never done before. Etched into the anodized aluminum center console is a Series I blueprint taken from the archives, which has been displayed at the New York Museum of Modern Art alongside the E-Type that’s part of the museum’s permanent collection.
To really make these E-Types special, Jaguar collaborated with Deakin & Francis, England’s oldest manufacturing jeweller that has been operating since 1786, to create components made from 18-carat gold, mother of pearl and solid silver. The bar in the grille is made from silver with guilloche mother of pearl, with the Growler logo being made of gold, and the rear badges are enamelled sterling silver. The steering wheel horn button is silver with a gold Growler and mother of pearl inlay, and the shift knob is sterling silver, again with mother of pearl and a gold Growler that Jaguar says “provides decadent tactility.” The dashboard switches switches are knurled silver with a hallmarked silver bezel, too.
Jaguar Classic hasn’t said how much the E-Type Commemoratives cost to commission and produce, but surely it was an astronomical amount. No details about the buyer were given either, only that they are “a loyal, discerning client.” If you’re a mega-rich person reading this and want new E-Types of your own, too bad. Jaguar says these two will be the only ones that its Classic division will ever build.
