2021-05-05 14:22:24 | pauls writes:

Car to be at auction 5/21

www.carandclassic.co.uk/auctions/1972-jaguar-e-type-v12-K4BAkn

Auction description:

1972 Jaguar E-Type V12

Colour Blue

Odometer 51,890 Miles

Engine size 5343

Location London

Country United Kingdom

∙Unusual and attractive Lavender Blue

∙Low mileage and huge history

∙Smooth and reliable runner

∙Repainted in Switzerland

This is a car with an interesting past. A matching-numbers UK model, it was originally supplied to its first owner in Romford, Essex in December 1972. Ordered in Lavender Blue paint over Dark Blue leather interior, it’s an unusual spec, and the optional automatic transmission makes it particularly desirable as a cruiser. 

The Jaguar, however, hasn’t spent all of its life on these shores; indeed, from the history file we can see that it spent around fifteen years in Switzerland, and there’s photographic evidence of the body having its paint refreshed while wearing Swiss plates. 

Later repatriated to the UK, it’s enjoyed a pampered existence, with its extremely low mileage (believed to be genuine) backed up by a huge ring binder of receipts. This is certainly a grand tourer with some tales of adventure to tell.

There’s an impressively large file of documentation here, and most important of all is the Heritage certificate: issued in 2007, this proves the car to have originally been supplied in Lavender Blue over Dark Blue interior, built on 27th November 1972 and delivered to its first owner on 7th December 1972. The car has a correct UK V5, and we can see that this lists its first date of registration as 6th February 1973 – presumably a DVLA estimate on repatriation. 

A great many invoices and receipts are present, along with some photographic evidence of the paintwork that was carried out in 2010, at a cost of 5,000 Swiss Francs. We can see that almost £5,000 was spent on extensive works in 2019, including stripping and rebuilding the brakes, fitting a new sump, new door rubbers, new headlining, straightening a damaged sill, and fitting a new brake master cylinder and servo.

Most recently, a receipt for just under £3,000 in August 2020 shows that the E-Type had its seats removed and professionally refurbished, repairs to the nearside rear wheel arch, the radiator re-cored and fitted with new fans, the starter motor reconditioned, and the carburettors rebuilt and balanced.

With the seats having been professionally cleaned and the headlining renewed, it’s thoroughly pleasant and period-correct inside the cabin. The seats are in very good condition, the fronts tilting correctly to allow access to the rear bench, and the door cards are in good order with just a little tear at the rearmost top edge on the driver’s side. The carpets are good, as is the dash which has no cracks on the top, and the car has a Mota-Lita steering wheel in excellent condition. All of the gauges work as they should, with the correct temperatures and pressures registering in motion. (No ‘V12 kettle’ cliches here, the Jag was very happy to cruise through London on a hot and sunny day with the temp needle staying where it should!) 

Overall, the interior is in very good nick throughout. Naturally there’s the odd age-related mark, such as a little minor wear to the ventilation controls and the side of the gearstick surround, but on the whole it’s all thoroughly decent. The windows wind up and down freely and the rears pop out correctly. Inside the boot it’s all tidy and dry, with the correct spare wheel beneath the boot floor. 

It’s not often you see an E-Type in Lavender Blue, and we have to say it suits the slinky body beautifully. The paintwork is uniformly good across the bodywork too – it was repainted in its original colour in 2010, and we know it’s had the odd repair since (including a rear arch and a sill), but that’s all been blended superbly and it really does look ace. You can see from the photos just how attractively the Jaguar gleams in the sunshine; all of the correct chrome is present, and in good condition with no tarnishing or patination. 

The car wears pressed wheels rather than wires, and they’re all in great order with the correct hubcaps, and fitted with recent Nexen tyres.

All of the light lenses are in excellent condition, save for a small chip at the edge of one of the rear clusters. The panel fit is good, with everything opening and closing as it should. And this car’s real party piece is the factory-fit Tudor Webasto roof; this is in excellent condition and works perfectly, and gives the cabin a real sense of airiness when driving – a fantastic addition to this versatile grand tourer.

This E-Type is an excellent runner, testament to the care and attention it’s received over the years. The mighty V12 fires happily into life, idles evenly and pulls strongly through the revs – having had the carbs recently rebuilt and tuned, it’s running just as it should. The cooling system maintains the correct temperature, thanks to the radiator having been re-cored and fitted with new fans. The optional automatic transmission is fitted and it’s working well, shifting smoothly without any jerkiness or hesitance. There are no evident issues with the brakes, steering or suspension – it’s a lovely smooth drive, and a very pleasant thing indeed to waft about in.

2023-11-28 06:35:04 | Stephen Hemmings writes:

Work carried out in 2023, prior to winter storage.

Mileage 52,646. MOT Pass 27.03.2023.

Work completed to enable MOT Pass

• IRS Removal: New Rear Shock Absorbers, Springs, Drive Shaft Joints, Brake Pads, Diff, Input Seal, New Radius Arms.
• Fron Suspension: New Shock Absorbers, New Top Swivel Joints.
• Exhaust: Two new Exhaust Manifolds, One new Down Pipe.

In Addition

• Replaced Radio Panel