2026-07-08 16:18:22 | pauls writes:

Car was at auction 7/26

www.carandclassic.com/auctions/1970-jaguar-e-type-42-series-2-8qZGAg

1970 Jaguar E-Type 4.2 (Series 2)

Highest bid £39,500 Reserve not met, ended: 8 July

Colour White

Odometer 38,154 Miles

Engine size4200cc

Transmission Manual, 4 speed

Steering position Right Hand Drive

Seller Type Trade

Epsom, Surrey, United Kingdom

Sought-after colour scheme

Manual transmission

Substantial history file

Good soft-top

Very entertaining to drive

The American influence is key here, as this car was originally a left-hand-drive model supplied to the US market. It was imported into the UK from Florida in the early 1990s – you can see from the V5 that it was first registered here in 1992 – and, thanks to an absolutely enormous and painstakingly documented history file, we can see that the car received a huge amount of work at this time. As well as being converted to right-hand-drive, we see that nigh-on every element of the car was addressed, with comprehensive receipts to prove; there’s no overarching piece of paperwork claiming to be an invoice for a restoration, but that’s essentially what all this is tantamount to.

Today, it’s a wonderful thing to drive; tight and eager, in just the right spec to turn heads on the high street, with all the gusto to make it endless fun on the country lanes. A properly usable example that’s been cherished and enjoyed.

The History and Paperwork

V5

Statement of Build letter from Jaguar Cars Ltd

Original handbook

Sheaf of previous MOTs

2025 – invoice for £6480 – clutch slave and master cylinder, attention to electrical system, exhaust, door latches, etc

2022 – invoice for £480 – choke cable assembly

2020 – invoice for £330 – converting points to electronic ignition

2019 – invoice for £1284 – fuel pump, battery, carburettor rebuild 

1993 – invoice for £411 – cylinder block chemically dipped, rebored and refaced, crankshaft reground, cylinder head chemically dipped and refaced and fitted with new valves, guides and seats, etc

1992 – invoice for £677 – engine bearings, chains, springs, gaskets and oil pump

Huge sheaf of further receipts and invoices for body panels, trim pieces, interior parts and mechanical sundries

The Condition

Desirable colour scheme

Tidy soft-top

The body of the E-Type is presented in a crisp and classic white, which suits the lines extremely well. The paintwork shows the odd very minor blemish of age here and there, but this is all in-keeping with a car that’s no garage queen – this is an E-Type for driving and enjoying.

The correct chrome is all in place and in tidy condition, and the panel fit is good throughout with nice even shutlines, and the windows go up and down as they should. The light lenses and window glass are good, the wire wheels are tidy, and the matching Dunlop SP Sport tyres have plenty of tread.

Inside the cabin, everything is very tastefully presented. All the trim and controls are present and correct, the seats are in good condition with no rips or tears, and there’s a period-correct wood-rim steering wheel.

The carpets are neat, and inside the boot it’s all dry and proper with the correct spare wheel beneath the floor, plus a toolkit including jack, mallet and wheel spinner tool. The soft-top is a quality item with no evident holes; it raises and lowers freely, and latches correctly.

The Mechanics

Recent clutch master and slave cylinders

Converted to electronic ignition

Engine rebuilt on importation

The 4.2-litre straight-six is a willing and eager unit, and this one feels very healthy. In 1991 it was converted to Weber carbs, but you can see now that’s running proper UK-spec triple SU carburettors, and it really is joyful to drive. The engine is super eager to rev, with the trademark exhaust rasp accompaniment, and a recent overhaul of the clutch system combined with a sweet gearbox means that every input is rewarded on the road. The brakes are keen, the damping is supple, it’s oodles of fun. The engine starts readily, idles evenly, registers the appropriate temperatures and pressures on the dials, and pulls strongly through the revs. A gentle cruiser and a lively B-road plaything, this is a Jaguar that thrills and delights in all the right ways.