Early E-type Jag discovered in French barn sells for £88,000

Sometimes in life there are little surprises hidden away that cheer you up, like finding a fiver in your winter jacket on the first cold day, and sometimes there are bigger surprises. That was the case when grandchildren found an early version of an E-type Jaguar in a derelict barn that their ancestor had stowed away back in 1974. Luckily, they managed to save it from destruction before the structure was demolished by bull-dozers in Le Mans, Northern France.

The E-type Jaguar is truly a motoring icon from the 1960s to the modern day. It rose in popularity chiefly due to its curvaceous lines, like the shape of a bullet; as well as its supreme performance and keen price for its day. Rival manufacturer, Enzo Ferrari, even described it as the ‘most beautiful car ever built’, which just added to its prestige.

The rear-wheel drive E-type celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2011 when it was powered by a 3.8-litres engine. It boasted a 150mph top speed and it had the ability to race from 0-60mph in just seven seconds. The car notched up 70,000 sales over its thirteen year manufacturing stint with the majority of them going overseas.

It’s surprising just how many old classic cars are found in barns, but it is becoming rarer to find them in such top condition as this E-type Jaguar was found in France. This wasn’t just an ordinary model you would find at the likes of HA FOX Jaguar; it was one of the first E-Type Jaguar cars to roll off the production line.

The Jaguar was bought in 1969 and through its serial number can be traced back as the fortieth RHD E-Type. The owner had it repainted then drove it to the French barn before putting a dust blanket over the top and leaving it, still with its 1974 tax disc prominently displayed and it was not touched again until his grandchildren discovered it.

At auction, the E-type sold for £88,040 in a car auction held at Ascot last month and it is believed that the romantic story may have helped raise the offer. It was sold alongside a host of other sought-after motors from the past with a Bentley Eight and Connaught L3. Let’s just hope it doesn’t get shut up in a barn and banished to the annals of history once again or be stored again in some dark place to an inch of its life.