Jaguar Classic will create six matched pairs of E-types to celebrate the iconic sports car's 60th anniversary in 2021: The E-type 60 Collection.
Each pair of E-type 60 Edition cars pays tribute to two of the oldest and most famous Jaguar E-types of all: The '9600 HP' and the '77 RW', which played pivotal roles in the unveiling of the car at its world debut in Geneva, Switzerland in March of 1961.
An Opalescent Gunmetal Grey 3.8-litre Fixed-Head Coupe registered '9600 HP' was one of the first two E-types unveiled to specially-invited guests at the Parc des Eaux Vives. Driven flat out to Switzerland from Coventry the night before the launch, Public Relations Manager Bob Berry arrived with only minutes to spare for demonstration drives.
With an outstanding reaction to the E-type resulting in overwhelming demand for drives, Berry and legendary Jaguar Test and Development Engineer Norman Dewis was told to 'drop everything' and drive a British Racing Green 3.8-litre roadster registered '77 RW' overnight from Coventry to Geneva.
Both cars were also used for media road tests, which proved the car's sensational performance - including its 241km/h top speed, which matched its jet aircraft-inspired lines honed in a wind tunnel by aerodynamicist Malcolm Sayer.
Every E-type 60 Edition built by the team at Jaguar's Classic Works facility in Warwickshire will be an existing 1960s 3.8-litre E-type fully-restored to exclusive 60th anniversary tribute specification. Each E-type 60 Collection pair will include one Flat Out Grey '9600 HP' coupe and one Drop Everything Green '77 RW' roadster, with unique paint formulations exclusively reserved for these cars and will feature a number of 60th anniversary commemorative design details created in conjunction with Jaguar Design Director Julian Thomson.
