This week on Rare Finds, we’ve found a perfectly-preserved example of one of the most beautiful vehicles ever built, a 1973 Jaguar XKE V12. This cherry red example is for sale near TFLcar’s hometown of Denver, CO. Its immaculate condition may make it one of the most desirable XKEs on the market today.
The Jaguar XKE was the successor to the famous and sought-after D-type racecar, but Jaguar launched the Series I XKE in 1961 as a practical but entertaining grand tourer. The Series I XKE harbored both the famous 3.8-liter six-cylinder and 4.2-liter V8 during its 1961-1968 production run, both engines that made the XKE one of the fastest and most agile sports cars of its time. Upon the Series I’s launch, even Enzo Ferrari called it, “The most beautiful car in the world.” The Series II XKE brought some minor cosmetic changes, but the advent of the Series III XKE brought serious performance improvements. A new 5.3-liter V12 became available along with standard power steering and improved brakes. Altogether, only 7,297 Series III XKE 2+2s were ever built, making them some of the rarest Jaguars ever produced.
This particular example of the Series III XKE is nearly perfect. The car still wears its original coat of paint, and only 27,000 verified original miles are on the odometer. All chassis and engine numbers match, and the sale of the car comes with a Jaguar Heritage certificate verifying the car’s production date, place of sale, and key specifications. Even the car’s original A/C unit is working properly according to the owner, something that rarely remains in working order. Better still is that this XKE has a 4-speed manual transmission as opposed to the available automatic transmission, keeping the driver very involved in the driving experience.
Condition is certainly one of this E-type’s strong points. The paint, despite being over forty years old, shows no signs of rust or fading around the car’s entire body, and the chrome is in perfect shape all around. The characteristic Jaguar wire wheels are completely intact and show very nicely. The interior has a bit of fading and cracking in the seat leather, but given that the leather is completely original, the condition is very impressive. The dash and instrument cluster are in the same show-ready condition of the rest of the car.
This XKE, being sold by a classic car collector, is one of the top-tier examples available on the market today. Its incredible condition added to its stunning looks and visceral engine make it a classic that will certainly remain desirable for decades to come. And with a current asking price of $34,500, this XKE is not completely out of reach of the American looking for a bit more European flare in their life.
Please enjoy this TFLcar.com video of the E-type’s successor, the 2014 Jaguar F-type.
Coupe :
and Convertible :
