1969 Jaguar E-Type Roadster S2 |

Sold

1969 Jaguar E-Type Roadster S2

Sold Price

£81,620

Mileage~35,209 on clock
TransmissionManual
Engine4.2-litre
LocationRingwood, Hampshire

SOLD

1969 Jaguar E-Type Roadster S2

I WANT ONE

Introduction

Adam Purrier

CEO

This is your chance to own a stunning E-Type Roadster that's had a pampered life and recent mechanical overhaul and engine rebuild.

Series one prices have skyrocketed in recent years, with the best-of-the-best examples fetching eye-watering money. However, whilst prices have also risen for series two cars, they still remain relatively affordable. It's not uncommon to see exceptional series two cars with all the provenance being offered at six-figure sums and more. Although as we all know, an asking price and actual sale price are two totally different things - most of these examples we see remain unsold when they come to auction.

This particular example could quite easily carry that price tag, however it may also suffer the same fate if it wasn't for Gordon, the owner, understanding the market and setting very realistic pricing expectations.

We can't wait to show you the quality of this car and the attention it's received over the years. In just the last couple of years Gordon has spent way over £50k on a mechanical overhaul and even an engine rebuild. Now that's got to make you sit up and see the difference compared to the other lower-grade options available on the market for similar money.

This fresh-to-market car being guided at such realistic pricing is quite unique - it's not concours but it really isn't far off. We spent three hours with the car, so we got to know it inside out, and we will recommend the areas for further improvement if the new owner wishes to action - making it a potential show winning car and a sound investment.

This auction listing was written from information supplied by Adam after meeting Gordon the owner, and having visited and photographed the vehicle.

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8 out of 10 people that buy cars via our service don’t feel the need to visit due to the transparency and thoroughness of our listings.

Vehicle Delivery

We're there every step of your buying journey and will even arrange pick-up and delivery of your new vehicle.

Secure Auctions

We verify all our sellers and buyers to keep our community safe whilst also providing the highest levels of website security.

Full Transparency

8 out of 10 people that buy cars via our service don’t feel the need to visit due to the transparency and thoroughness of our listings.

Vehicle Delivery

We're there every step of your buying journey and will even arrange pick-up and delivery of your new vehicle.

Meet the owner

I've loved this car for nearly thirty years, however now is the time I must say goodbye to it due to moving home in the near future.

Yes Gordon has owned this stunning roadster for nearly thirty years and in that time he's spent thousands of pounds keeping it in tip-top condition.

Gordon bought the car in 1994 and has spent a significant amount of money looking after it. The original restoration was carried out in 1992/3 and the quality of that work shines though to this day. In more recent times Gordon commissioned a full mechanical overhaul and engine rebuild by the specialists at Dawson Engineering - this was actioned during 2019/20 at a cost of over £51k.

So there's been no skimping on this car; whatever it needed it got - a very lucky car indeed.

Gordon has agreed a sale on his house and will be moving further away to be nearer his family, and as such the car now needs to find a new home.

Gordon

Vehicle Owner

Gordon saved £14,580* when they
sold their Jaguar with us.

SELLING MADE EASY

We'll take the photos & create the listing.
We'll market it to our 62K buyers & online.
You'll keep your car until it's paid for.

PEACE OF MIND FOR BUYERS

They can fully review our cars online.
They can buy on our trusted platform.
They're able to buy without leaving home.

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EXTERIOR VIDEO

Exterior

Simply stunning - not more you can really say except there's not many cars with so much presence for 'sensible money'.

Wheels and Tyres

All exceptional - the stainless steel wires are in excellent condition with no issues to note as they were replaced by Gordon in 2009, along with a fresh set of Pirelli 4000 tyres.

The tyres have only had circa 300 miles of use since their purchase - as such they are in 'as new' condition. We didn't find any signs of cracking or age related marks during our visit.

Bodywork

As mentioned previously, the original restoration by the former owner, Tony, in 1992/3 was excellent - his attention to detail was very high and as such it's stood the test of time.

We noticed no visible signs of any corrosion on any external panel during our visit. Being really picky, we noticed a small number of 'dings' that we think could be easily remedied by a specialist. The most noticeable being on the passenger's door and rear boot lid - please watch the full external video to see us pointing them out.

The shut lines are very good across the car. However, thinking for a moment on your potential desire to make it into a show winning car, then a bit of light fettling could be done to make it even better. The boot and doors are very good - we would just experiment with adjusting the catches to bring the doors in a little as now the rubbers have aged / softened over the years. So a tighter fit may be achieved.

The bonnet is generally a good fit, however, you'll notice slightly larger gaps where it meet the sill - more so on the driver's side. So adjustment may be possible to improve the alignment.

As stated, this is being picky but it does give you the opportunity to improve the car and also the investment.

Paint

The paint is very good across the car - the original spray was of a good quality.

There are no noticeable differences of texture or colour across the car; even when looking in direct sunlight.

The condition of the paint is also very good, however, to make it even better it would benefit from a proper machine polish and wax to make it pop even better.

There are a few small areas that could be addressed, e.g. some chips on the leading edge of the rear boot.

The bottom line is both the bodywork and paint is in excellent condition - the suggestions we're making here is to take this car to a potential show winning standard.

Glass and Trim

The glass and trim is very good across the car - no issues to note.

More recently Gordon had the bumpers renewed by Dawson Engineering in 2021 at a cost of £3k - another signal of his 'no expense spared' approach to maintaining this car.

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INTERIOR VIDEO

Interior

What a fantastic place to sit - the original steering wheel and gauges transport you back to 1969 in an instant.

Seats and Carpets

Subject to the restoration in 1992/93 and still look good today - there are no rips or issues to note. The padding is plump and supportive and ready for any long road trip you may want to make.

The appearance could be improved further by a good deep clean on a Sunday afternoon.

Dashboard

Again no issues to note - please review all the images and videos to see everything in hi-resolution detail.

Steering Wheel / Gear Stick

As mentioned, the original steering wheel is fitted and it is in excellent condition - it feels strong and will present no issues for use.

The gear stick is also in original condition with no issues.

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'ON THE ROAD' VIDEO

Mechanics

From the beautifully restored cam covers to the smallest of details on washer choice - it's clear to see the specialists knew what they were doing and the quality shines through.

Engine and Gearbox

Just look at the engine bay of this car - it's stunning, with a bonnet that begs to be opened at your local car show.

The engine and running gear is a big highlight of this car. As we know, Gordon has spent big on the mechanics in recent years, meaning you don't have to. Tony, the original UK owner took pictures of the first rebuild back in 1992/3, as you can see in the media file. Also you'll see the bills for all the mechanical work a couple of years ago that total over £50k in the invoice file.

A new premium aluminium radiator was fitted last year at around £1k and the car is also fitted with a stainless steel exhaust.

We drove the car around Gordon's property and the clutch felt good, i.e. it engaged all gears with a midway bite point.

We think you'll have a hard job to find an E-Type with better mechanics for similar money within our guide price - it really is that good.

Please watch the On the Road video to see the car starting from cold with no issues and also see it drive.

Suspension and Brakes

Gordon assures us the brakes and suspension perform well on the open road. The car was treated to a higher ratio differential back in 2011 at the cost of nearly £2.5k - this makes the car more relaxed at cursing speeds. A 'must do' modification if you intend to use your E-Type on GT driving trips.

Please take a look at the images and videos to see the quality of restoration on all the components - the IRS has been subject to mechanical work too and looks in excellent condition.

Koni shock have been fitted - a subtle upgrade to improve the ride and handling.

The Drive

Please watch the videos to see the car being driven around Gordon's property. Gordon tells us the car drives exceptional well and of course it does considering the care, attention and money that he's spent on it over the years.

Electrics and Other

The car is fitted with a later radio with an electric aerial - both of which are working during our visit.

We've also taken pictures of the wiring across the car, including behind the centre dash section.

The only electrical item that didn't work was the heater fan. We tried the first push setting with the ignition on and it didn't start - these are problematic units and may need some more attention.

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History and Paperwork

The same owner for nearly thirty years that's spent thousands and thousands of pounds keeping it in excellent condition - cars of this quality for this price don't come up every day, so it's your rare opportunity to buy with your heart and your head too.

So you've got this far in your reading. You know the quality of this car is right, you know it's well priced and a sound investment, and you've heard our thoughts on improvements to take the car to show winning standard. Now review all the images and videos to make your final assessment before getting in involved in the bidding.

As mentioned, please review the invoice file to see all the work actioned on the car in recent years - you can also see full pictures of the original restoration back in 1992/3.

Gordon assures us the car is a matching numbers car and you can see notes on this in the paperwork section. Of course the engine is the most important number to check and we took a photograph of this (see image) and it matches the Jaguar's heritage certificate. The frame number that's usually stamped on the right side if the car is not showing. This is because Gordon had the frames restored a couple of years ago. We couldn't check the gearbox number, however, Gordon assures us this is the original unit as it was checked back in 1992/3.

The car was originally exported to New York in February 1969 and then made its way back to the UK in 1992 when it was then subject to a a full restoration by the first owner (Tony). The mileage recorded on the clock was 33,232 on import, however with no US history to verify, and it's been tracked by Gordon ever since. You'll even see some of the petrol invoices tracking its progress that shows how meticulous Gordon has been.

The car is now reading 35,209.

We've done all our usual checks on the seller, V5 and it's HPi clear.

Service History

Date	Type	Mileage
17.12.2020	MOT	35,194
07.08.2015	MOT	35,155
15.08.2014	MOT	35,129
15.08.2014	Service - Specialist	35,127
07.08.2013	MOT	35,117
20.06.2012	MOT	34,958
30.06.2011	MOT	34,954
23.09.2009	MOT	34,919
15.04.2008	MOT	34,880
03.10.2006	MOT	34,790
03.12.2005	Service - Jaguar	34,745
28.11.2005	MOT	34,746
13.09.2005	MOT	34,745
19.09.2003	Service - Jaguar	34,694
09.06.1998	Service - Jaguar	34,324