1972 Jaguar E-Type FHC V12 2+2 SIII
- Original UK-market, right-hand-drive car
- Single family ownership for 40 years
- Superbly restored to original specification
- 5.3-litre V12 engine and manual gearbox
- Original book pack and service book
- Only 48,000 miles from new
| YEAR | 1972 |
| MAKE | Jaguar |
| PRICE | £64,900 |
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION
The Jaguar E-type remains one of the most enduringly popular of all classic cars, with a combination of style and performance that gives it few rivals beyond exotica costing several times as much.
Chassis number 1S 51026 was sold new on 7 April 1972 via well-known Edinburgh dealer Rossleigh Ltd. Its first owner, however, was based several hundred miles south of that, on Hayling Island in Hampshire. The Passport to Service booklet shows that AJ Segrave had his new E-type serviced by Chichester Automobiles in West Sussex, and the extensive history file also includes an invoice for Ziebart rustproofing dated 25 April 1972.
The Jaguar’s final visit to Chichester Automobiles was on 31 July 1974, by which time it had covered 15,142 miles. It was then sold, and subsequent stamps show that it was serviced by Prince’s Motors in Coventry in 1975 and ’76. A ferry ticket from July 1976 shows that the E-type was used to take the Goss family – two adults and one child – from Holyhead in Wales to Dun Laoghaire in Ireland, but it was taken off the road shortly afterwards.
The E-type remained in the ownership of the Goss family until 2015, when it was acquired by two enthusiasts who treated it to a full mechanical rebuild. Its most recent tax disc dated from 1976, and it was re-registered with the DVLA with support from the E-type Club, retaining its original number: YSC 500K.
It was subsequently given a bare-metal respray and interior retrim, and is now superbly presented in its original Old English White with black seats and navy carpets. Inside, the 8-Track stereo is still in place but is now backed up by a modern MP3 player that has been discreetly incorporated.
Used only sparingly since being restored, the E-type has still covered only 48,000 miles from new and was serviced in November 2025 by Acton-based specialist Enginuity. Its comprehensive history file includes its original book pack, plus a memory stick containing photographs of the rebuild.
The combination of a 5.3-litre V12 and manual gearbox means that, even more than 50 years after it was built, this Series III E-type offers strong performance, and it remains a highly versatile choice of classic grand tourer.
MODEL HISTORY
Since its launch in 1961, the Jaguar E-type had been powered by the famous six-cylinder XK engine, originally in 3.8-litre form before being enlarged to 4.2 litres. For the Series III, however, an all-new engine was developed.
Engineers Harry Mundy and Walter Hassan came up with an all-alloy, single-camshaft-per-bank, 60-degree V12 with a capacity of 5343cc. Hassan explained that Jaguar’s intention was to sell a lot of cars in America, so they felt that the new powerplant should be ‘something rather better than the run-of-the-mill V8 engines that are in common usage over there’.
It was originally stated that the Series III would continue to be offered with the 4.2-litre six-cylinder XK engine, but it’s thought that only three such cars were built. The two-seater Fixed-Head Coupé model was dropped from the line-up, and the Series III was offered in just Roadster and 2+2 form.
Styling changes included a new grille in a larger front air intake, plus flared wheelarches to accommodate the wider track. UK prices were quoted as being £3122 for the manual Roadster in 1971, with the equivalent 2+2 costing £3369. There was also the option of a Borg Warner automatic gearbox.
The new engine garnered almost universal praise when the latest E-type was launched, Autosport stating that ‘somehow a big V8 seems quite crude after the V12… Perhaps the big surprise of this new car is not just that it is better, but how much better it is.’
With sales falling away in the American market as the 1970s progressed, and an Oil Crisis not offering the ideal conditions in which to offer a 5.3-litre V12, the final E-type was built in September 1974 after a total of 13 years in production.