There is a discussion on BAT of Pete Peterson’s series 2 about standard and optional wheels on the series 2 from the factory. JCNA was quoted but was not totally clear to me. It states that painted wires were standard, chrome optional, and pressed steel were optional at extra cost (chromed pressed at extra,extra cost?). When going through pictures of series 2 cars on XKEDATA (for at least 12 years now), I see chrome wires on almost 90% or so of the series 2 cars. And the pressed steel pictures are 100% chrome. I have seen a few silver painted wire wheels and a few that were painted body color by the owners. There is a local E-type owner that has a 2+2 with silver painted pressed wheels, the only ones I have ever seen. So were 90% of the cars ordered non stock (by the dealer) with chrome wires? (maybe for a better or quicker sale?) I do realize through the years that a lot of owners would opt for chrome wires if having to replace worn out wheels, and some would opt for the wider tubeless, etc., Daytons and others. The JCNA facts seem to be opinions or observations of long time owners George and John (No, not the Beatles) and maybe some others. Anyone know for sure, or are there any owners out there with their original order sheets that show the options. Does the Heritage certificate list these options?
The Jaguar Parts List would seem to be a good starting point for this topic. It states the following:
In the “Suspension, Steering & Road Wheels Section”:
C.28043 Wire Spoke Road Wheel (Painted) (Stoved Aluminium)
C.28044 Wire Spoke Road Wheel (Chromium Plated) - Supplied to Special Order Only
In the “Optional Extras” Section:
A list of “Items for Pressed Steel Wheels” including front and rear bolt on hubs, “Pressed” Road Wheel and sundry other related items.
It is my understanding that (as you said) the US dealers ordered Chrome Wires by default, and so as a result, the painted wires, and pressed steel wheels are a rarity on US cars.
The Jaguar Parts List for your car is, in my opinion, as important as the Service Manual, if you want to work on your car. They can be purchased from the “Usual” parts vendors, as well as JCNA. These are Jaguar Copyright documents, and I’m not aware of any on-line copies that have the blessing of Jaguar. JDHT (now called JHT?) publish a CD that contains the Service Manual and Parts Lists for Series 1 and Series 2 cars. Unfortunately, the Series 2 Parts List is not illustrated, and has some omissions. An illustrated Series 2 Parts List was compiled and published by a Forum Member Richard Liggitt, and is available from his company xkebooks, and other sources. None of these documents are vendor documents, so they don’t include price lists. There may be some brochures in the Jag-Lovers library that list original prices of the Optional Items, but I’m not familiar with them.
My 70 E purchased new shows on window sticker “Chrome Turbo Disc Wheels”
This was a $77.00 option at the time. There is also a blank left for Chrome wire wheels, but this was a generic window sticker? because it also had blank for power windows.
FWIW the disc wheels are 6" tube type.
Thanks guys, very good information. I hope more people will chime in on their window stickers/options.
I will probably spring for the CD. The six years it took me to restore my car I used the vendors websites for a parts reference, and spent a lot of money with them. I spent more than a few hours on David’s website too!
It’s kind of strange that the disc wheels were an option and more expensive when the chrome wires were the most desired. My car had wires and I switched to the bolt on. I hate cleaning wire wheels.
I do wonder if the painted disc were cheaper than the chromed disc. Seems logical.
A friend of mine keeps everything he ever acquired. Being a lifelong car nut in 1969 he sent an inquiry to Jaguar and they sent him sales literature including a hollerith card with us pricing information on it. I have a copy and scanned and posted it below. It lists, for example Chromium Plated Wire Wheels as a $107 option and Chromium Plated Turbo Disc wheels as a $58 option
I always thought the standard/default wheels for USA market cars was Chrome Wire Wheels.
But given your 1969 Price List advises Chrome Wire Wheels or Chrome Turbo Disc wheels were extra cost Options, what was standard - it doesn’t say? Painted Wire Wheels or painted (non-chrome) Turbo Disc Wheels as was standard (in UK/Aust) on XJ6 saloons.
Be nice to see a similar price list for 1968 and 1970 if anyone has.
I am afraid all my Price Lists are UK versions, or XK period for USA.
My understanding, as borne out by the Jaguar Parts List that I quoted earlier in the thread, is that standard was painted wire wheels C.28043. Chrome Wire Wheels were “Supplied to Special Order Only”, and Pressed Steel Wheels were “Optional Extras”. That said, the US dealers clearly thought that their customers required the Chrome Wires, so when ordering for inventory (rather than for a specific customer order) they “Special Ordered” the Chrome Wires.
My understanding as well. Much like trying to find a car with a manual transmission today. Yeah the manufacturer makes them on a few models but try to find one on the lot. The dealers know about 98% of customers want an automatic so they are not about to tie up money in an inventory item they might not sell for many months.
Thanks David, great information also. My car is an October build, so this was spot on for UK orders for that time. Strange to see that AC was available on John’s list for US cars and no AC was listed for E Type UK cars on your UK list. I wonder what the pound to dollar exchange rate was in October 1969.
I can tell you that in 1970 1 GBP bought about $2.48. I’d guess in 1969 the exchange rates were pretty much the same. The US more or less had fixed exchange rates until the early 1970s.
Thanks David, thinking about it , it would probably not have been cost effective for Jaguar to build a reverse version of the under dash evaporator/ fan unit for the home market where the weather is usually cooler than the US. How many people living in a cooler climate would have ordered AC on a sports car they wanted to have as much power as possible? Makes sense to me.
The price list says the extras are the ones “most often requested” so I guess there was little demand from E-Type owners in the UK. However I would have thought Australia, Japan and South Africa would have wanted air-con. It also says “Every effort is made to meet individual requirements” which means you could have had pretty much anything you wanted from the Factory. Obvious items would have been custom colours and interiors along with performance upgrades. Here is one example:
Another interesting document, David. It appears the dealers would upgrade and even modify their brands. I wonder if the car was new or coming back in for the work? Seems doubtful that these changes would have been done at the factory.
The changes were done at the Factory before delivery. This was one of a pair of identically specified cars ordered by the same person (see invoice) who, unfortunately, was killed in the first one before this second E-Type was delivered to him.
Much like today you specified your car, the Factory prepared it and the Dealer invoiced you. The paid for changes were extensive in this case with modifications to the engine and bodywork along with special parts. No way a Dealer would/could do that to a new car! It was probably done by the Competitions Dept.
I have photos of the extras, including the brake calipers from a Mk IX.
Wow David. That information really peaks my interest on the factory bonnet with front brake cooling ducts. Any chance there is a photo of that in your files?
