The Last Of The Series 1 Roadsters Is On BaT

This beauty, VIN 1E14527, built on January 10th, 1967, is seven cars away from the last glass-covered headlight E-Type. The first S1.25 variant with open headlights came eight cars and a day later at VIN 1E14535.

I believe this is a significant car. Its “lateness” in the Series 1 4.2 evolution is as important as the “earliness” of the original 3.8 outside bonnet latch cars, IMO. It’s the definition of an “early 1967 roadster,” with a build date, expedited date and title date of 1967.

It’s a perfect, if over-restored car, built by the same team that auctioned a similar car to a record $275k last spring. It’s intentionally not built to JCNA standards, but intended to be a more reliable and comfortable driver.

As they say on BaT, GLWTA!

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Well, first of all, they are entitled to build the car any way they want to. That said, it is no longer the original color body, interior, or top. It appears they have chrome plated a lot of items in the engine compartment. Which all makes me a little sad. If they had done all of this to 77 RW (one of the Geneva cars) they would probably be tarred and feathered.

There is some uncertainty as to the last closed headlight cars but this one is indeed very close to the end. From the Authenticity Guide:
HEADLIGHTS
Note: There is a discrepancy between build records and Service Bulletins as to when the covered headlights were deleted. Both are quoted.
Glass covers deleted at:
Build records:
LHD OTS: 1E 14535
LHD FHC: 1E 34120
Spares Bulletin (P198 - Canada & USA only):
875385
850091
885020
860004
(J30-Pg. 171) (J30-Pg. 228)
Series 1 E-type Judges’ Guide Page - 14
LHD OTS: 1E 14532
LHD FHC: 1E 1E34113
LHD 2+2: 1E 77010
Except these Canada / USA LHD cars:
OTS: 1E 14534, 14536, 14537, 14540-14544, 14559-14561, 14590-14592, 14595,14643, 14655, 14656
FHC: 1E34114-34117, 34130, 34139, 34212
2+2: 1E77019, 77026-77029, 77048, 77059 (JCNA AGM 1994)

I agree, If we were at the Hershey auctions or the Mecum auctions the numbers are on a big , not surprising slide down.
Add what you say with non original, the price will reflect it.
BUT , most dont realize the game , Like a hardtop selling for 30 grand all in with points and shipping and taxes when you could buy a whole etype at hershey for 65!
Dont wind yourself up, just think…You decide. Is it real or is it a illusion…
The collector car hobby, is a hobby again NOT a blue chip investment portfolio,
No matter what happens on BAT , the overall numbers are going way down.

I see a lot of highly polished aluminum, but not a lot of non-original chrome plating.

It’s a little hard to spot the difference but if you start looking around the carbs, fuel lines, and linkages I think you will see what has to be chrome. For instance, the tops of the float bowls still show the raised lettering. I don’t know how you’d do that with polishing. Whatever, there is substantially more “shinyness” in that engine compartment than ever came from the factory. Looks like chrome to me. Maybe not.

Given that they apparently polished the heck out of the stainless steel exhaust system I’d guess they polished the aluminum bits to a high gloss as well.

Maybe different exhaust manufacturers do things differently, but my stainless downpipes from one of the usuals didn’t shine like that when I bought them.

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The seller and restorer, an Englishman, mentions the additional chrome plated items in his walk-around video. Frankly, I’m a fan of this car.

I will repeat one of my comments on BaT:

How many other cars, E-Type or not, can you flip over, lay a glass table on and enjoy a banquet with guests swooning over the polished stainless exhaust, perfectly detailed suspension and surgical cleanliness on normally hidden components? I understand and respect that some may undervalue an over-restoration. But personally, I’d be raising my glass with the toast, “here’s to perfection in all the details on a new old car.”

Make no mistake, this seller’s cars have gone for big bucks at the physical auctions, and this will be, I believe, only the second on BaT. A similarly restored car set a record at $275k last spring. It appears he has a winning formula.

Joe, regarding physical auctions vs. BaT, the numbers for the latter are, way, way up since the tumble last December. Maybe chalk it up to Boomers on the downward slide of life wanting just one more fling in the car of their dreams–a place they can’t catch or infect others with Covid.

I kind of agree with you and would only add that while some may want a car detailed to this level, I wouldn’t. So I’m not really a fan but I can appreciate the effort that went into it. And I see no value in criticizing someone else’s work or tastes. Critique? OK. Criticize? Not OK.

Let’s all be thankful Jaguar made enough of them that we can all own one to do with as we please to suit ourselves.

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Agreed, John.

I’m just thankful this is not another neglected barn find, lol!

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That’s how the Tourist Trophy exhausts from Moss come out of the box.

Bell exhaust come with highly polished silencers and resonators, but the tubing isn’t usually polished.

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Man, would that car look good, bombin’ down my dirt road!

:smirk:

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Agreed: I see polished aluminum, but no clear sign of chrome, other than the standard brightwork.

Thanks I didn’t know that.

Fuel banjos look pretty shiny, the silvery type of shiny. Seem like chrome. I noticed they didn’t chrome or polish the copper overflow pipes or the copper vacuum advance pipe. I’ve always wanted those to be polished stainless or at least polished copper.

You may wish to check the seller’s walk around video where he addresses the items on the carbs that he chrome plated.

What a pleasure with the high torque starter
It’s so fast and smooth!
So there’s at least 300 grand into the car!
Let’s see how well he makes out🙄

I’m glad he posted that video. It does a lot to explain where he is coming from.

The more I look at the effort made to polish/plate/etc the various sufaces, I am indeed impressed at the results and can only guess at the amount of labor involved. I’ve done enough polishing to know that getting the big flat surfaces shiny is just the beginning. It is all the nooks, crannies, and odd shapes that take the exponential effort. Amazing!

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He seems really genuine to me. I’m guessing the interested high rollers have sent inspectors to be all over this car, and are vetting it as we speak. No reason it shouldn’t go for even more than the last one he auctioned, considering the previous bar set, and that this is the 7th to the last S1 OTS. Darn fine car!

It looks wonderful
Gtjoey1314

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