1961 Jaguar E-Type 3.8 Flat-Floor Roadster
- Engine
- 3.8L inline-six, dual overhead camshaft
- Colour
- Opalescent Silver Blue
Chassis 875865 is an early-production left-hand-drive Series 1 Jaguar E-Type Roadster, completed in October 1961 and exported new to New York before first registration in Illinois in January 1962. Distinguished by welded bonnet louvres and the desirable flat-floor footwell, it retains its matching-numbers 3.8-litre twin-cam engine with the characteristic 'Pumpkin'-coloured cylinder head. Following ownership by noted collector Peter Mullin, it underwent a comprehensive restoration in California and subsequently enjoyed a sustained concours career, winning its class at multiple events between 2008 and 2016.
Ownership
- —Auction saleSold £161,000 (≈ $201K)
- 1961-10-01 →Factory deliveryJaguar Cars New Yorkpartial documentation
Vehicle dispatched from factory in late October 1961 to the US distributor; first registered in Illinois in early 1962.
- 1962 →Acquisition unknownIllinois-based ownerpartial documentation
Car first registered in Illinois before subsequently moving to Mississippi.
- → 1998Private salePeter Mullinpartial documentation
Prominent collector based in Los Angeles who acquired the vehicle in the early 1990s; sold it partway through a restoration in 1998.
- 1998 →Private salePasadena-based ownerpartial documentation
Completed the restoration using multiple California specialists to factory-correct standards; had the bodywork repainted in 2017 and returned the car to the UK in early 2020.
- Date unknownAcquisition unknownMississippi-based ownerpartial documentation
Car was registered and used in Mississippi at some point before its sale to a California collector.
Competition
- —Los Angeles Concours d'EleganceClass win
One of multiple class victories achieved between 2008 and 2016; car consistently scored above 99 points at concours appearances during this period.
- —Dana Point Concours d'EleganceClass win
Part of a series of successful concours showings between 2008 and 2016 with scores consistently exceeding 99 points.
- —San Marino Motor ClassicClass win
Among the events at which the car won its class during its active concours period from 2008 to 2016.
Maintenance & restoration
- 2017Bodywork
Full repaint carried out, changing the finish to Opalescent Silver Blue with a matching blue soft-top, a colour combination within the original period options.
- —Restoration
Restoration begun while the car was owned by Peter Mullin; work was still in progress at the time of the 1998 sale.
Exact start date not stated; restoration was incomplete when ownership changed.
- —RestorationVarious California-based specialists
Comprehensive rebuild completed by multiple California-based specialists following the 1998 ownership change, covering bodywork, paint, mechanical systems, and interior trim, all brought to factory-correct specification.
Work was completed sometime after 1998 and before the car's first concours appearances in 2008.
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