1971 Jaguar E-type FHC
Late Series II Crossover with Air Conditioning
Rare "Ghost Run" 1971 Jaguar E-type for Sale
1971 Jaguar E-type FHC for sale. This special XKE is one of the last 25 Series II 6-cylinder cars produced in December of 1970, part of a "ghost run" of cars that were never officially designated, which had some decorative elements of the Series III V12 - the grille insert and the Jag badges on the sides of the bonnet. (There is an article about this run of cars in the documentation).
It was imported into San Francisco in 1971 and finished from the factory in Opalescent Silver Blue with a dark blue interior. Its first 20 years are unknown. But then, it spent 10 years with each of three owners in California, Nevada, and Arizona.
The past 30 years of ownership are documented in a binder that comes with the car. Included are the detailed advertisements from the sale of the car in both 2000, and 2010. Also included are meticulous notes from the 2010-2021 and 2022 owners, covering various maintenance items, minor modifications for increased reliability, and repairs.
The original, numbers-matching engine idles smoothly and quietly with no smoke or issues. It is fed by a nicely tuned set of Zenith Stromberg carburetors. The 4-speed manual transmission shifts beautifully through all the gears and the suspension and braking are tight and responsive.
It rides on original chrome wire wheels and a brand new set of Verdstien classics. One prior owner sourced a set of 5 matching D-type mags ($800/wheel) and these were on the car for the past 15 years. Photos of the car with those wheels mounted are also in the gallery.
The owner from 1990-2000 did a great deal of work on the car, including a full mechanical refurbish with some internal engine upgrades (listed in the 2000 sale ad), at his shop in Grass Valley, where he restored several e-types over the years. The two subsequent owners have maintained and repaired it as needed making this a good, solid, and reliable driver.
The exterior presents very well as a driver-quality car. (It won several show awards under one of the previous owners). The paint is lustrous and the trim and brightwork show well. Its current owner purchased it in Tucson last year from its previous owner who owned it since 2010 and ran a restoration shop in Tucson for 30 years.
Two weeks after the prior owner’s purchase in 2010, it was hit in the right rear quarter while parked, causing sheet metal damage (but no frame damage). Due to the lower values at that time, Grundy Insurance totaled it, based on their view that it needed a new right rear quarter from the UK.
The owner bought it back and did the metalwork himself and professionally repaired it. That led to the car being retitled as a salvage vehicle. Included in the gallery are detailed before and after photos. The repair was to a high standard and cannot be detected.
Unrelated to this incident there has also been a previous repair to the left rear quarter, when and why, no one knows. The workmanship unfortunately isn't as good. The photos show that the left door is a little bit misaligned. Just behind the driver's door, there is a small patch of waviness. On a magnet test, there seems to be a little patch of filler right behind the door.
It appears that at some point, it got bumped there and got filled in. There's no evidence of damage underneath, and the issue is barely noticeable (and was there when the car won its show awards). (Additionally, we have been told by one body expert that the door misalignment may simply be due to sag - a hinge issue).
The undercarriage is in good overall condition and rust-free, solid, and tidy. Some repair appears to have been done to the driver's foot-well area at some point. Overall it is in good order underneath.
The interior was reupholstered by the 1990-2000 owner. It presents as original, very comfortable, and in very good overall condition. The gauges are all in good working order and the air conditioning blows ice cold.
The seating, panels, door cards, and dash present well, and the rugs are intact with the driver's floor rug showing some wear. it has a period aftermarket cassette player. The rear area is tidy and the spare also wears a brand new Vredestein Sprint Classic with jack and hammer.
Since purchasing it last year the current owner has had the alternator rebuilt by Tucson Alternator. Also, the rear end was dropped and the driveshaft joints were replaced. That work was performed by Keith Brooks European Service in Tucson.
Be sure to check out all 280 photos and the detailed video below. Call or text Donn with questions, shipping, and financing options. 707-332-8331.
Thank you for visiting!
VIN# 2R28761
1971 Jaguar XKE Featured Photos:
use right and left arrow tabs to view pictures
VIDEO GALLERY
SLIDESHOW GALLERY
CLICK A PHOTO GALLERY BELOW!
