It's the Jaguar E-Type's birthday today -- it's 46.
Perhaps Lyons' most monumental achievement, the E-Type was the fastest sports car in the world when it was released in 1961. With a top speed of 150mph and a zero to 60 of 6.5 seconds, the Jaguar is revered as one of the most stunning looking cars ever made, judging by the prices they still fetch.
It has style, performance, and pedigree: its shell was designed by an aerodynamics engineer, it was propelled by the triple SU carburetted 3.8 litre 6-cylinder Jaguar XK6 engine from the XK150S, and was based on the 1950s Le Mans winning D-Type race car. Best of all, unlike other supercars of its time, it was a mass-market product: over 70,000 were built.
All E-Types feature a fully-independent suspension for improved ride and handling, and power-assisted disc brakes on all four wheels, features that were uncommon for cars from that era.
The series 2 and 3 cars lost the faired-in headlamps -- many say to the detriment of its good looks -- and production ended in 1974 with the series 3, easily identifiable by the aggressive, slatted front grill in place of the mouth of earlier cars, flared wheel arches and a badge on the rear that proclaims it to be a V12.