1972 Jaguar

Original UK-market, right-hand-drive car

Single family ownership for 40 years

Superbly restored to original specification

5.3-litre V12 engine and manual gearbox

Original book pack and service book

Only 48,000 miles from new

The Jaguar E-type remains one of the most enduringly popular of all classic cars, with a combination of style and performance that gives it few rivals beyond exotica costing several times as much.

Chassis number 1S 51026 was sold new on 7 April 1972 via well-known Edinburgh dealer Rossleigh Ltd. Its first owner, however, was based several hundred miles south of that, on Hayling Island in Hampshire. The Passport to Service booklet shows that AJ Segrave had his new E-type serviced by Chichester Automobiles in West Sussex, and the extensive history file also includes an invoice for Ziebart rustproofing dated 25 April 1972.

The Jaguar’s final visit to Chichester Automobiles was on 31 July 1974, by which time it had covered 15,142 miles. It was then sold, and subsequent stamps show that it was serviced by Prince’s Motors in Coventry in 1975 and ’76. A ferry ticket from July 1976 shows that the E-type was used to take the Goss family – two adults and one child – from Holyhead in Wales to Dun Laoghaire in Ireland, but it was taken off the road shortly afterwards.

The E-type remained in the ownership of the Goss family until 2015, when it was acquired by two enthusiasts who treated it to a full mechanical rebuild. Its most recent tax disc dated from 1976, and it was re-registered with the DVLA with support from the E-type Club, retaining its original number: YSC 500K.

It was subsequently given a bare-metal respray and interior retrim, and is now superbly presented in its original Old English White with black seats and navy carpets. Inside, the 8-Track stereo is still in place but is now backed up by a modern MP3 player that has been discreetly incorporated.

Used only sparingly since being restored, the E-type has still covered only 48,000 miles from new and was serviced in November 2025 by Acton-based specialist Enginuity. Its comprehensive history file includes its original book pack, plus a memory stick containing photographs of the rebuild.

The combination of a 5.3-litre V12 and manual gearbox means that, even more than 50 years after it was built, this Series III E-type offers strong performance, and it remains a highly versatile choice of classic grand tourer.