An historically significant 1961 Jaguar E-type has been discovered rotting in a barn near Paris. The right-hand-drive fixed head, which sports chassis number 15, was one of six E-types to go on display at the 1961 Scottish Motor Show, but had been thought lost for a number of years.
The Series 1 car was specified with a manual gearbox and was despatched to Edinburgh-based distributor Rossleigh on 27 October 1961. It is now set to be fully restored by marque specialist CMC.
Managing Director Nick Goldthorp said: “We found Chassis No. 15 at end of last year in Cernay, a town close to the border with Germany and about two hours away from Paris. It had been owned by the same person since 1976, who dismantled it some 20 years ago. That is as far as he got.
“Unfortunately, the car was left in a barn until we found it, and was very rusty and corroded – there was even a bird’s nest in the rear quarter! This will be a full nut-and-bolt restoration, covering every aspect of the car. It will be quite a challenge, but we are looking forward to it.”
The Bridgnorth firm is no stranger to restoring rare E-types, having found the 34th right-hand-drive example off the line earlier in the year, and the 60th car to be built in 2013.
