About 50 classic E-Types will be exhibited at the Jaguar Exhibition Hall for one day on April 2, accompanied by their owners - giving visitors an opportunity to start a discussion with them. The event will be tied-in with the football match between Coventry City and Watford.
The Jaguar E-Type was unveiled on March 15, 1961 in Geneva, which makes this year the 50th anniversary. The car's classic silhouette was the work of Malcolm Sayer, and aeronautical engineer, who gained automotive experience in the earlier Le Mans winning C- and D-Types. Even Enzo Ferrari himself is quoted as saying that the car was the most beautiful in the world. The E-Type was equipped with a 3.8-litre straight-six engine - which won five Le Mans victories in the 1950s - and produced 265bhp and 260lb.ft of torque by 1961. This enabled the E-Type to achieve a top speed of 150mph that made it the fastest production car in the world at the time.
The E-Type remained in production for 14 years and 70,000 examples were produced. It was a favourite of stars and celebrities throughout the 1960s and 1970s, including football legend George Best, actress and fashion model Brigitte Bardot and movie stars Tony Curtis and Steve McQueen.
Everyone attending the Coventry City - Watford game can gain access to the Jaguar Exhibition Hall, which will be open between 11am and 6:30pm.
Gábor Vajda - 9 Feb 2011