QUINTESSENTIALLY: The Jaguar E-Type - The World's Most Beautiful Car Celebrates it's 50th Birthday

The Jaguar E-Type (UK) or Jaguar XK-E (US) celebrates it's fiftieth birthday this year. Launched on the American market in March 1961, British buyers had to wait until July, before it was made available in right-hand drive for the domestic market. A great success for Jaguar, more than 70,000 E-Types were sold during its lifespan. In March 2008, the Jaguar E-Type ranked first in the Daily Telegraph list of the "100 most beautiful cars" of all time. In 2004, Sports Car International magazine placed the E-Type at number one on their list of Top Sports Cars of the 1960s. The Museum of Modern Art in New York recognized the significance of the E-Type's design in 1996 by adding a blue roadster to its permanent design collection, one of only two automobiles to receive the distinction.

Originally the Jaguar was perceived as an affordable alternative to sports cars. Produced in 1961, the E-Type propelled Jaguar into the hall of fame. The car´s design features were undoubtedly innovative, however it was primarily a development of past sports car designs. The price of the car was originally $5,000 which made it a bargain in comparison to the Aston Martin, Ferrari or bespoke European sports cars of the time which all came with a hefty price tag of $10,000 or more. The Jaguar E-Type was easily identifiable by its long, elegant hood. Although Aston Martin and Ferrari had previously made use of this particular design they were not as low-slung and arresting as the Jaguar. The E-Type was initially designed and shown to the public as a grand tourer in two-seater coupé form (FHC or Fixed Head Coupé) and as convertible (OTS or Open Two Seater). The 2+2 version with a lengthened wheelbase was released several years later. On its release Enzo Ferrari called it "The most beautiful car ever made". Subsequent Ferrari models including the 250 GTO and Daytona owe numerous design aspects to the E-Type.




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