E-Type voted greatest all-time car

JAGUAR'S iconic 1960s E-Type has won the race to be crowned the "greatest car of all time" in a new poll of motorists.

The car was put at the top of the podium from a list of 100 by more than 2,000 British drivers quizzed by One Poll for the Discovery Channel ahead of the return of its Wheeler Dealers show next week.

It beat seven other British classic vehicles, including the Mini, Aston Martin DB5 and Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost, to head the top 10, and also won the poll for greatest classic car.

The Porsche 911 and Volkswagen Beetle were the only foreign representatives in the top 10 of the all-time survey, finishing third and fourth respectively, while Ferrari's F40 span into 11th.

Meanwhile, the Ford Capri won the title of the car they previously considered "embarrassing" but would now be proud to own, fending off the Morris Minor and Triumph Stag.

The show's presenters, who restore classic cars to their former glories, hailed the result as a victory for British engineering.

The show's car trading expert Mike Brewer said: "This research underlines the incredible heritage of British car manufacturing, where originality, style and performance have been the hallmarks of many of our greatest cars. As the classic car market continues to boom, we're seeing many popular productions being snapped up as future classics."

Edd China, fellow presenter and mechanic in the show added: "It's good to see the Capri and the XR3i now joining the pantheon of classic popular production cars. As we unveil our 100th car in the series, we'll be aiming to return another hidden gem to its former glory."

Last October an original E-Type sold for £88,000 at auction, while in May this year the Jaguar placed third best British car behind the 1959 Mini and McLaren F1 in a poll of Autocar readers.

The Wheeler Dealers all-time top 10:

1 Jaguar E-Type

2 Mini

3 Porsche 911

4 VW Beetle

5 Aston Martin DB5

6 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost

7 Aston Martin DB9

8 Aston Martin V8 Vantage

9 Rolls-Royce Phantom

10 Aston Martin Vanquish

By Peter Woodman, Press Association