Rare early Jaguar E-Type sells for £88,000

ONE OF THE MOST RARE Jaguar E-Types, and one of the first to be built in the 1960s sold has at auction for more than £88,000.

An anonymous British buyer from the south of England bought the iconic sports car at an auction in Ascot, Berkshire.

The hammer fell at £77,000, but with a buyer's premium the final bill was £88,040, a spokesman for Coys the auctioneers said.

The estimate had been £20,000 to £40,000 for the 1961 hand-built car, which was made to order.

The first 100 E-Types were manufactured that way, making them of special interest to enthusiasts.

It was the 40th right-hand drive coupe to roll off the Jaguar production line in Coventry, and experts thought it had been lost.

There was international interest in the E-Type, which had languished at a derelict farm in France for many years, and will need some restoration, but is in otherwise good condition.

The buyer has bought it for his own private collection but he does not know whether he will restore it, the spokesman explained.

By Martin Halfpenny, Press Association