Jaguar E-Type

The story

Malcolm Sayer came to Jaguar from the aircraft industry, and he drew the E-Type's body to an engineer's brief, with low drag as the goal: a long, tapering hood, a cabin pushed far back, surfaces that let the air slip past. It was unveiled in March 1961 with a 3.8-liter twin-cam straight-6 rated at 265 hp, a monocoque center section derived from the Le Mans-winning D-Type, independent rear suspension and disc brakes all around. Jaguar brought a single demonstrator to Geneva, and so many people wanted a ride that test driver Norman Dewis was sent to fetch another, driving it through the night across Europe.

What made it matter was the price. Exotic speed had been the preserve of the very rich, and the E-Type put something close to it within reach of buyers who worked for a living. The legend was never perfectly tidy, since few production cars matched the 150 mph the press cars managed, but nobody much minded. Over 3 series it gained a 4.2-liter engine, a 2+2 body and finally a V12, and more than 70,000 were built before production ended in 1974. Every Jaguar sports car since has been measured against it.