Vintage XK-E Roadster Remains Untouched Decades Later
Acquired by its dealer in 2018, 1973 XK-E Roadster retains its original body and paint, comes with a Jaguar Heritage Certificate.
We all have dreams of finding an all-original Jaguar tucked away in a barn somewhere, covered in dust and in need of restoration. We imagine ourselves saving these big cats, bringing them back to life through sweat, time, and a lot of cash on hand, then driving the finished masterpiece to our local car show to wow the crowd.
Here’s such an example we found on Bring a Trailer the other day, a 1973 XK-E Roadster that was acquired from its original owner by the selling dealer in 2018 after 45 years of ownership.
According to its Jaguar Heritage Trust Certificate, the XK-E Roadster was assembled in late June of 1973, then sent off to the United States a couple of weeks later in early July. The XK-E landed in Michigan, when it was sold to its sole owner in October of 1973.
Under the long silver hood is the XK-E’s numbers-matching 5.3-liter V12, which made 250 horses back in its day, piped through the rear wire knock-offs through a four-speed manual. After 20 years of storage in a garage, however, the Jaguar needs a mechanical restoration before it can roll back out on the road.
Inside the XK-E, the Russet red interior includes a pair of leather buckets that could use some refreshing. The roadster includes AC, an AM/FM radio, and plenty of rocker switches to control the lights and windshield wipers, while the black top will need full replacement due to age and damage.
The XK-E currently resides in Texas with only over 20,000 miles on the odometer. Once the car is mechanically sorted by its new owner, it’ll be ready to log another 20,000 more. Definitely one of the best barn finds we’ve come across.
Join the Jaguar Forums now!
