1970s Jagur E-Type

By the end of the XK140 and XK150 era Jaguar fans waited with anticipation to see what the company would come up with as its next generation GT car. The 4.0-litre XK engines were starting to show their age and were not capable of propelling the E-type to the sort of speeds it needed if it was going to outrun Ferraris on the race track.

As 1965 turned into 1970s Jagur E-Type the economy began to slow down and Jaguar went to a three day working week, cutting production by about a third. Sir William Lyons also wanted a more refined GT car which could retail at a higher price and generate more profit for the company. This became project XJ27 which eventually evolved into the XJ-S.

Jaguar in the ’70s: Evolution and Innovations of a Luxury Brand

The 4.2-litre XK engine was enlarged to 4.2-litres and fitted with ribbed cam covers. The SU carburettors were replaced with twin Strombergs on cars destined for the USA, and a new Lucas ignition distributor was used. A larger front air intake helped the cooling system cope with the additional power. The electrical systems were upgraded and the seats redesigned for more comfort. The cooling fan was increased in size and the dashboard redesigned with safety switches replacing the old toggles to meet U.S. regulations.

All of these changes brought a substantial increase in power, and Motor magazine tested an E-type FHC (ARW 732B) in October of 1964 and recorded a top speed of 150mph with a 0-60 time of 7.7 seconds. However, owners complained about inaccurate instruments, overheating, oil leaks, dodgy electrics and clutches which were prone to falling off.