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I never refer to my E-Type as an "XKE" and neither did Jaguar. I'm curious what the history is around the erroneous moniker? Are Jan and Dean to blame?
The classic engine in this car is an XK... originally the 3.4 that was in the 120s. IDKFS but I believe that same 3.4 started the XK-Es out. There was a C-type, with C standing for "competition, D-type and so, in the spirit of the alphabet, Jaguar took on the E-Type. And now we have the 'spiritual successor' to the E, the F-type.
The first E Types were all 3.8L cars with the exception of the development test car which I believe was a 2.4L. That said it was the US market that named the E type the XKE. The very first ads touts the 3.8L XK engine as in the XK150'S'. It was a marketing continuation--that was very successful.
XKE was a North America name. I remember one of my older brother's friends getting a 1967 FHC for graduation from high school. Everyone called them XKE and not E-type. All the magazine ad's called them XKE - Road Track, Car & Driver etc.
Doug, good post. Those are some cool ads. The top one refers to the Jag as an XKE no less than 8 times. Reading the ad reminds us of how ground braking the E-Type was at launch.
Bill.
This is the earliest E-Type ad the Foundation holds. Doug's nice ad was from 64/65 or so as it is a 4.2L. Reading this ad it is easy to see how the US market jumped to XKE--after the huge success of the XK120/140/150 in the States it almost was being begged for. Sorry for the poor quality but it is under archival frame and glass so very hard to scan but it is good enough to get the idea.
He got an E for a high school grad present. Where did you live, Beverly Hills?
Hi OCDHerb,
No Detroit. You can imagine how jealous the other kids were when he went off to U of M for college. The last I knew he still had it. My brother shared a 1962 Falcon wagon with another brother, I was still in grade school.
It seemed to start off –Type was racing cars and XK- was sports cars.
The E-Type blurred the line between racing and sports, being both really.
Then Jaguar got confused or naming-challenged or something.
(not to mention S-Type what "Saloon Type"? lol)
Last edited by ChrisMills; Nov 25, 2021 at 09:32 AM.
My understanding is that it was badged 'XKE' in North America (or at least in the U.S.) because the NA dealers petitioned Jaguar to do so. They claimed that because the earlier XKs (-120-140 and especially the 150) were so successful and better known, they wanted a continuation of the nomenclature. And because North America was such an important market to Jaguar, management gave in, but kept the E-type designation for the home market and the rest of the world.
Where did "XKE" Come from?
