Imagine if it were 1961 all over again and Sir William Lyons had unveiled not one but two Jaguar Sports Cars at the Geneva Motor Show.

The 'e' type not yet an Icon and the XJS. with a choice of a Straight Six or a V12 for both Cars.

Price wise almost identical.

Which one would you have chosen back in the day and why?

I would have gone for the XJS being much more comfortable and refined, as I have never been blown away by the look of the 'e' type when compared to the XJS.

 

XJS all day... Design would clearly be more 70ies than 60ies and the E-Type is so out of proportion. Too longer bonnet, too many curves, too steaper windscreen, etc. The XJ-S is just so much more balanced. Oh, and the suspension is so much better in the X27.

 

Hi Daim

Totally agree, I recently saw a very nice BRG 'e' type Coupe in my Supermarket Car Park!

and although it drew some admiring looks, I really didn't think it looked 'all that' totally out of proportion as you say.

Though a Convertible would have looked better but like you for me it's the XJS all day.

 

XJ-S of course.

The E has never done even a dull "warm and fuzzy" for me.

 

Lots of reasons I would not mind it being 1961 again; but having an E type is not one of them...
Greg

 

Having had both I would choose the xjs now. but I wasn't old enough to drive in 1961 and couldn't have afforded one if I was

 

I've never driven an E-Type, but they are seriously good-looking cars (which seems to put me in a minority here). Not sure if I'd want to live with one, of course. I can't really compare the looks, as they're totally different, but there's probably a reason there's an E-Type in MOMA.... (Mind you, they also have a Jeep and a VW Beetle.) At any rate, fifteen year old me was entranced by the XJS and the E-Type didn't even register on my radar, so I guess that's my answer....

 

Oh no Guys! I love my XJS, but it's the E-Type every single day of the week in Coupe and Roadster forms!

I don't remember Enzo Ferrari saying that the XJS was the car he wished that he'd designed.....

All cars are great but I looked at a number of E-Types on Sunday and was suddenly taken back to the early sixties and my Dad explaining that this car could go faster than the police! The love affair was born at that point.

Paul

 

E type. Truly love the early ones!

Unlimited funds? A full variety pack set. Coupes and verts in BRG and Red and a WWII era bunker to put them in all packaged and prepped for unveiling in 2016 to a mad market. Use the proceeds to buy more awesome stuff from the same era but with $s in the stratosphere. Lancias, GT40s, Dinos. That sort.

 

E-Type coupe for sure. That car looks stunning.

 

I couldn't care less if the pope said it was the mlst beautiful car opinions are like bumholes, everyone has one

 

If you were ro ask whether XJS or Interceptor, that would be harder for me, though I do like the XJS a tad better but an Interceptor wouldn't be pushed off of my bed

 

E-type all day. Obviously it is hard, maybe we will assume the XJS didn't have the electronic wizardry and had carbs?

Honestly i love my XJS but it is so boring to drive with the lame auto 3 speed. The E-type is infinitely more gorgeous and entertaining to drive. The XJS is 1000x better to drive than most modern cars, but it is still pretty boring.

 

Had a 70 E convertible. Nicest car I have eve owned, bar none. The E was born in an era where we could kill our selves without intervention. Go 120mph plus with no air bags, impact bumpers and maybe an afterthought seatbelt. We could burn large amounts of leaded gasoline for a the price of todays big Mac. The XJS was born too late with much of it's potential crushed by lawyers, economics, and government meddling. Not that there's anything wrong with that!

 

Hi Paul

That could be because Enzo never saw an XJS in 1961 to compare it with.

 

Hi JigJag

Someone somewhere must have a Brand New 'e' type and XJS in storage, I wonder where they are.

 

It's nice but I'll stick with my XJS.

 

I'm a very long way from getting bored with mine.

 

To be honest, not that many Ferraris look beautiful. Impressive, cool, sure. But "beauty" is not something I associate with Ferrari.

 

for me?? in 1960 i had a perfect condition 1957 Corvette, bought new, just built a custom engine(what else), bored 1/8" over size HI-comptession pistons, new cam profile from Chevy Fuelie Vettes, ported heads , up to date valve job!

TWO big 4 barrel carbs, inlet manifold milled out for larger plenum chambers,(more volume under the carbs).

larger exhuast pipes.

factory 4 speed(close ratio), 3.70 rear ratio.

well for 1960/1961 it was the Fastest car around town, and raced anything that wanted to GO, pegged the speedometer 145mph many times, slip and slide on take off, but always closed and passed everything else.

those silly Ferrin cars (Tea Baggers),never had a chance, and i actually raced Jag E/types, and also a guy that was a student at MIT,Massachusetts institue of technology Boston), a 1955 Mercedes Gullwing coupe, killed him on acceleration, we were over 140mph and maybe he was holding on but not passing!

YEP! young dumb, and full of ***,!

never seen a Ferrari or anything really fast!

but USA domestic cars with big block engines were showing up, and i was bored ,sold it, yeah i know shoulda,woulda,coulda, but i have the memories