The first E-Type to be seen in public fell to chassis 885005. The launch of the E-Type at Geneva is one of the most important milestones in the history of Jaguar. It is also a seminal moment in the history of the automobile.
Car 885005 wasn’t meant to be a coupé. It was Sir William Lyons insistence that the launch E-type should be the three-door fastback that saw, at short notice, a roadster chassis purloined from the Experimental Department at Browns Lane and modified into a doppelganger for the Geneva demo car. 885005 is the E-Type with the oldest existing closed body – a purely hand built car.
The world Announcement of the Jaguar E-Type took place at the Restaurant du Parc des Eaux Vives, Geneva, March 15, 1961, the day preceding the opening of the Salon International de l’Auto. The launch involved two Jaguar E-Types. A third one would join them after the opening of the Salon. Two were Coupes, 885002 and 885005, the third, 77RW, a Cabriolet that was driven over from England by Norman Dewis, Chief Test Engineer.
For the launch celebration Sir William Lyons invited a selected group of enthusiasts, racing drivers, Jaguar dealers, and the automotive media. The guests gathered around 4:30 p.m. in the main hall of the Restaurant where a large plywood box had been set up. On Sir William’s signal, the top part of the box was lifted, the sides folded down, and out came the gunmetal grey E-Type Coupe 885005. An instance of blank astonishment and admiration let all fall in silence.
After a while all those attending were asked to step outside where 885002 (or better known as 9600HP) awaited them for a photo session together with Sir William. Subsequently 885002 was to be used for trial runs on the test hill climb by potential customers. Although 885002 had been shown in late February to selected journalists, the honor of being the very first shown to a broader public remains with 885005.
Later that evening 885005 was taken over to the Geneva Salon de l’Auto in downtown Geneva for exposition on the Jaguar stand. Photos show 885005 standing on a Persian rug – typical for Jaguar exhibits at that time.
- Fred Fitz Hennig
