Celebrating the launch of the Jaguar E Type March 1961

Sir Williams Lyons ‘E Type’ burst onto the scene in 1961 at the 31st Geneva Motor Show, with his now legendary E Type, which arrived just 20 minutes before the public was due to arrive after Bob Berry, a Jaguar Executive had volunteered to drive the now famous one of two E Types the 700 miles at speeds not mentioned, from Jaguars headquarters in Coventry, England to Parc des Eaux-Vives in Geneva Switzerland for Jaguars Motor Show Stand.

Who knows if it was all part of Jaguar Cars marketing strategy?

Bob Berry’s epic journey to deliver the car to the adoring public has become almost as well-known as the car itself. With the overwhelming response to the E Type FHC, Sir William Lyons ordered Norman Dewis, Jaguars Cheif Test Drive to bring a S1 3.8 Roadster to Geneva to maximise on the frenzy of the press and public response alike.

Faced with an unexpected deluge of orders, the first personal E-Type Jaguar sale was believed to have been to M. Jacques Charrier, husband of Brigitte Bardot, the French film star. He flew to Geneva from Rome the day after its launch to order and to test drive the 150 mph car.

Chassis No: 13 was first manufactured by Jaguar Cars on 12th of October 1961 & was used as one of their display Jaguar E Type for their stand at the Scottish Motor Show in the November of 1961 & was rebuilt by ourselves in 2013.