The E Type not ‘Pete’ the painter. Never owned or driven one but always loved the things…
The shot is dated 25 May 1961, ‘pete’ is completing the ‘computer aided finish’ of the cars luscious body, looks like a house-brush to me! I’ve got a nice E Type article ready to go, must get reader Rob Bailey, an old Alfisti, racer mate and E Type owner to pen me two paragraphs about ‘the owners experience’ then its done!
The ‘E’ was released, export only at first from March ’61, so this is an early-build 3.8 drop-head in the Browns Lane, Coventry paint shop.
The picture below is at the Geneva Show in November 1961.
Credits…Getty Images
The shot below is again Browns Lane, the production lines idle on 14 February 1972, during the UK Miners Strike. On the line are V12 E’s and XJ6′, has their ever been a more curvy, muscular but handsome sedan? ‘Grace, Space, Pace’ was Jags sedan advertising tagline of the sixties, says it all really!
Tailpiece…
primotipo... 
Never cared for the looks of the E Type when they were new, but really like them now. I read somewhere that the 61s were pretty much an XK150 in E clothing. Many years ago I rode in one and still remember how solid and quiet it was. Of course that could have been because I had a ten year old MGA at the time.
Cheers Mike,
I’ve never been lucky enough to have a drive of one- seen in the context of the time at the time a pretty amazing machine with all that Le Mans heritage- a pretty seductive package on every level and driven by the likes of Bruce McLaren as a road car!
Mark