A 1963 Jaguar E-Type found under a hedge has sold for £58,000 at COYS auction house.
The E-Type, shoowing just 44,870 miles on the clock, still had the last tax disc on the windscreen which expired in November 1969. The car’s first owner in May 1963 was Ivor Arbiter, who owned Drum City and Sound City in London and was the designer of the ‘drop – T’ logo for The Beatles.
“It is ideal for restoration and is extremely rare,” said valuer James Good at international auctioneers COYS, “It has a great history, including racing, which collectors love.”
The car’s first owner, Arbiter, was at the centre of the 60s music scene. The Beatle’s Manager Brian Epstein requested that the band’s name appeared on the bass drum so Arbiter sketched the “drop-T” logo on a scrap of paper with the capital B and dropped T to emphasise the word ‘beat’. Drum City was paid £5 for the design and it was hand painted by local sign writer, Eddie Stokes, who painted bass-drum heads for the store during his lunch hour.
Good added: “The Beatles logo is now recognised as one of the most significant and widely reproduced logos in history, and the fact that it was designed by the first owner of this E-Type is not insignificant.”
The car changed owners a couple of times between 1965 and 1967, when it moved to its last owner Frank Riches. Frank was a keen motorsport enthusiast and raced both the E-Type and his MGTF at Oulton Park, Brands Hatch and Blackbushe between 1967 and 1969. Frank would drive the E-type to the circuit with the MG behind and would then race both cars and drive home.
Good said: “This wonderful Series 1, 3.8 E-Type is in original condition, with matching numbers and has never been restored. It retains all the features it carried in 1969 and is possibly one of the most original examples remaining today. The car needs a total restoration but it has all the ingredients to make a superb car – this is a true rarity.”
This E-Type comes with its original brown log book, V5 and V5C, its last MOT certificate dated November 1968, the sales invoice to Frank Riches for £855 along with the Heritage Certificate confirming all the important details. It also has its original Operating Maintenance and Service Handbook, Service Manual and Spare Parts Catalogue and the original jack.
Chris Routledge, CEO of international auctioneers COYS, said: “The derelict E-Type attracted attention from all four corners of the world and bidders in a packed auction room and via telephone fought fiercely for it on Tuesday night. It ended up going to an English collector and Beatles enthusiast who plans to slowly restore it to its former glory.”