Jaguar celebrates 50 years of the E-Type sports car 02/01/2011
British luxury carmaker is marking the 50th anniversary of the introduction of its iconic E-Type sports car with a series of celebrations, reports USA Today.
The E-Type, also know as the XK-E in the United States, was powered by a 3.8-liter straight six-cylinder engine when it debuted in 1961. The powertrain produced 265 horsepower, resulting in the car attaining a top speed of 150 miles per hour.
The car's powerful engine was responsible for five victories in the famed endurance races at Le Mans in the 1950s before it was included in the E-Type, and its appeal earned it a place in the garages of celebrities like Steve McQueen, Brigitte Bardot and Tony Curtis.
Malcolm Sayer, the car's designer, used his aeronautical engineering training to give the car a unique profile, and during the 14 years the E-Type was in production it sold more than 70,000 units.
"Half a century of progress has not diminished the significance of the E-Type," Mike O'Driscoll, the managing director for Jaguar Cars and chairman of Jaguar Heritage, told the source. "It was a sensation when it was launched, and [it] remains Jaguar's most enduring and iconic symbol."