Few cars are more iconic than the Jaguar E-Type. Its sultry body, and the fact that it was launched as the fastest car in the world, may take some of that credit, but its equally beautiful XK straight-six engine is what cemented it as an all-time great
You will have received one at some point. It’ s British lore that anyone with even just a passing interest in cars – or for the lazier card buyer, any male – will be given a birthday card featuring a watercolour painting of a Jaguar. While the car may change – it’ s either an E-Type, a MkII or maybe an XK120 – and the scene could be a cricket pitch, stately home or rocky coastline, you’ ll certainly remember pulling such a greetings card from an envelope.
There are thousands of variations of this image; add in jigsaw puzzles and maybe the amount of watercolour Jaguar paintings could breach the millions, but they all say the very same thing: England is beautiful, yet it can be made even better looking if you park a Jaguar in front of it. It’ s a sentiment that Enzo Ferrari agreed with. At its launch, he declared the E-Type Fixed-Head Coupé as‘ The most beautiful car in the world.’ Even if it didn’ t sport a Ferrari badge. But this is the Engine Rebuilder, so no matter how arresting a car’ s body might be, how captivating its proportions are, it’ s what’ s under the bonnet that matters. And, praise be, when it comes to the engine in the E-Type, it’ s just as beautiful as the body that surrounds it.
XK
Iconic engine
18 The Engine Rebuilder Issue 06