This super rare Jag was sitting under rags in a barn for decades, and it could be worth nearly $400k

Published on Mar 30, 2022 at 12:26 PM (UTC+4)
by Ben Welham

Last updated on Mar 30, 2022 at 4:59 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by Kate Bain

Fifty years ago a school teacher backed their E-Type Jaguar into a barn to do do some mechanical work and never moved it again.

Now the iconic and rare classic has seen the light of day for the first time in decades, selling at auction for £40,500 (US$53,100).

An all-original E-Type in pristine condition can fetch up to US$400k at auction, so the new buyer could stand to make a solid profit if they can fully restore it.

READ MORE: Porsche’s ‘Hidden Treasure’ sells at auction for more than $4 million

This 1965 Jaguar E-Type 4.2 Coupe retains its original engine, making it a very sought after ‘Matching Numbers’ example and it has been owned by its current custodians since 1971.

Not only is this a genuine barn find, but is also the incredibly sought after Series 1 E-Type.

How the E-Type ended up in barn

The story of this beautiful sports car is a quirky one.

It was purchased by the sellers in 1971 to celebrate a new teaching job, and was sold via Roger Bradbury Motors.

The E-Type Jaguar had been untouched for 50 years.The E-Type Jaguar had been untouched for 50 years.
The E-Type was partially-covered with a blue tarp. Slide the arrow to see what was underneath. (Image: H&H Classics)

The car was then used as the school-run vehicle and often had the family husky sitting in the passenger seat on the way to school.

At some point between 1973 and 1974, the car needed some work.

So the owners backed it into a barn to fix it.

Unfortunately, they never got around to working on it and the E-Type has been gathering dust in that same barn ever since.

READ MORE: Top 5 most expensive cars ever sold at auction

The E-Type Jaguar’s history

The vehicle then passed hands twice more before the teacher bought it.

When it was new, it was finished in blue paint with a contrasting grey leather interior – which would have looked spectacular.

The car was first registered on March 3, 1965 to Grawford (Oaklands) Farm Ltd of Wood Farm, Carbrooke. Signed by a R. Grawford.

A year later, on June 20, 1966, ‘DPW 785C’ saw its first change of keeper to a Mr David Trenchard Thom, a professional jockey turned racehorse trainer, based in Exning, Newmarket.

The vehicle then passed hands twice more before being sold via Roger Bradbury Motors to its current custodians in 1971.

H&H Classics said the vehicle still retains its original registration document, as well as some spare parts.

Scroll down for more incredible images of the barn find E-Type Jaguar.

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Ben is a freelance motoring journalist who studied Journalism and previously produced daily content at DriveTribe. He has a worrying obsession with Tudor watches, and his dream car is the Porsche GT3 Touring.