RR of the Day: 1965 Jaguar E-Type
Regular Autoblog readers will recognize Chuck Goolsbee's name almost immediately. It's not uncommon to find Chuck weighing in on various topics in our comment threads, and those of you who've taken the time to click on his name are probably familiar with Chuck's blog, in which he details his exploits behind the wheel of his '65 E-Type Jag. That car is today's RR of the Day.
Chuck's dad restored the slinky cat as a retirement project. Once it was done, he and Chuck then ran it in several vintage rallies, including the New England 1000, which they completed three times. As Chuck tells it, the good times came screeching to a halt when the car suffered flood damage in Houston, TX. The restorer they contracted afterward made life miserable for Chuck's dad, who began to seriously consider just selling the Jaguar.
In what he calls a "momentary lapse of reason," Chuck stepped in and bought the car from his dad in 2003. Since then, he's brought his sons into the fold, getting them hooked on the hobby as they turn vintage rallies, autocross events, car shows, and good old road trips into family affairs.
When Chuck made that decision to buy the car from his father and keep it in the family, it became more than just a car. It became an heirloom -- the kind of thing that brings family members together for generations to come.
It's simply beautiful, Chuck. Thanks for sharing it with us.
If you'd like to see your own ride featured here, simply upload photos of your ride into our Flickr group. We select one image to highlight each week day, and on the weekend let you vote for the RR of the Week. Detailed instructions can be found after the jump.
HOW TO SUBMIT TO RR OF THE DAY:
Create a Flickr account if you don't already have one. Search for and join the group called 'Autoblog RR of the Day'. Upload up to three photos of your ride to your own account at a size no larger than 450 pixels wide if possible and include as much information about it and yourself as possible. Even if your ride is sweet, it will not be chosen if there's not a lot of info accompanying it. Click on each photo and just above the picture it will say "Send to group". Click that and select the Autoblog group. You're done, that's it!
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
BOB 10:05AM (9/27/2006)
Anyone else want to go with naming the XK-E as the most beautiful car, ever? I can even forgive the toast rack on the trunk of this one.
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Richard Warren 10:07AM (9/27/2006)
I'm in Bob! You're right the "toast rack" should go. Gotta say, these were great cars, great drivers when taken care off.
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Ted Y 10:27AM (9/27/2006)
That opening photo is absolutely beautiful. That engine is also probably one of the best looking engines ever.
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chuck goolsbee 10:38AM (9/27/2006)
Thanks guys. I'm happy to answer any questions you may have about this car, so ask away. Part of being a caretaker of a classic is sharing it, so if you want to know anything, I'm here to answer.
As for the luggage rack, given that the Jaguar's "boot" is just slightly larger than a FedEx envelope, (and surprise!... stuffed with tools & spare parts!) and we routinely rally and drive the car for full week-long trips, the rack really is a necessity, sorry. I don't even see it anymore ...except when I stop for a "beauty shot" and hastily pull everything off of it. IIRC there is a photo from my last road trip with it loaded on the flickr page. Plus: The Colorado State Patrol bag must always gets bungied to the top of the pile to ward off tickets. ;)
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John B 11:42AM (9/27/2006)
Easily one of the most beautiful cars ever built. Two weeks ago, I attended the British Car day just outside of Toronto ( http://www.britishcarday.com/ ). There was an entire row of restored XK-E's - all with their hoods opened. What a sight! BTW - the British Car Day had 980 cars entered.
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Stacey 10:53AM (9/27/2006)
Now that's an RR of the day!
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Benoit Cerrina 11:05AM (9/27/2006)
that car is magnificent. With or without rack.
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Graham Lunn 10:58AM (9/27/2006)
Its hard to imagine a car with better lines than an early E Type, and a perfect colour to reflect that sky and scenery, should make an excellent poster!
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ChaoZ 10:59AM (9/27/2006)
Jeremy Clarkson named the E-Type the best car of the century. While I'm not sure I would give it the top spot, it is definitely in the top 10.
Beautiful photos!
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Abraham 11:04AM (9/27/2006)
Another great worthy RR of the day! Keep it up and we can forget the goofy RR of the day from a few days back.
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gkz 11:07AM (9/27/2006)
beautiful car
i think the best part of it is that it gets out on the road where it ought to be.
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Rico 11:20AM (9/27/2006)
I have always believed this E type was the sexiest car ever designed. Simply beautiful.
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MC 11:37AM (9/27/2006)
E-Type, snow, roof down... that is awesome.
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Bert 12:43PM (9/27/2006)
Man, someone is going to have to have a killer ride tomorow or Friday to have any hope of taking the weekly vote!
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Corey 12:11PM (9/27/2006)
I'm w/#5 "Now that's an RR of the day!"
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eeed 12:18PM (9/27/2006)
Beautiful...
Absolutely beautiful.
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David P Brown 12:24PM (9/27/2006)
Who needs a vote on the best RR of the week? Landslide, this is it. This is a carlover's car!
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DJ 12:32PM (9/27/2006)
What an awesome car! And it's even better looking in BRG or black!
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chuck goolsbee 1:01PM (9/27/2006)
Thank you guys! What a great reception.
#10, gkz, yes... on the road. In order to survive a car must be driven. This car is a DRIVER.
First off, Jaguar made 70,000+ E-types between '61 and '74, so it isn't like these are especially rare cars meant to be in a museum. It is my duty to get it out there and show it within its natural element, the road.
Besides, it is a ton of fun to drive.
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DCWF 12:33PM (9/27/2006)
Chuck, truly a beautiful example of what a car should be. Thank you for sharing.
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