The 'E' Type Forum

Hi all,

I am struggling to get my head around statements made by selling dealers relating to very early car numbers, i.e. chassis numbers.

This is in particular to the very early Series 1 cars built in 1961.
I am aware that RHD cars start with 850001 (ots) & 860001 (fhc) and that LHD cars start with 875001 (ots) & 885001 (fhc) respectively for identification.

Now, what is misleading or I simply don't understand is why are there published adverts stating for example:- "This car was the 116th Roadster off the production line" The car was built on the 11th September 1961 according to it's chassis number of 850116.

Then, take a look at a LHD OTS of the similar build date. The chassis number would be something like 875516 for an example.

So would it really be true that the 1st car mentioned here would be 116th off the production line and the later 516th off the production line when both cars were BUILT near the same day ????? Impossible and implausible ???

LHD or RHD and all built on the same production line I believe, then why am I mislead into a car I would be interested in can not be the 116th off the production line ?

I await the experts opinions please...

It would be correct to say "This car was the 116th RHD Roadster off the production line". Every vendor is looking to maximise their price by claiming the car is something special. Here is a classic example of hyperbole and bullshit: viewtopic.php?t=4790 and viewtopic.php?t=5059

Yes, understood that the car is the 116th RHD ROADSTER off the production line. That clears the point there.
But what about a LHD of same age?
I.e 875516 using those numbers as an example.
That would not be the 516th off the line ????

Car 875516 would have been the 516th LHD OTS off the production line. The line had a mix of LHD/RHD and OTS/FHC and they were built to order. We know that by the end of 1961 327 RHD OTS, 138 RHD FHC, 1470 LHD OTS and 398 LHD FHC for a total of 2,333 were built but without access to the car record books there is no accurate way of knowing how many were built each month or indeed in what order. If you wanted to slice 'n dice the numbers more accurately I guess with some perseverance and copies of Porter's and Clausager's book with input from the SPB, SB, SPC and XKEdata you may be able to get close although I am not sure what you would have achieved other than bragging rights in the pub.

The Jaguar record books record the build order along with ignition key numbers and how much fuel was in the tank but I don't think they are ever going to be published, at least not any time soon.

Well thats superb knowledge and thank's.

That obviously explains that the USA etc was satisfied as a large market place for the LHD production in the early days.

Thank you.