In 1971, the Jaguar E-Type Series III introduced the V12 engine to the model. This raised the car’s appeal on paper by having much more exotic specification. Jaguar called it the “Ultimate Cat” and advertised the car’s inherent smoothness and absence of engine noise.
Both the Coupe and Roadster were built on the longer 2+2 chassis which meant the Borg Warner automatic transmission was available on all V12 XKEs. Weighing in at 680 lbs (300 kgs) the small block V12 displaced 5.3 liters and produced 314 horsepower. It was an all-new SOHC V12 utilizing four Stromberg carburetors. Production of the Series III roadster reached 7,992 cars.
Photo Source: Bicester Sports & Classics
