Great Britain, great cars. The UK motor industry is respected the world over, and though many of the vehicles are actually owned by foreign manufacturers, there can be no doubting of the fantastic heritage of the British motor.

To celebrate Britain’s famous history CarSupermarket.com is launching a series looking back on some of the most famous vehicles the UK has ever seen.

Jaguar E-Type
When the founder of one of the sexiest car brands ever, Ferrari, calls your car ‘the most beautiful car ever made’ you know you have done something right.

Making its debut at the Geneva Motor Show in 1961, the Jaguar E-Type had it all, looks, speed, smarts and left a cultural legacy that is still relevant today. If we think of the halcyon era of British car design, we have to think of the 1960s and we have to have the E-Type at the very front of our thinking.

Designed by Malcolm Sayer and built in Coventry, the E-Type was based on Jaguar’s D-Type racing car, a vehicle which had dominated the 24 Hours of Le Mans during the late 1950s and came with an op two-seater design, one of the first ever to go into full production.

With a top speed of 150mph and a sub-seven-second 0-60mph, the E-Type was a whirlwind of technological marvel and was responsible for ushering in an era which inspired the supercars of the 1970s.

We saw three generations of the E-Type from 1961 to 1975 and a number variants inbetween, but if you wanted to get your hands on a top quality one today, you might expect to pay up to £7m to own a piece of motoring history.

Otherwise we will have to make do with the many glimpses of the E-Type we see in movies and TV shows referencing the 1960s, most notably Austin Powers and Mad Men.

Years of manufacture: 1961-1975
Price when new: £1,934
Price now: £35,000-£100,000
Engine: 3,781cc 6cyl petrol, 265bhp
Top speed: 150mph

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