Barn finds are cool even if the car isn’t that cool. When barn finds are something cool, rare, and specifically important to the history of racing or the automotive industry, in general. They ascend to another level of barn find, something closer to finding a shipwreck of a Spanish treasure Galleon. This Jaguar E-Type 2+2 barn find recently discovered in the Netherlands is essentially a land-based English treasure galleon. 

What is so special about this Jaguar E-Type barn find? 

Silodrome, purveyors of all things badass barn finds, reports that this E-Type recently dug out of a Dutch barn is the first left-hand-drive 2+2 E-Type ever made. The 2+2 came out in 1966, and that designation meant its chassis was 9-inches longer than the standard E-Type. This was Jaguar’s attempt to make the sporty E-Type more family-friendly. I guess turning sports cars into SUVs, and vice versa, has been happening for a while. 

Despite the E-Type continuing an illustrious racing reputation, the E-Type is commonly regarded as one of, if not the most beautiful car ever made. However, many Jag fans will not carry the same love for the longer 2+2 model. Despite the squabbling of Jaguar nerds, finding an E-Type of any flavor in a barn is nothing short of astounding. 

The first left-hand-drive Jaguar E-Type 2+2

Sir William Lyons, the man in charge of Jaguar at the time, was the one who not only drove this E-Type personally to show off the new version made for America, but he was also the man who wanted a bigger, more practical E-Type in the first place. 

The Jaguar E-Type debuted in 1961. It was downright sensational. By the standards of the time, the Jaguar E-Type was a true marvel. According to Silodrome, the E-Type had a steel monocoque body with a separate front subframe, fully independent front and rear suspension, disc brakes front and back, race car-bred handling, excellent aerodynamics, and a top speed of 150 mph. 

So messing with this perfected formula was bold. When the longer, family-friendly 2+2 dropped, it didn’t have quite the same effect. However, it was still a Jag, and people tend to dig that. 

However you might feel about the 2+2, there is no denying that this particular E-Type is one of the most significant of its kind. Aside from it being the first left-hand 2+2, opening the model up to America, Jag’s most profitable export market, it is also tied to some influential figures. 

As we mentioned, Sir William Lyons was responsible for it and personally drove this car. It was then sold to a well-known writer in America. So, a famous author and a Knight; not bad. Over the years, this historic Jag traded hands several times (remember, it is still a Jag). Through all this swapping, the car’s significance was lost. 

What is happening to the barn find Jaguar E-Type now?

For years this inaugural 2+2 E-Type has been sitting partially restored in a barn in the Netherlands. It’s now being offered for sale with its matching-numbers engine for €40,000, approximately 40,026 USD. To learn more about this wild barn find, check out Car and Classic’s site, where the Jag is currently for sale.