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Like many, I’m hooked on the new Paramount show “The Offer.” It tells the sordid tale of how the movie “The Godfather” was almost not made in 1970. But for a car guy like me, it’s a cornucopia of cool cars from the era. From the Lincolns and Cadillacs to exotics like Albert Ruddy’s Alfa Romeo.

But one car stands out because, well, it’s perfect. The head of Paramount Pictures at the time, Robert Evans, drives a white Jaguar XKE convertible, and it fits his hedonistic personality to a tee.

Robert Evans drives a Jaguar XKE in “The Offer”

You can see Evans in the Jaguar at 0:05 in the trailer. The white Jaguar makes several appearances in “The Offer.” It’s the personal car of the head of Paramount Pictures, Robert Evans, who’s played by Robert Goode. He’s cocky, he’s a womanizer, he’s sure of himself, and he loves the power that his position brings. So, of course he drives the car that had become famous not just for being a nice Jag, but for winning races. Jaguars competed throughout the 1960s with Porsches and Corvettes and often won, thanks to their high-output but smooth inline six-cylinder engines.

a white jaguar XKE
A similar white Jaguar XKE to Evans’ | Tony Evans, Getty Images

Unfortunately, we usually only see the car backing into Evans’ parking space. But, if you get a chance, turn up the volume and you can hear the six-cylinder in all of its pre-catalytic converter guise.

The XKE or “E-type” has been in many movies

The back end of the XKE used in the Austin Powers movies
The back end of Austin Powers’ XKE | Getty Images

The XKE has been used to great effect as a great prop in many films, most notably in the “Austin Powers” series of films. In all three, Powers drives the most English car that you can drive: an XKE with a British flag paint job. But, it was also a key car in so many other films and TV shows, too, from “The Young Racers” and “Mad Men” to “Sin City” and “Harold and Maude.” It’s also a great featured car in Jerry Seinfeld’s “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee” series.

It wasn’t Evans last Jaguar

It wasn’t Evans’ last Jaguar, either. It turns out that Evans later owned a Jaguar XJS that was sold at Julians Auctions auction a few years ago. Evans’ XJS wasn’t too far removed from the XKE, and in fact, the cars that were made into the mid-1990s used almost the same frame as the XKE. Though it had a 245-horsepower 4.0-liter straight six engine, the more modern Jags were only a shadow of their former selves and were plagued with reliability problems.

What’s the modern equivalent of an XKE?

A Jaguar F-Type R is a great used alternative to the Chevy Corvette.
Jaguar F-Type R | Jaguar

The Jaguar F-Type carries on Jaguar’s tradition of making sleek, two-door, coupes and convertibles. They’re not cheap, starting at $79,900 and higher trim levels can reach $115,000 or more. They’re a bit forgotten about when we talk about modern supercars, though the F-Type is a stellar performer. They come in two flavors, F-Type, which has a delightfully old-school 5.0-liter supercharged V8 that makes 444 horsepower and the R version which makes up to 575 horsepower.

These are luxury highway bombers that coddle you in fine leather, and everything inside that’s not a button or screen is covered in leather, and a supple (for a sports car) suspension. Unfortunately, 2024 will be the last year for the F-Type and no successor has been announced.

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Writer - Sedans & Coupes

Dan Mayfield

Dan joined MotorBiscuit in 2022 with over 20 years of experience in journalism and a lifelong passion for anything related to the automotive industry. He grew up wrenching a 1949 Ford pickup truck and an MGB with his dad, learning how not to wire a fuel pump (he inadvertently set the MGB on fire).

After earning a bachelor’s degree in photojournalism from the University of New Mexico, Dan has contributed his expertise to a range of local outlets, including the City of Albuquerque, US Eagle, and the Alliance for Local Economic Prosperity.

On weekends, Dan spends Saturdays enjoying “cars and coffee” chats and, on Sundays, he’s watching the Route 66 Cruise roll through town. He also races motorcycles, and it’s not unusual to find him elbows-deep in his latest cafe racer build.

Taking advantage of the local desert terrain, Dan also enjoys exploring and driving off-road in his trusty Ram Rebel pickup truck, which provides personal insights into his contributions to our Trucks, SUVs, & Crossovers coverage. Dan strives to give our readers unique information about the dynamic automotive market, reading anything that has to do with cars, trucks, bikes, 4X4s, and, in his words, “everything with a motor.”

Dan has earned a number of accolades from the Public Relations Society of America, and is a University of Southern California, Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism Fellow.