The Jaguar E-Style is a vehicle that is considered by many to be one of the most beautiful and glamorous cars ever made. It was ranked first in the Daily Telegraph's list of the "100 most beautiful cars" and first in Sports Car International magazine's Top Sport Cars of the 1960s. Even today one is in the Museum of Modern Art in New York as part of its permanent design collection. Unveiled at the 1961 Geneva Motor Show, it caused a sensation for its looks and its ability to reach 150 miles per hour. Unfortunately the sporty coupe almost didn't make it in time.
Last minute tweaks and refinements delayed the delivery. The car was finally ready the day before the show, but it was in the British Midlands, about 700 miles from Geneva. In a mad race, the E-Style averaged 70 miles per hour on the 12 hour trip, arriving at the convention with only twenty minutes to spare. The car didn't get any rest as it was presented at the Restaurant du Parc des Eaux Vives where journalists were given rides on a hill-climb course to substantiate the engine's power claims. There was so much excitement generated that another Jaguar completed the rapid race to Geneva in order to give additional rides alongside the original.
Manufactured until 1975, the E-Style, which Enzo Ferrari would call "the most beautiful car in the world," would earn a place in the hearts of auto enthusiasts for over fifty years. But for some lead on the pedal, it almost didn't make it.
-Professor Walter
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