Jaguar E-type named ‘greatest car of all time’

JAGUAR’S 1960s E-Type has won the race to be crowned the “greatest car of all time” in a new poll of motorists.

The Jaguar E-Type won the race to be crowned the "greatest car of all time" in a new poll of motorists. Picture: PA

The car was put at the top of the podium from a list of 100 by more than 2,000 British drivers quizzed by One Poll for the Discovery Channel, ahead of the return of its Wheeler Dealers show next week.

The Jag beat seven other British classic vehicles, including the Mini, Aston Martin DB5 and Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost, and also won the poll for greatest classic car.

The Porsche 911 and Volkswagen Beetle were the only foreign representatives in the top ten of the all-time survey, finishing third and fourth respectively, while Ferrari’s F40 span into 11th.

Meanwhile, the Ford Capri won the title of the car drivers previously considered “embarrassing” but would now be proud to own, fending off the Morris Minor and Triumph Stag.

The show’s presenters, who restore classic cars to their former glories, hailed the result as a victory for British engineering.

The show’s car trading expert Mike Brewer said: “This underlines the incredible heritage of British car manufacturing, where originality, style and performance have been the hallmarks of many of our greatest cars.

“As the classic car market continues to boom, we’re seeing many popular productions being snapped up as future classics.”

Edd China, fellow presenter and mechanic in the show, added: “It’s good to see the Capri and the XR3i now joining the pantheon of classic popular production cars. As we unveil our 100th car in the series, we’ll be aiming to return another hidden gem to its former glory.”

Last October, an original E-Type sold for £88,000 at auction, while in May this year the Jaguar was placed third-best British car behind the 1959 Mini and McLaren F1 in a poll of Autocar readers.

Motoring and design experts were divided over the E-Type’s top ranking. AA president Edmund King, said: “The E-Type was a true icon of the optimism of 1960s motoring. The design was adventurous, daring and very different.

“It is probably one of the most exciting cars of all time, but one might question whether it really is the greatest. It was hardly a car of the people, in the way the Mini, Beetle or 2CV were.”

Charlie Robertson, brand consultant at Red Spider in Glasgow, said: “Like any such list, it will stir debate, but it is great to see the E-type top of the poll as it is such a distinctive design, so sadly lacking in today’s car-scape.

“But it was odd to my mind that so many Aston Martins make the top 10 and no Italians.

“It looks like a list for British men of a certain age, and Austin Powers’s E-Type beats 007’s DB5.”

Wheeler Dealers all-time top cars

1 Jaguar E-Type

2 Mini

3 Porsche 911

4 VW Beetle

5 Aston Martin DB5

6 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost

7 Aston Martin DB9

8 Aston Martin V8 Vantage

9 Rolls-Royce Phantom

10 Aston Martin Vanquish