Lot 2: 1970 Jaguar E-Type at the Mathewsons December 2026 auction

What to check on any Jaguar E-Type Series 2 US import

• Record the chassis, engine, gearbox and body numbers. Cylinder head colour on its own proves nothing about whether engine and chassis belong together.
• A Heritage Certificate from the Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust records the car's original colour and trim, build and dispatch dates and original destination. It is the best way to confirm that a car was built as a left-hand-drive US car and in what specification.
• For a US import, ask for the US title, the shipping bill of lading and the NOVA confirmation. HMRC must be notified within 14 days of arrival and DVLA will not register the car until that is done. DVLA keeps the original foreign registration document.
• Ask whether HMRC treated the car as a historic collector's vehicle at import. Hagerty UK notes that cars over 30 years old, no longer made and largely original can qualify for reduced import tax treatment, and the result should be shown on the customs paperwork.
• Cars of this age are exempt from vehicle approval and, if not substantially changed, from the annual MOT. They can also be taxed in the historic class. The owner must still keep the car roadworthy, and an unfinished project is not.
• DVLA's leaflet INF318 lists replacing a gearbox as a repair that does not need reporting unless V5C details change. Changes are notified only once the vehicle is fully built.

Full Jaguar E-Type Series 2 US import buyer's guide →

Jaguar E-Type (1961 to 1974) buyer's guide →

Checks for this car

• Confirm whether it is left or right-hand drive, and check the import paperwork (NOVA and V5C).
• Make an inventory of every part supplied against the work still needed.
• Inspect the unfinished gearbox conversion.
• Check the body for corrosion despite the dry-climate history.
• Check the chassis, engine and gearbox numbers.