1961 Jaguar XKE Series I 3.8 Roadster 5-Speed

This 1961 Jaguar XKE is a Series I flat-floor roadster and is #140 of 385 left-hand-drive examples produced with external bonnet latches before Jaguar revised the model later in the year. Completed on June 23, 1961, the car left the factory finished in Opalescent Gunmetal over red leather and later underwent a color change to its current maroon-over-beige color scheme as part of a refurbishment. Power is provided by a 3.8-liter inline-six equipped with triple SU carburetors, while shifting is through a retrofitted Tremec five-speed manual transmission linked with a limited-slip differential. Recent work is said to have involved electrical, braking, and cooling system service in 2023 as well as a repaint in 2026 prior to the selling dealer’s acquisition later in the year. This XKE Series I roadster is now offered by the selling dealer in Costa Mesa, California, as part of the Iconic Collection from Private Collection Motors , with a Jaguar Heritage Trust certificate, a spare four-speed manual transmission, and a clean Arizona title. Early-production XKEs featured outside latches securing a vented bonnet with welded louvers as well as a single, continuous floorboard under each seat. External bonnet latches were phased out in 1961, while production of “flat-floor” cars concluded in 1962.