JaguarE-Type

Jaguar E-Type 77 RW

The green roadster Norman Dewis drove through the night from Coventry to Geneva in March 1961, The Motor's road-test car, and the oldest surviving open E-Type, by the Jaguar Heritage Trust's account.

A dark green E-Type roadster with the registration 77 RW and its hood down on a white museum floor.
77 RW (850003) in the Jaguar Heritage collection at the British Motor Museum, Gaydon, in 2016.DeFacto, CC BY-SA 4.0

One afternoon in March 1961 Norman Dewis, Jaguar's chief test and development engineer, was at MIRA in an E-Type when, as he later told Motor Sport, he was told that both he and the car were wanted in Geneva for breakfast.

The car was 77 RW, an open two-seater in British Racing Green, and the Jaguar Heritage Trust calls it the oldest surviving open E-Type. Its papers and its life, stop by stop, are in the car's history below, with the Trust's two descriptions of its place in the series and the one point the sources leave open about the drive. This page tells the stories around them.⁠1​2​3

The car on film

Sources for 77 RW

Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust, "1961 Jaguar E-type 77 RW: The First E-type OTS"⁠2; François Prins, "Evolution of the E-Type", Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust⁠4; XKEdata (xke.collectordata.com), Car page 850003 (77 RW)⁠5; Jaguar Clubs of North America, Series 1 E-Type Judge's Guide (draft), part 1: Intro–Exterior, Draft, version of 21 Jul 2026⁠6; Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust, "E-Type Evolution Exhibition"⁠3; Jaguar Land Rover (Jaguar media newsroom), "Jaguar Celebrates 50 Years of Iconic E-type" (press release), 24 Jan 2011⁠7; Andrew Frankel, "My Motoring Month", Motor Sport, May 2011, p. 115⁠1; Philip Porter, The Most Famous Car in the World: The Story of the First E-type Jaguar, Orion, 2002⁠8; Christopher Mount, Refining the Sports Car: Jaguar's E-Type (exhibition brochure), The Museum of Modern Art, New York, Exhibition 282, 1996⁠9; Jaguar Land Rover (Jaguar media newsroom), "Jaguar Classic Reveals E-type 60 Collection: 60th Anniversary Tribute to the Iconic Sports Car" (press release), 12 Mar 2021⁠10; Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust, "1974 Jaguar E-type Series 3 V12 OTS HDU 555N: The Last E-type Built"⁠11; Dominic Tobin, "E-types assemble for 60th anniversary celebration at Shelsley Walsh", Motor Sport (motorsportmagazine.com), 11 Jun 2021⁠12

77 RW was a test car before it was a show car, and British Pathé filmed it on the new M1 in 1961.⁠2

77 RW at speed on the M1 in 1961, in British Pathé's silent film; its number plate (license plate) is legible at 0:24.Video: New "E" Type Jaguar (1961), British Pathé, 1961

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Tested by The Motor

While The Motor tested the roadster for its issue of 22 March 1961, Paul Skilleter noted, The Autocar had the coupé, 9600 HP. Neither was quite a showroom car. Years later Philip Porter asked The Motor's Charles Bulmer whether 77 RW's engine had been specially prepared, and Porter reports that Bulmer said it had. The test, and Bulmer's run to Italy before the show, are in the car's history below.⁠4​2​13​8

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The Geneva drive

One press car could not meet the journalists' demand for runs, and Sir William Lyons telephoned the factory.

Dewis famously drove 77 RW from Coventry to Geneva in a dramatic 17 hour overnight run, arriving the following morning, just in time to wipe the car down ready for the press.

Jaguar Heritage Trust, "E-Type Evolution Exhibition"

On arrival, by his own account, Lofty England told him: "You need to start demonstrating the car." He did, all day. Jaguar Classic's version of Lyons's order, engraved on its 2021 roadsters, is "Drop everything and bring the open top E-type over"; no source read records the words of 1961.⁠3​7​1​2​8​10

Norman Dewis in his own words, recorded in 2015: called off testing at MIRA, the night drive to Geneva, and the demonstrations that followed. The timings he gives are his recollection.Video: Norman Dewis' Mad Dash to Geneva in 1961, Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust, 2021

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After the launch

XKEdata's record has the factory selling 77 RW in 1962, to John Coombs, the dealer and racing entrant, its second owner. A Jaguar Drivers' Club report of 2000 records that its bonnet (hood) blew off in 1965. Since 1967 it has belonged to a private owner (UK), who lent it to the Trust in 2000, and it has been seen at the Trust's events since: in its 60th-anniversary exhibition in 2021, and beside the last E-Type at Shelsley Walsh that June.⁠5​2​10​3​11​12

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Where it has been

  1. 1961

    Built

    February 1961. Car 850003, the third in the right-hand-drive roadster series (850001 was a prototype). The JDHT calls it the first production open two-seater on its collection page and the second production roadster in its history of the car's development. Its engine, R1001-9, is the first E-Type engine by number

    Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust, "1961 Jaguar E-type 77 RW: The First E-type OTS"⁠2; François Prins, "Evolution of the E-Type", Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust⁠4; XKEdata (xke.collectordata.com), Car page 850003 (77 RW)⁠5; Jaguar Clubs of North America, Series 1 E-Type Judge's Guide (draft), part 1: Intro–Exterior, Draft, version of 21 Jul 2026⁠6

  2. 1961

    Tested by The Motor before the show

    While it was still on the test programme at MIRA, Charles Bulmer of The Motor drove it to Italy and back, about 1,000 miles, reaching just over 149 mph on the autostrada

    François Prins, "Evolution of the E-Type", Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust⁠4

  3. 1961

    Driven overnight to Geneva by Norman Dewis

    15 March 1961. When journalists' demand for runs in 9600 HP outran one car, Sir William Lyons telephoned the factory, and Norman Dewis, testing at MIRA that afternoon by his own account, drove 77 RW from Coventry to Geneva through the night, about 17 hours, arriving on the morning of the 16th in time to clean it and start demonstrating it. Philip Porter's log suggests the roadster may already have been due to join the show later; the demand brought it out at once

    Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust, "E-Type Evolution Exhibition"⁠3; Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust, "1961 Jaguar E-type 77 RW: The First E-type OTS"⁠2; Jaguar Land Rover (Jaguar media newsroom), "Jaguar Celebrates 50 Years of Iconic E-type" (press release), 24 Jan 2011⁠7; Andrew Frankel, "My Motoring Month", Motor Sport, May 2011, p. 115⁠1; Philip Porter, The Most Famous Car in the World: The Story of the First E-type Jaguar, Orion, 2002⁠8

  4. 1961

    The Motor's road test published

    22 March 1961. The Motor's test of 77 RW appeared on 22 March 1961, with a mean maximum speed of 149.1 mph

    Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust, "1961 Jaguar E-type 77 RW: The First E-type OTS"⁠2; Christopher Mount, Refining the Sports Car: Jaguar's E-Type (exhibition brochure), The Museum of Modern Art, New York, Exhibition 282, 1996⁠9

  5. 2000

    Lent to the JDHT and restored

    In 2000 its owner lent it to the Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust, and Martin Robey of Nuneaton restored it; the work began in September 2000

    Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust, "1961 Jaguar E-type 77 RW: The First E-type OTS"⁠2; XKEdata (xke.collectordata.com), Car page 850003 (77 RW)⁠5

  6. 2021

    Honoured in Jaguar Classic's 60 Collection

    March 2021. Jaguar Classic's E-Type 60 Collection, revealed in March 2021, included six roadsters in Drop Everything Green after 77 RW, which Jaguar describes as British Racing Green. The JDHT showed the car in its E-Type Evolution exhibition at Gaydon from March to June 2021

    Jaguar Land Rover (Jaguar media newsroom), "Jaguar Classic Reveals E-type 60 Collection: 60th Anniversary Tribute to the Iconic Sports Car" (press release), 12 Mar 2021⁠10; Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust, "E-Type Evolution Exhibition"⁠3

  7. 2021

    At Shelsley Walsh with the last E-Type

    June 2021. It made demonstration runs with HDU 555N at the E-Type's 60th-anniversary weekend at Shelsley Walsh

    Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust, "1974 Jaguar E-type Series 3 V12 OTS HDU 555N: The Last E-type Built"⁠11; Dominic Tobin, "E-types assemble for 60th anniversary celebration at Shelsley Walsh", Motor Sport (motorsportmagazine.com), 11 Jun 2021⁠12

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Sources

Sources are given as plain text; their addresses are on the sources page.

  • Primarymade at the time, by the maker or by people who were there
  • Referenceserious later work: clubs, specialists, magazines, books
  1. Andrew Frankel, "My Motoring Month", Motor Sport, May 2011, p. 115, "Norman's swiss E-type all-nighter"; p. 115. Reference
  2. Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust, "1961 Jaguar E-type 77 RW: The First E-type OTS". Primary
  3. Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust, "E-Type Evolution Exhibition", Geneva Motor Show, 1961. Reference
  4. François Prins, "Evolution of the E-Type", Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust, The Next Prototypes; the Motor Show. Reference
  5. XKEdata (xke.collectordata.com), Car page 850003 (77 RW), data panel; the Jaguar Drivers' Club report of December 2000; Jaguar Drivers' Club report, December 2000. Reference
  6. Jaguar Clubs of North America, Series 1 E-Type Judge's Guide (draft), part 1: Intro–Exterior, Draft, version of 21 Jul 2026, Pre-production E-Types. Reference
  7. Jaguar Land Rover (Jaguar media newsroom), "Jaguar Celebrates 50 Years of Iconic E-type" (press release), 24 Jan 2011. Primary
  8. Philip Porter, The Most Famous Car in the World: The Story of the First E-type Jaguar, Orion, 2002, Charles Bulmer's answer; the 1961 log. Reference
  9. Christopher Mount, Refining the Sports Car: Jaguar's E-Type (exhibition brochure), The Museum of Modern Art, New York, Exhibition 282, 1996, specification. Reference
  10. Jaguar Land Rover (Jaguar media newsroom), "Jaguar Classic Reveals E-type 60 Collection: 60th Anniversary Tribute to the Iconic Sports Car" (press release), 12 Mar 2021. Primary
  11. Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust, "1974 Jaguar E-type Series 3 V12 OTS HDU 555N: The Last E-type Built", Shelsley Walsh, 2021. Primary
  12. Dominic Tobin, "E-types assemble for 60th anniversary celebration at Shelsley Walsh", Motor Sport (motorsportmagazine.com), 11 Jun 2021. Reference
  13. Paul Skilleter, The Jaguar E-type: A Collector's Guide, Motor Racing Publications, 1979. Reference

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