The Jaguar E-Type, the embodiment of the eternally beautiful classic car, is understandably one of the most sought after in the collectible car market. And of these, the most coveted are the first 92 right-hand drive examples distinguished by their external bonnet locks. With a majority of these early cars allocated for competition use, the road cars among these are considered the Holy Grail of E-Types by classic car collectors. One of these, a 1961 E-Type Series 1 roadster, chassis #62, which until now had been considered one among the missing early cars as its whereabouts had remained a mystery, has been found and is going on sale later this month.

Discovered from the small village of Deskford, Moray, deep inside Scotland, chassis #62 will be offered at auction by Silverstone Auctions at the Silverstone Classic on July 30 and 31. Part of the first lot of E-Types that were sent to Jaguar dealerships in July 1961 as demo cars, this particular car ended up at a dealership in Edinburgh. Since sales of these cars were forbidden until later that year, it was only registered in September. It changed many hands over the decades, but all within Scotland, and it was in 2013 that its current owner acquired it, apparently unaware of the huge historic significance of this particular batch.

“This is a really exciting discovery. Not only was this car believed to be lost, it is one of the most sought after E-Type examples attainable. Just like works of art and antiques, it’s the rarest and best quality items that attract collectors and investors. Chassis #62 is just that, and offers a rare opportunity to enjoy the thrill of ownership inherent in one of these special, rare, early cars,” says Nick Whale, managing director of Silverstone Auctions. “Not only that, early E-Type prices are soaring and are now achieving six-figure sums once reserved for Italian exotica. Quite simply it’s the right time to buy,” he adds.

Finished in Carmen Red, and sporting a black interior, the car retains most of the original features, such as the 'flat floor', split-link throttle linkage, and thicker screen chrome mouldings among others.

Being offered on the open market for the first time, and reestablished as a surviving, early example, complete with a Jaguar Heritage Certificate, Chassis #62 is expected to fetch anything between £140,000 (Dh666,000) and £170,000 (Dh809,000).