Jaguar is marking the 60th anniversary of the debut of the classic E-type with six sets of limited edition vehicles.

Jaguar Land Rover is re-creating one of the most storied cars in the company’s storied history to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the legendary E-type.

The plan calls for Jaguar Classic to create six matched pairs of E-type cars to celebrate the iconic sports car’s 60th anniversary.

Each pair of E-type 60 Edition cars pays tribute to two of the oldest and most famous Jaguar E-type sports cars: 9600 HP and 77 RW, which played pivotal roles in the unveiling of the car at its world debut in Geneva, Switzerland in March 1961 before going on to define automotive design in the 1960s.

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Jaguar founder Sir William Lyons presents E-type ’9600HP’ to invited media at the Parc des Eaux Vives, Geneva in 1961. Photo Credit: JDHT.

“The Jaguar E-type is a genuine icon, as sensational today as the moment it was unveiled in 1961. It is a testament to the E-type’s advanced design and engineering that it can still be enjoyed and admired as passionately almost 60 years on,” said Dan Pink, director of Jaguar Classic.

“The E-type 60 Collection is a lasting tribute for E-type admirers, honoring the car’s legacy and the achievements of the team that created it – many of whom have descendants working for Jaguar Classic today, expertly restoring, maintaining and future-proofing enjoyment for generations to come.”

At the time, an Opalescent Gunmetal Grey 3.8-liter Fixed-Head Coupe registered “9600 HP” was one of the first two E-type cars unveiled to specially invited guests at the Parc des Eaux Vives. It was driven as quickly as possible to Switzerland from Coventry, England, where it was born. The trip began the night before the launch, and the car arrived just a few minutes ahead of its debut.

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The car was a rousing success, becoming synonymous with the zeitgeist of the Swinging Sixties. E-type sports cars were owned by the biggest celebrities of the time, including Steve McQueen, Brigitte Bardot, Frank Sinatra, George Harrison, Tony Curtis and Britt Ekland.

The 9600HP with Jaguar founder Sir William Lyons at the E-type launch, Parc des Eaux Vives, Geneva, 1961. Photo Credit: JDHT.

The impact of the car went beyond the automotive world. To honor the beauty of its sculptural forms, its functionality and its impact on design, an E-type became only the third car to join The Museum of Modern Art’s design collection in 1996.

The limited-edition models will have a very strong tie to the past. Every E-type 60 Edition built by the team at the Jaguar Classic Works facility in Warwickshire will be an existing 1960s 3.8-liter E-type fully restored to exclusive 60th anniversary tribute specification.

Each pair will include one Flat Out Grey ‘9600 HP’ coupe and one Drop Everything Green ‘77 RW’ roadster, with unique paint formulations exclusively reserved for these cars. Each E-type 60 Edition will feature a number of 60th anniversary commemorative design details created in conjunction with Jaguar Design Director Julian Thomson.

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Jaguar Classic is the world’s number one source of genuine parts and owner services for the E-type – from health-checks and sympathetic upgrades to restoring expertly selected examples to ‘Reborn’ specification, returning them to as-new condition. Pricing information wasn’t released, but it’s safe to say it will be well into six-figure range.