The Jaguar E-type causes folks to stop and go glassy-eyed, especially if the observed machine is on the hoof. Few cars in the history of the automobile can lay claim to such perfection of line and detail; even fewer can back up the pulchritude with power. But the Jag could, and in scale, the car has been a hit — though a qualified one — for AUTOart. We covered the roadster in our Summer 2013 issue, and now the coupe has arrived on the scene as a part of the upscale “Signature” lineup. Our sample arrived in BRG, along with a serialized certificate and a brochure covering the real car’s history and the model’s virtues. There’s a lot of both. The model’s opening doors, hatch, and tilting hood reveal a masterful assemblage of precision castings large and small, perfect paint and finish, and scale textures that tease for a touch. Under-hood, the straight 3.8 liter six is beautifully finished, and abundantly wired and piped; the spring-loaded wishbone suspension flexes and rebounds here, and at the car’s complex, deeply rendered rear axle. The RHD cabin is carpeted and features real leather seats and a crisp dash and console, and the glazing, headlights, and chrome everywhere is spectacular. As with the roadster, only one thing hobbles this otherwise excellent scale model on display: the tires mounted to the otherwise amazing wheels are too small. If you can get past that, this is one of the better releases of the past several years, and an important car to have in any diecast collection.— Joe Kelly, Jr.
AUTOart 1961 Jaguar E-Type
