A 1968 Jaguar E-Type Series I in need of a full restoration sold for £33,176 with no reserve, part of a batch of vehicles offered through the Custodian Collection. It’s a reminder of just how much buyers are willing to pay for a project car when the underlying model is right, even when there’s practically nothing confirmed about what’s actually going on mechanically.
A Car Sold on Faith
This particular E-Type, registered PRS 707 and carrying chassis number 1E17430, was listed as a non-runner and needed trailering away from the auction site in Iver. The odometer showed 51,013 miles, the car came with a current V5 registration document but no key, and as of its collection date on February 5, 2026, it was reported sitting in a garage with no attempt made to start or evaluate the engine beforehand.
That’s about as bare-bones as a listing gets. The car appeared to have been prepped for restoration work, possibly ahead of paint, but the auction terms were explicit that no guarantees were made about mechanical condition. Whoever won this lot bought a Series I E-Type on the strength of its bodywork and its badge, not on any confirmed running condition.
Standard Terms for a Non-Runner Sale
That’s actually normal practice for this seller. Every vehicle offered through the Custodian Collection is sold as a non-runner unless stated otherwise, which means buyers are expected to arrange their own transport rather than expect a car that can be driven away. In this case, lots had to be collected by February 25 from the Thorney Lane North facility in Iver by appointment, with £20-per-day storage charges kicking in for anything left past the deadline.
Why Buyers Still Take the Gamble
The Series I E-Type remains one of Jaguar’s most recognizable sports cars, and that reputation is exactly why project examples like this one still pull serious money even in incomplete, unverified condition. Buyers chasing a Series I restoration are often willing to accept the uncertainty of a non-running project because the alternative, a finished, market-correct example, costs dramatically more. Whoever took this one home now owns an E-Type with a confirmed mileage and paperwork, but everything else, from the state of the engine to how much work lies ahead, is theirs to discover.
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