Jaguar E-Type wins crown as greatest car of all time

John Surtees (right) and the original test driver for the Jaguar E-Type, Norman Dewis, with the Jaguar Heritage Trust's E-Type 77RW

JAGUAR’S famous 1960s E-Type has won the race to be crowned the “greatest car of all time” in a new poll of motorists.

The car was put at the top of the podium from a list of 100 by more than 2,000 British drivers quizzed by One Poll for the Discovery Channel ahead of the return of its Wheeler Dealers show next week.

It beat seven other British classic vehicles, including Mini, Aston Martin DB5 and Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost, to head the top 10, and also won the poll for greatest classic car.

The Porsche 911 and Volkswagen Beetle were the only foreign representatives in the top 10 of the all-time survey, finishing third and fourth respectively, while Ferrari’s F40 span into 11th.

Meanwhile, the Ford Capri won the title of the car they previously considered “embarrassing” but would now be proud to own, fending off the Morris Minor and Triumph Stag.

Edd China, fellow presenter and mechanic in the show added: “It’s good to see the Capri and the XR3i now joining the pantheon of classic popular production cars. As we unveil our 100th car in the series, we’ll be aiming to return another hidden gem to its former glory.”

Last October an E-Type sold for £88,000 at auction, while in May, Jaguar placed third best British car behind the 1959 Mini and McLaren F1 in a poll of Autocar readers.