E-Type Jagauar.....how do you drive when the front bumper is so far away?

In My Humble Opinion
1

So some guy named Harry just got hisself all hitched-up to his gal Meggy with some big fancy weddin’ party.
And they drove there in a really,really cool-lookin’ E type Jag.

Now, take a look at the pic in the link: …The most famous car in automotive history sure looks terrific.
But me, I’m thinkin’: Gee whiz ,how do you actually drive that thing?
Because that sleek curvy hood* is just… too long!

How is visibility for the driver, sitting so far back from the front bumper?
Can you easily see, say, a dead porcupine** on the road ahead of you?
What is it like when you drive it to work in Monday morning traffic?
How do you maneuver it in a tight parking space?

*bonnet, for you Brits. Sorry if I offended y’all. :slight_smile:

**hedgehog. Sorry, again.

2

Must be hell to parallel park. :slight_smile:

But I assume that Harry and Meghan don’t go anywhere you need to parallel park, and instead have flunkies to park for them.

3

Especially when you’re sitting on the wrong side. :slight_smile:

But yeah, they don’t often have to do it anyway.

4

Considering the history of Lucas, I’m stunned at the thought of an electric British car.

:smiley:

5

The proportions hide the fact that the E-type is actually pretty small, and the hood isn’t long but rather the rear is short. I drove one for a bit at a “key party” type meet, where everyone dumps their keys in a bowl and you drive whatever keys you pull out. It wasn’t much different than the BMW Z3 coupe I drove to the meet that day.

6

A) That ain’t what I call a ‘key party’

B) A lot of older cars are that way. Even the classic Mustangs had very long hoods in comparison to today’s sloped hoods. It isn’t actually that hard to drive when you get used to it.

7

OMG that Jag is beautiful. I want an E-type. But one that is more reliable. And more powerful. And less expensive.

8

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, I guess, because I’ve never liked that car. It’s proportioned like a clown shoe.

9

Agreed. I’d bet the E-type has a shorter bonnet than most American cars of its era, it’s just smaller overall. Standard engine was only a six-cylinder (but a bloody good one).

10

I’d rather a long nose compared to the modern trend of not being able to see any of the car at all past the windscreen.

11

When I turned 16, my family had a Dodge van with nothing in front of the windshield. Much of the engine was alongside the driver, under a hatch. It was weird driving any car after learning on that.

12

Enzo Ferrari
Said that Jaguar E-type was “the most beautiful car in the world.”
I do not believe that you can get a better compliment than that.

13

Years ago, Car and Driver surveyed automotive designers, and the E-type got the most votes for most beautiful car. It is kind of a polarizing look, though, so I get why some find it unattractive.

14

no surprise, old guys love the stuff they grew up with. That’s why '70s muscle cars are fetching 6-7 figures at auctions.

15

He also said, “The Jeep is the only real American sports car.”

16

I always preferred the 1960s Jag 420, myself. More elegance to the lines and fine working. The E-type will pull more horses, though.

Hell, I’m just an antiquarian.

17

I’d say even modern designers (and lots of ordinary people) would agree with that assessment - I"m guessing that’s why it was in the royal wedding. Of course, they had the tricky part of finding something British and non-controversial, and their hey-day of the 60s is the safest bet.

18

Well, you see kids . . .

My Dad had a 1976 LeMans, now THAT was a long hood. I hated driving that thing. My brother and I called it the “Pimp Mobile.” It looked like this, only white with a black leather roof.

But I did like driving the '69 ragtop LeMans which looked like this but with black leather seats (and no dents.). That was my car in high school.

It’s all in what you are accustomed to. That Jag would creep me out because I’d be paranoid about getting rear-ended. I don’t like any car with seats right up against the back bumper.

19

No, he was sitting on the [del]right[/del] correct* side; it’s just they drive on the wrong side.

  • the Jag Harry drove off in is actually a left-hand drive car.
20

The E-Type had a six-cylinder engine, but it was an inline six. That would be longer than a comparable V-8.

I had a Volkswagen bus for a while. Visibility wasn’t an issue , but I did have to get used to the driving position. The front seats were directly above the front wheels. If I was in a parking lot, and turning in to a particular space, it almost felt like I was driving past it before making the turn, if that makes any sense. I would think that might take some getting used to in the Jaguar; when you’re making a turn into a tight space you have to account for how far behind the front wheels you are.