HALF MOON BAY — As a teenager growing up near Buffalo, N.Y., Jim Horvath was fascinated by the Jaguar XK-E driven by his best friend’s guardian. It was long, low and sleek and Horvath imagined he’d one day own one of what is often called the most beautiful car ever made.
It took the retired mechanical engineer in San Jose a few decades to fulfill his dream and nearly as long to restore his 1967 Jaguar E Type 4.2-liter. It isn’t white like the Jaguar fantasy vehicle of his youth, but it has an iconic hue — British racing green. It has a black ragtop.
“It’s not a modern car, but it drives quite nicely,” said Horvath at the recent Pacific Coast Dream Machines festival at the Half Moon Bay Airport. “I want to go to back to 1967. That’s what I feel like when I am driving it.”
“The top speed was about 145 (miles per hour) and zero to 60 (mph) was about 7 seconds. Relatively, speaking it was a very quick car back then in the 60s.”
The Jaguar has a dual overhead camshaft (DOHC) engine producing 265 horsepower and a four-speed manual transmission. It burns premium fuel and weighs 2,475 pounds. About 5,800 Jaguars of all types were manufactured in 1967.
Horvath, 73, who also owns a 2006 Corvette, often showcases his Jaguar in shows from San Francisco to Morgan Hill, Campbell to Carmel.
At the Pacific Coast Dream Machines on April 27, the vehicle was on display in the yearly eclectic mix of cars, trucks, motorcycles, aircraft and watercraft.
Held in a festival atmosphere with food vendors, music and kids’ activities, the 31-year-old event is a key fundraiser for the Coastside Adult Day Health Center in Half Moon Bay.
“It’s so much fun to take out; people love E-Type Jags,” Horvath said. “Everybody’s got a story. Their uncle once had one or the guy down the street had one. People really do like them.”
The Jaguar XK-E’s legacy as the most beautiful car ever made started in 1961 when the coupe made its debut at the Geneva Motor Show. The car attracted so much attention; another was requested from the manufacturer in Coventry, England.
Norman Dewis, the long-time celebrated test driver who died in 1985, drove a convertible through the night at high speeds to have another Jaguar at the extravaganza.
Although it’s often refuted, legend details Ferrari founder Enzo Ferrari telling the test driver, “What a beautiful car, we’ve made nothing better than that. The only problem, Norman, is it doesn’t have a Ferrari badge on it.”
Vintage car enthusiasts may or may not agree with Ferrari’s assessment. Maybe a dozen other vehicles have also been anointed as the finest automotive masterpiece. But the XK-E receives the honor as often as any vehicle.
In 1996, the New York City Museum of Modern Art acknowledged the E-Type, adding a Jaguar roadster to its permanent design collection. It was only the sixth vehicle to receive the distinction.
The Daily Telegraph, the British broadsheet newspaper, announced in 2008 the Jaguar XKE was the No. 1-ranked vehicle in its subscriber-voted list of the world’s “100 most beautiful cars” of all time. The Citroën DS finished second, followed by the Jaguar XK 120/140/150, Ferrari Dino 246 GT and the Lamborghini Miura.
“I restored it from the firewall back, what’s called the tub,” said Horvath. “I had to replace that because it was so rusted out. I had to take the whole car apart. It’s fairly original. I tried to save as many of the original parts as I could.”
Details of the purchase price and Horvath’s investment in the vehicle weren’t discussed. But the Jaguar cost about $5,500 new. Its current value is more than $100,000, said its owner who also cited the car’s fluctuating worth.
“The car has a pretty easy life; it spends most of its time in the garage,” Horvath said. “The paint is 30 years old. But I maintain it every couple of weeks. Every time I take it out, it gets love from somebody at a stoplight or in a parking lot or filling it up with gas.”
James Raia, a syndicated automotive columnist in Sacramento, also contributes business, lifestyle and sports content to several print and online publications. E-mail: [email protected]