Long-term relationship
A LOT has altered since the early Seventies. Computers are no longer the size of a house, recycling doesn’t mean pedalling backwards and electric vehicles do more than deliver milk. One thing that’s remained the same is Alan Hames’ glorious E-type Series 3.
The world around this Pale Primrose convertible has changed since he bought it in 1972, but it hasn’t, looking little different from – if not better than – the day it left the Browns Lane assembly line 49 years ago.
“If you’d had as much pampering as she’s had,” says Alan’s long-suffering wife, Angela, with a laugh, “you wouldn’t have aged either!”
OWNER’S STORY E-TYPE SERIES 3
Alan was originally a Triumph enthusiast, owning both a TR4 and TR5 during the Sixties. He changed allegiances to Jaguar in 1970 when he bought a two-year-old E-type Series 2 from his brother. “Although friends of mine had E-types, I always said Triumphs were better until my brother bought this one and I suddenly saw the light.”
As much as Alan enjoyed the Series 2, he found access annoyingly restrictive. This was resolved in March 1971 when Jaguar launched the bigger Series 3. “I liked its stance, the flared wheelarches and, importantly, the longer doors that made it easier to get in and out. While I’d always wanted a V8-engined car, when Jaguar brought out the V12, I realised I didn’t need one.”
In October 1971, Alan visited Westonia
