March 15, 1961. A misty morning in Geneva. One sleek Jaguar E-Type coupé – registration 9600 HP – rolls up to the Parc des Eaux Vives with just 20 minutes to spare after a flat-out, fog-delayed overnight dash from Coventry.
Sir William Lyons, the man who built Jaguar, stands beside the open door, hands in pockets, as journalists swarm. ‘Good God, Berry, I thought you were never going to get here!’ he quips to his PR man, while the car gets a frantic wipe-down.
That moment? Pure automotive history, the 1961 Geneva Motor Show.
The E-Type didn’t just launch – it exploded onto the scene. 150mph claimed top speed, revolutionary disc brakes all-round, Malcolm Sayer’s breathta
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