I have wanted an E-Type since I was a child in the 1970s. Recently I have gotten to a position that I could afford one. I started searching all over for the right car. I spoke with countless owners of E-types from varying years. Some were completely unrealistic and others were not professional. I feel that when dealing with such an iconic model of car, professionalism is important. My six month search came down to three cars across the US. I spoke at length with the owners and assessed each vehicle. Each vehicle was approximately the same price and all Series I. I had trouble making a choice between the cars. Ultimately, I came down to comparing the sellers. The comparison was not a contest. Marc was by far the most professional, direct and friendliest of the sellers. He knows the value of the cars but is not unrealistic. He also showed me, even though that we had never met and only spoke by phone, that he was absolutely obsessed with satisfying me with the purchase of his car. The time and effort that Marc put in to making the car right was incredible. I have bought many cars and I have never seen a dealer put so much into a car to make it right for the purchaser. Marc presented me with over a page of maintenance type repairs that he had done to make sure the car was right. I flew down to see the car. I thought that I would be overwhelmed with the appearance of the car. The car was impressive in person. However, I was more impressed by the performance of the car. The car was responsive and purred as we drove quite quickly through the North Carolina country side. Marc was a very pleasant host and treated my wife and I very well. Marc and I shook hands on the deal in his office in North Carolina. He kept his word from the agreement we had on the phone. There never was any additional expenses or unexpected costs. I placed deposit on the car and returned home.
The financial part of the transaction went without a hitch. He worked out the transportation so that the car appeared at a large parking lot near my house. I had to pay for the transportation but the cost was reasonable and professional. After getting the car, I joined the Michigan Jaguar Club. Within three weeks of owning the car and only after replacing the period Motorola radio with a Frankfurt Blaupunkt, I drove the car almost 200 hundred miles in hundred degree heat with the Jaguar club to a car show. I was one of the few that had no problems with the car running through the heat. Without even washing the car, I drove the car on the field at the Gilmore Car Museum and won Best in Class. I drove the car home in 100 degree heat. The Jaguar now proudly sits in my garage waiting for the local Concours of Jaguars and the “Battle of the Brits” where I am sure that my Jaguar will do very well. I do not want to give the wrong impression. Marc and I spoke at length about the car and we agreed that it should be a “high end driver.” To that end, I drove it all over town this weekend. It is not a trailer queen and I am very proud of that. It runs like a champ and it is a trustworthy driver. The car is exactly as Marc described and is performing better than expected. It is a great driver yet I can still compete successfully in car shows. I have never had a car that literally made knees buckle when grown men first see it. The car is a great driver and can still hold its own with the trailer queens. I love it.