One not very careful owner! Rust-covered 1965 Jaguar E-Type found decaying in barn sells for £41,000..and could be worth £150,000 when fully restored

 A Jaguar E-Type found covered in rust and decaying in a barn has sold for £41,000 at auction- because it could be worth £150,000 when restored. 

The car, which was sitting in the barn in a small market town on the Norfolk and Suffolk border, was sent to auction at the Imperial War Museum, Duxford.It has been off the road for 49 years and is a 1965 4.2 coupe. It was bought with its original factory-fitted interior at a H&H Classics Sale on Wednesday March 16.  

A Jaguar E-Type (pictured) found covered in rust and decaying in a barn has sold for £41,000 at auction at the Imperial War Museum in Duxford- because it could be worth £150,000 when restored

The E-Type (pictured) has been off the road for 49 years and is a 1965 4.2 coupe, which was bought with its original factory-fitted interior at a H&H Classics Sale on Wednesday March 16

The vehicle was one of more than 100 cars auctioned off at the event in Cambridgeshire, according to the Ely Standard.

Records show that the motor was first registered on March 3 1965 to Grawford (Oaklands) Farm Ltd of Wood Farm, Cabrooke.

Then on June 20, 1966, the model was sold to Mr David Trenchard Thom, a professional jockey turned racehorse trainer based in Exning, Newmarket. 

Afterwards, the Jaguar E-Type was owned by two others before it was sold to the current keepers in 1971. 

The current owners had bought the classic car as a celebratory gift for getting a teaching job.

The vehicle (pictured) was one of more than 100 cars auctioned off at the event in Cambridgeshire

A spokesperson for auction house H&H Classics said: 'Still retaining traces of its original paint and what is thought to be its original factory-fitted interior, the Jaguar has spent its entire life in East Anglia.

'Enzo Ferrari famously described the E-Type as the 'most beautiful car in the world' and even five decades of dust have failed to lessen this Fixed Head Coupe's allure.

'If restored to its former glory, this Suffolk sweetheart could fetch as much as £150,000.' 

Records show that the car (pictured) was first registered on March 3 1965 to Grawford (Oaklands) Farm Ltd of Wood Farm, Cabrooke

Jaguar E-Types were first displayed to the world on 15 March 1961, with a launch price of around £2,250 which is valued at £38,000 in today's money.

Three series of the classic motor were then released over the next 15 years. The Jaguar E-Type is often considered to be one of the greatest sports cars of all time.

Many celebrities have owned the car model over the years including Frank Sinatra, who is said to have seen the car when it was revealed in 1961 and said: 'I want that car and I want it now'.

The car make was also owned by George Harrison, George Best and Tony Curtis among other famous faces.

Jaguar E-Types were first displayed to the world on 15 March 1961, with a launch price of around £2,250 which is valued at £38,000 in today's money. Pictured: The Jaguar E-Type which has sold for £41,000 at auction in Cambridgeshire 

The popular classic car was also once famously described by Enzo Ferrari, an Italian motor racing driver and entrepreneur, as 'the most beautiful car in the world.' 

E-Types have also been a popular feature in numerous films, including The Wolf of Wall Street and Sin City.  

In the 1965 James Bond film Thunderball a Series 1 model appeared in the car park of Shrublands briefly. 

And in the unofficial parody film Casino Royale released in 1967, it was used in a chase sequence. 

What is a Jaguar E-Type? 

The Jaguar E Type was one of the most famous and desirable cars of the 1960s. 

Available as either a two-seat roadster or a coupe, it offered racing-car performance and stunning looks at a relatively modest price.  

Launched in 1961 to widespread acclaim, the Jaguar E Type was intended as a replacement for the XK series of sports cars with styling inspired by the famous D Type racing cars. 

The original 3.8-litre engine was replaced by a 4.2-litre unit in 1965. A 2+2 coupe and automatic transmission option followed a year later. 

Stringent US emission regulations reduced the overall performance, so a new 5.3-litre V12 engine was introduced from 1971. 

Modified and lightweight E Types proved successful in UK motor sport and internationally.

Jaguar E-Types are seen in: 

A Shot in the Dark

Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me

The Avengers

Beyond the Valley of the Dolls

The Blues Brothers

Bob and Carol and Ted and Alice

Carry on Doctor

Casino Royale

Danger Diabolik

Every Day's a Holiday

Eye of the Devil

Gumball Rally

Harold and Maude (a hearse)

Herbie The Love Bug

How to Steal a Million

The Odessa File

Terms of Endearment

The Italian Job

The Man Who Haunted Himself

The Young Racers

Thunderball

Vanishing Point

Viva Las Vegas

Sources: The National Motor Museum Trust and E-Types on Film 

The Jaguar E Type was one of the most famous and desirable cars of the 1960s. Pictured: A Jaguar E-Type Series 1 Coupe