Jaguar XKE Car Cover — Three Series, Two Body Lengths, and a Glass Fairing That Changes Everything

The E-Type (sold in North America as the XKE) is widely considered one of the most beautiful cars ever designed. Enzo Ferrari reportedly called it the most beautiful car he had ever seen. Any surviving example in original condition is a six-to-seven-figure asset — and every one of those assets has a specific body configuration that determines which cover fits and which cover does not.

The E-Type is not one car. It is three series with meaningfully different dimensions, two wheelbase lengths within each series, and a Series 1 headlight fairing made from painted fiberglass that costs $800–$3,000 per side to replace if NOS stock can even be found. A cover that fits a 1966 roadster will pull tight across the hood of a 1973 V12 roadster. A cover sized to a two-seat body will bottom out short across the 2+2's extended rear deck. And a cover with any texture at the front corners of a Series 1 will micro-abrade the headlight fairings every time it is installed or removed.

This guide maps every series, body style, and dimensional difference — and explains which DaShield fabric protects period lacquer and original chrome without compromising either.

01Three Series, Two Roadster Lengths, and a Hood That Grew Six Inches

The E-Type's production history from 1961 to 1975 splits into three distinct series, each with fitment differences that matter when choosing a cover.

Series 1 (1961–1968) established the body dimensions that most collectors associate with the E-Type. The two-seat roadster and Fixed Head Coupe share a 175.3-inch overall length and 65.25-inch width. The roofline geometry differs significantly between the open roadster and the FHC's fastback greenhouse — a cover shaped to the roadster profile will tent incorrectly over the FHC's C-pillar. The 2+2 Coupe introduced in 1966 extended the wheelbase substantially: at 184.4 inches overall, the 2+2 is 9.1 inches longer than the two-seat body. A cover sized to the standard roadster will pull short across the 2+2's extended door and rear quarter section.

Series 2 (1968–1971) retained the same basic body dimensions as the Series 1 roadster and FHC. The key exterior change was the removal of the Series 1 glass headlight fairings to comply with US market regulations — open headlights replaced the covered units. US-spec Series 2 cars also received larger chrome bumpers that add effective length at the front. The 2+2 continued at the same 184.4-inch extended wheelbase.

Series 3 (1971–1975) introduced the V12 engine, and the engine required a longer hood. The Series 3 roadster grew to 182.5 inches — a 7.2-inch increase over the Series 1 and 2 roadster. That additional length is almost entirely forward of the windscreen. The Series 3 hood is approximately six inches longer than the Series 1 and 2 hood. A cover patterned to Series 1/2 dimensions will pull tight across the Series 3's front hood section and create tension at the hood hinge line. The FHC body style was discontinued for Series 3; only the roadster and the 2+2 were offered. The 2+2 Series 3 retained the 184.4-inch length of its predecessors.

DaShield maps to series and body style, not to a generalized "XKE cover" that averages across three distinct configurations.

02Series 1 Glass Headlight Fairings — The Irreplaceable Painted Covers

The Series 1 E-Type's most distinctive visual feature is also its most vulnerable: the glass-covered headlight fairings. These are painted fiberglass and plastic units that fair smoothly over the headlamp assemblies, giving the front of the car its uninterrupted sculptural line. They were removed for Series 2 production because they did not meet US Department of Transportation headlamp accessibility requirements.

What survives on a Series 1 car today is irreplaceable in the strict sense. New Old Stock (NOS) fairings, when available at all, command $800–$3,000 per side. Many Series 1 restorations use fabricated reproductions, but reproduction fairings require paint matching — a specialist process that introduces its own variables. The originals, painted at the factory to match the car's body color, are genuinely one-of-a-kind pieces.

The failure mode is direct cover contact. Any cover fabric that is not soft at the front corners creates micro-abrasion against the fairing's painted outer surface during installation and removal. The glass panel beneath transmits contact pressure directly — there is no flex or give to absorb repeated friction. Over months of daily cover use, that micro-abrasion becomes visible marring on painted surfaces that cannot be corrected without removing paint.

The correct inner fabric for a Series 1 cover is soft against these corners. DaShield's inner facing on the Ultimum woven construction is selected precisely for non-abrasive contact with delicate painted surfaces. SoftTec Satin's stretch construction provides an even gentler contact profile for Series 1 cars in climate-controlled indoor storage, where the outer weather protection of Ultimum is not required.

03Humidity, Period Lacquer, and What Coastal Storage Does to British Racing Green

The E-Type's original paint colors — British Racing Green, Opalescent Silver Blue, Regency Red, Old English White — were applied as period cellulose or synthetic lacquers, not modern two-stage base/clear systems. These lacquers age differently, oxidize differently, and respond to moisture differently than contemporary finishes.

NOAA data shows relative humidity in coastal US regions averages 65–85% year-round. In unventilated garages — where NAHB data indicates 55% of single-family homes have attached or detached garage spaces — humidity levels cycle with outdoor conditions. A sealed garage in a coastal climate will see significant humidity swings between morning and evening, particularly in spring and fall.

A non-breathable cover concentrates that humidity. Moisture vapor that migrates up from the floor and through the car's lower body seams has nowhere to escape under a non-breathable fabric. It accumulates at the lowest points of the cover — the rocker panels, the lower door seams, and beneath the chrome bonnet (hood) surround. On a period lacquer finish, this accelerates oxidation at those seams. On chrome trim, it promotes the formation of pitting corrosion beneath the chrome plating, which is not reversible without re-plating.

Ultimum's multi-layer woven construction is breathable — moisture vapor moves through the fabric rather than collecting beneath it. This is not a marketing claim; it is a function of woven versus non-woven construction. Non-woven covers create a vapor barrier. Woven covers maintain vapor equilibrium between the car's surface and the surrounding air. For a period lacquer E-Type stored in any environment with humidity variation, breathable woven construction is not optional.

The chrome bonnet surround on an E-Type — the bright trim ring that frames the hood's forward edge — runs $1,500–$4,000 to restore at a specialist who handles Jaguar chrome work. A period lacquer respray at a marque specialist who can correctly match the specific color and sheen of an original E-Type finish runs $8,000–$25,000 depending on the scope of preparation required. These are not theoretical numbers. They are the current cost of repairs that a correctly fitted breathable cover prevents.

04What It Will Cost to Ignore This

A concours-quality E-Type in original condition is worth protecting at the cover level. These are the repair costs when it is not.

Glass headlight fairing damage (Series 1): $800–$3,000 per side. NOS original fairings when available. Reproduction fabrication plus color-matched painting adds labor to a base cost that already exceeds most covers by a factor of ten. If both fairings are abraded, the exposure doubles.

Period lacquer respray: $8,000–$25,000. At a Jaguar specialist with the correct color knowledge and lacquer chemistry to match a period finish. A respray at any shop that treats an E-Type like a contemporary car will produce a result that does not match the original sheen. The correct specialist work costs accordingly.

Chrome bonnet surround restoration: $1,500–$4,000. Pitting corrosion beneath the chrome plating cannot be polished out — the chrome must be stripped, the base metal addressed, and the piece re-plated. On a period E-Type hood surround, this is specialist Jaguar chrome work, not generic plating.

Full concours restoration: $80,000–$250,000+. For an E-Type taken to concours standard by a marque specialist — mechanical, electrical, body, chrome, interior, and paint — the figures range from the low end for a car in original but used condition to well over $250,000 for a ground-up restoration to class-winning standard.

A DaShield Ultimum for the Jaguar XKE starts at $209.

05DaShield for the Jaguar XKE

Three storage priorities govern the correct cover choice for the E-Type.

Outdoor and garage storage with humidity exposure — Ultimum ($209 car, Lifetime warranty). The primary recommendation for any XKE that is not in a fully climate-controlled, humidity-managed storage environment. Multi-layer woven construction provides the breathability that period lacquer finishes require. UV resistance tested to AATCC 16 and ISO 105-B02 standards. The inner facing is soft against body surfaces, including the painted fiberglass headlight fairings on Series 1 cars. Designed in Buena Park, California with a Lifetime warranty. For a vehicle where the paint is irreplaceable, the cover needs to last as long as the owner owns the car.

Climate-controlled museum storage — SoftTec Satin (indoor, 1-year warranty). For a Series 1 or Series 2 E-Type in a fully climate-controlled, humidity-managed garage or museum environment, SoftTec Satin's stretch satin construction provides the gentlest possible contact with original surfaces. No moisture management is required when the environment already controls humidity. The soft stretch fabric conforms precisely without pressure points and minimizes contact at the Series 1 glass fairings during installation and removal. SoftTec Satin is the correct answer when the environment eliminates the primary threat.

Active-use outdoor cover — Vanguard UHD ($199 car, 5-year warranty). For owners who drive the XKE regularly and want outdoor protection at a defined warranty horizon rather than Lifetime, UHD provides five-layer woven construction at a slight step below Ultimum in warranty period and price.

06The Wrong Answer

Two cover types are incorrect for the E-Type regardless of storage situation.

Any non-woven polypropylene cover creates a vapor barrier. On a period lacquer finish with the humidity cycling described above, a vapor-barrier cover accelerates the damage it was purchased to prevent. The lower body seams, rocker panels, and chrome surrounds are the first casualties. Most low-cost car covers sold through general retailers use non-woven polypropylene construction. The fabric is inexpensive, easy to manufacture, and wrong for any vehicle with original period finishes and chrome trim.

Any cover with a textured outer fabric that reaches the front corners of a Series 1 E-Type without a soft inner facing creates the micro-abrasion risk at the glass headlight fairings. The fairing's painted fiberglass surface has no resilience against repeated friction. A cover that fits "close enough" at the front of a Series 1 is not close enough if the inner surface contacts those fairings on installation.

07Frequently Asked Questions

My E-Type is a Series 1 roadster. Will it need a different cover than a Series 3 V12 roadster?

Yes — and the difference is 7.2 inches of hood length. The Series 1 roadster measures 175.3 inches overall; the Series 3 roadster measures 182.5 inches. The additional length is the V12's longer hood, which extends approximately six inches further forward than the six-cylinder hood. A cover patterned to Series 1/2 dimensions will pull taut across the Series 3's hood and create tension at the hood hinge line. Select your specific series and body style at checkout — Series 1/2 and Series 3 require distinct cover patterns.

I have a 2+2 Coupe. Is that the same cover as the standard two-seat E-Type?

No. The 2+2 Coupe has a 184.4-inch overall length — 9.1 inches longer than the two-seat roadster and Fixed Head Coupe at 175.3 inches. The additional length comes from the extended wheelbase required to accommodate the rear occasional seats and the taller roofline profile. A cover sized to the standard two-seat body will bottom out short across the 2+2's rear quarter and will not seat correctly at the rear. The roofline height difference between the 2+2 and the standard FHC also affects rear section fit. Select 2+2 at checkout for the correct pattern.

My Series 1 E-Type is stored indoors in a climate-controlled garage. Should I use Ultimum or SoftTec Satin?

SoftTec Satin, with one condition: if the garage is truly climate-controlled with stable humidity, SoftTec Satin's stretch satin construction is the correct choice. It provides the softest possible contact at the Series 1 glass headlight fairings — minimizing any friction risk during installation and removal — and conforms precisely to the E-Type's curvaceous body without pressure points. If the garage experiences any meaningful humidity variation (coastal location, seasonal swings, or uninsulated structure), Ultimum is the correct choice because its woven construction maintains vapor equilibrium and SoftTec Satin does not.

What does humidity actually do to my E-Type's period lacquer?

Period cellulose and synthetic lacquers used on E-Types through the 1960s and early 1970s are more permeable to moisture than modern two-stage clear coats. Repeated moisture cycling — where the finish absorbs humidity and then dries — causes the lacquer to micro-crack over time, a process called crazing. Crazing begins as a fine network of surface cracks that dulls the finish, then deepens if moisture cycling continues. Once crazing is established, correction requires stripping the lacquer and respraying. At a Jaguar specialist who can match the correct period sheen and color character, that is an $8,000–$25,000 repair. A breathable cover reduces the cycling that drives the process.

Is the Series 1 Fixed Head Coupe the same cover as the Series 1 roadster?

No. The two-seat roadster and the Fixed Head Coupe share the same 175.3-inch overall length and 65.25-inch width, but the roofline geometry differs significantly. The FHC's fastback roofline — with its full greenhouse, rear quarter windows, and distinct C-pillar profile — creates a different overhead contour than the open roadster. A roadster-pattern cover will tent over the FHC's rear roof section and will not conform correctly to the C-pillar and rear window surround. Select FHC or Roadster at checkout; the body style matters as much as the series.

08Bottom Line

Three series. Two roadster lengths separated by 7.2 inches. A 9.1-inch difference between the two-seat body and the 2+2. Glass headlight fairings on Series 1 cars that cost more to replace than most covers cost in a decade. Period lacquer finishes that concentrate moisture damage under any non-breathable cover. The E-Type demands specificity because a single dimensional or fabric mistake compounds into a repair bill that dwarfs the cover's cost many times over.

DaShield maintains series- and body-style-specific patterns for the Jaguar XKE. Select your series, body style, and storage environment — the system maps to the correct cover.

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