Lusted after by generations of car enthusiasts, the E-type, known as the XKE in the United States, caused a sensation on its 1961 introduction. Sexily styled and technically advanced, the Jaguar promised 150 mph (241 km/h) performance for a fraction of the cost of exotic Italian rivals, and made cars such as the Aston Martin DB4 seem overpriced and under-endowed. As a symbol of the Swinging Sixties, nothing comes close. Later, the E-type suffered a middle-aged sagging, and the final runs of V12s proved difficult to shift in the key U.S. market.