Jaguar's V12 piston engine was one of the premiere powerplants of the 1970s and 1980s. It was first seen in the Series 3 E-type of 1971 and was based loosely on an earlier design intended for a Le Mans car, the ill-fated Jaguar XJ13. The V12 was only Jaguar's second engine design to go into production in the history of the company. The all-alloy block was fitted with removable wet liners and had a SOHC 2-valve alloy head with flat combustion chambers.