The newly revealed LEGO Jaguar E-Type features one hidden piece that could have a huge impact on the aftermarket value of both The Hobbit and Pirates of the Caribbean sets.
Releasing on August 1, 11381 Jaguar E-Type is a 1,673-piece LEGO Icons set costing £129.99 / $139.99 / €139.99. However, 12 of those 1,673 pieces are likely to attract far more attention than the rest.
Lift up the bonnet of the classic British sports car and you will find a detailed recreation of its inline-six engine. To achieve the look of the real-life engine, the LEGO Group has used an unusually rare element: a dark tan plume piece.
A plume is a type of feather element and has no connection to the mechanical world. Here, the piece is purely used as a clever bit of LEGO engineering, adding texture and shaping to the engine in a way that would have been difficult to achieve with more conventional elements.
While the plume itself is not a rare piece, the dark tan version has only appeared in two LEGO sets before – and it has been more than 13 years since it last featured in a set.
The dark tan plume first appeared in 2011’s 4195 Queen Anne’s Revenge from LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean. The piece was used as part of Angelica’s minifigure, representing the feather attached to the hat worn by Penélope Cruz’s character in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.
Two years later, the element returned in 79014 Dol Guldur Battle from LEGO The Hobbit. This time, it appeared as part of Radagast the Brown’s minifigure, matching the distinctive feathered appearance of the wizard from The Hobbit films.
From then, the dark tan plume disappeared from LEGO sets entirely, until quietly returning under the bonnet of the Jaguar E-Type.
That makes its inclusion particularly interesting. Over the past 13 years, there have been plenty of opportunities for LEGO pirates, fantasy characters, or historical minifigures to make use of the element.
Instead, its comeback arrives in one of the least expected places: the engine of a LEGO Icons vehicle.
Even more surprising is the aftermarket value of the piece. According to recent BrickLink sales data, a single dark tan plume has averaged around £45 over the past six months. With 12 included in 11381 Jaguar E-Type – and potentially more if you’re lucky – the set contains roughly £540 worth of the element alone at current market prices.
That is more than four times the price of the entire set, making the Jaguar E-Type an incredibly appealing purchase for anyone looking to acquire the piece.
However, the arrival of 11381 Jaguar E-Type will almost certainly affect those aftermarket prices. Once thousands of collectors receive the set and more dark tan plumes enter circulation, supply will increase, and prices should naturally fall.
That could be great news for fans of LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean and The Hobbit, who have previously had to pay a premium to add the rare element to their collections.
Hopefully, this unexpected revival is not the last time we see the dark tan plume appear – and perhaps future pirate or fantasy-themed sets will give the piece a more fitting home.
Whether you want to get your hands on your own piece (or 12) of LEGO history, or simply want to build one of the most iconic British cars ever made, 11381 Jaguar E-Type launches on August 1 for £129.99 / $139.99 / €139.99.
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