I'd agree for the most part; most firearms and most pellet guns don't strike me as being particularly beautiful, at least not in the way an E-type (or an Opal GT, or a few other classic sportscars) certainly is. Not being a driver I'm not up on the mechanical failings of the Jaguar, only have a vague hearsay knowledge that they can be challenging to maintain as can the MG models, or Ferraris for that matter. That said, I do find a few air pistols rather lovely. I've seen a couple of examples of Hy-Score pistols which looked very nice, though I can't quite say I'm a fan. My near-mint early 1950's Webley Senior is a fine looking thing, but it's not got the flowing lines of a Jag. The beauty is more about simple functionality and expert machining than any artistic sort of beauty.

My latest air pistol purchase was a Pardini K12. To my eyes and hands it's beautiful, but again this is the beauty found in near-perfect functionality. With its simple and reliable recoil absorber it can drive pellet into pellet skirt again and again. I am left to live up to that level of accuracy in competition and appreciate that challenge, that there is nothing but my limitations of skill in the way of a perfect 600 score in a match. With the grip I've carved to fit my hand perfectly there is some improvement as a sculptural object over the utilitarian stock grip... but it's still just a production pistol, not an art object.

http://www.luthier.ca/other/forum/K12.jpg