- 1,115
- Rivera
- Tsukishima-TDUDT
The Jaguar D-Type is a sports racing car that was produced by Jaguar Cars Ltd. between 1954 and 1957. It was powered by a basic Straight-6 XK engine design (initially 3.4 litres and uprated to 3.8 litres in the late fifties). D-Types won the Le Mans 24-hour race in 1955, 1956 and 1957. After Jaguar temporarily retired from racing as a factory team, the company offered the remaining unfinished D-Types as XKSS versions whose extra road-going equipment made them eligible for production sports car races in America.
A short-nose D-type that was raced severely at Le Mans and even came home third overall in 1957. Quite literally as the car was registered in France, entered by a French team and painted in national racing blue, Un léopard Français. But tragedy struck when the short-nose was entered again the year ahead in the epic 24 hours. Driver Jean-Marie Brussin crashed the car (according to Roland Urban he had christened it ‘Marie’) fatally. Brussin died behind the wheel and much of the car’s bodywork was scrapped at Le Mans. But the monocoque underpinnings, suspension, gearbox and engine, all to works-specifications, somehow survived. They ended up with Carrozzeria Michelotti in Turin in 1960.
By the time the car reappeared it was 1963 and the event was nothing less then the Geneva motor show of that year. The resurrected D-type starred again, now at Michelotti’s stand. This time it came with a totally different two-seater coupe body and the new monocoque was made of part steel, part aluminium. This body was built around the D-type and still shares all the D-types dimensions and wheel track etc. In turn, the engine, transmission and subframes front and rear all still marry up.
The last time the car was seen was at the 2014 Chantilly Arts & Elegance hosted in the gardens of the 16th century Chateau de Chantilly just north of Paris.
Specs:
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This is the best looking classic Jaguar in my opinion, and what a better way to commemorate my 1000th post here.
