CC Cohort nifticus posted this shot of a Jaguar D-Type on the go. Now that’s something I would have liked to seen, never mind heard. The D-Type was one of the most successful sports-racing cars of the post-war era, winning 24 hours at Le Mans in 1955, 1956, and 1957; an unprecedented streak. And in terms of its advanced monocoque construction, it paved the way for the legendary E-Type sports car.
The overwhelming success of the D-Type was due to its light weight and aerodynamic efficiency, thanks to the very small and low body made possible by employing aeronautical technology. The main body tub was made of sheets of aluminum alloy, and an alloy tubular subframe was attached to the front bulkhead, that carried the engine and front suspension. Malcolm sayer, who had recently left Bristol Aviation, gets the prime credit.
The 3.4 (and later 3.8) XK engine was fed by triple Weber twin choke carbs, and required a new dry sump oiling system in order to lower the big six’s height. It hit 172 mph on the Mulsanne Straight.
One of the teams, the Scottish Ecurie Ecosse, transported its D-Types in this custom Commer transport van. The Jags have rudimentary tops in case of inclement weather.
Jaguar temporally withdrew from racing at the 1956 season, but had a number of chassis still in the shops. Called the XK-SS, they were modified to be road-going sports cars, and 25 were to be sold. Being street legal allowed them to qualify for the many US sports car races then popular. Actor Steve McQueen bought one for his personal use.
A fire broke out at Browns Lane on the night of February 12, 1957, destroying nine of the XK-SS almost completed. Only sixteen were sold and delivered, but more reproductions have been built since.
Speaking of reproductions, it is of course quite possible (even more than likely) that this car is a reproduction, or tribute. Since all the mechanical parts are fairly easy to come by, it’s mostly a matter of building the body and putting it all together. One outfit (Jaguar Replicas) offers a complete aluminum D-Type for £80,000 ($123,440). I’ll let you be the judge. or just enjoy it for what it is.
Nice to see one in Ecosse blue, even though BRG suits it well. A genuine one was involved in a serious accident on a relatively recent road rally over here. Replica? Who cares. If the driver enjoys his steed, let the exhaust drown out the snobbish sniffs of displeasure.
I think that is too dark to be Ecurie Ecosse blue, still looks great though.
Thanks to nifticus for sharing the photos and brightening our day.
That’s the Ecosse shield with cross along the side under the windscreen. Dark green and dark blue don’t always photograph well.
Wow, never thought I’d see a D Type on CC. That’s one of my favorites from the day when race cars were fast AND beautiful.
I’m guessing that’s a reproduction, but who cares? You can have more fun with it than the real thing.
NO production D had a full width windscreen though the Kiwi built replicas do, Ds were a single seater but with provision for a passenger but no amenities.
The race team transport truck is really cool. I while back you showed us a transport truck done by Mercedes to move racing 300SL, if I remember correctly powered by the same engine. Glad to see Commer got into the act too. Wonder if it had the DOHC Jaguar 6.
What great publicity for the race when the teams get transport like this.
I am afraid the older gentleman driving the D type doesn’t have quite the swagger of Steve McQueen. But then, who does.
The Ecurie Ecosse transporter was built by Walter Alexander’s, a Scottish bus manufacturer, still in business today as Alexander Dennis, which is probably why it looks more like a bus than a truck.
It sold at auction for a vast sum a couple of years ago, I remember reading it had a Commer 2 stroke diesel. Probably has quite an interesting exhaust note in its own right.
Here it is in action –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqysOBJgnBA
Some beautiful Ecurie Ecosse cars later in this video too.
A TS3 great engines loads of torque lots of noise, rare now they all got worked to death then repowered and worked into the ground over here.
I’m not sure if I’ve actually ever seen a D Type, real or replica, but I’ve had the Corgi Ecurie Ecosse transporter for about 50 years.
The Bristol tie-in is interesting, since I’ve always thought the D-Type and XK-SS had a lot in common with the Arnolt-Bristol design-wise. It turns out that the Arnolt-Bristol was released in 1954, before the D-Type.
I remember having a British racing green Matchbox model of one as a kid in the early 60s. I looked in vain to see one on the road at the time!
Very cool to see that. Great photos and write-up. The Jaguar XK engine was and is very impressive, and the D-type is almost the quintessential race car, at least of that era (with a fin behind the driver even). IIRC, another reason for Jaguar’s LeMans success was that they were one of the early adopters of disc brakes. I believe the D-type’s predecessor, the C-type, even had them. That old racing photo is very interesting, with both cars perhaps starting to drift a little coming into the corner.
With the right gearing a D could best the double ton and they hit 185 mph on Mullsanne, the XK 120 managed 172 mph at Jabbeke, gorgeous cars theres a guy in the South Island of NZ that builds accurate replicas not cheap but more available than originals.
I love the D-Type and the XK-E… in my book, one of the most evocative auto designs ever. I shot an E-Type on the way to work just the other day, but it was too blurry to use for an Outtake.
And one more when he pulled up behind me at the light.
And one more of my Uncle Chip Young (Jerry Stembridge), early in his career as a studio musician in Nashville. He’d later own a pair of Mercedes 300SLs, but drove a compact Toyota when he passed last year.
My doctor has a Jaguar restomod facility google Beacham Jaguar he does Es MK2s blown V8 150s its on the web.
Those Mk 2 convertible conversions Beacham used to advertise in Classic & Sportscar were very attractive.
Ho does top quality work on his cars Ive seen a few display models here and there, I must go for a perv at his factory one day, he also does old RRs and Bentleys and has a BMW wrecking warehouse, not a bad doctor either.
Wow Ed. I did a search of Jerry and just discovered that he played on my all-time favourite Dolly track – ‘My Tennessee Mountain Home’. Dude is styling in that photo.
Man it is great to be young, Your uncle was probably a cool guy like McQueen. I saw a photo of James Coburn in front of his house with McQueen and they both were driving early Ferrari 250s.Can you blame a fat old guy like me for trying to pick up on a little “Jag Swag?”
the D type. racing at a time when it and the competition looked to be inspiration for all the Speed Racer cartoons.
Here’s a couple of pics of me picking up my latest project a few weeks ago.
Another shot