At the request of Jaguar founder Sir William Lyons, aircraft and automotive designer Malcolm Sayer penned the Le Mans-winning C-Type. The successor, called D-Type, was even more successful in endurance racing, claiming victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1955, 1956, and 1957. Make no mistake about it, but the XKD is a serious car.
Less than 100 examples were manufactured, including 16 XKSS models, and each one has a story to tell and battle wounds to show. The D-Type pictured in the photo gallery isn’t one of them, but an all-new car from head to toe. It’s the latest member of the Jaguar Continuation Series, and the automaker confirmed that the production run consists of 25 units.
Pricing hasn’t been announced yet, but don’t expect the D-Type Continuation to cost as much as an original or as little as an aluminum-bodied replica. Something in the ballpark of £1 million would fit the bill bearing in mind the sheer rarity and the old-school driving experience.
The D-Type Continuation follows in the footsteps of the six Lightweight E-Type and nine XKSS models built in the period from 2014 to 2018. Shortnose and longnose configurations are offered. Each D-Type is equipped a four-speed manual transmission and the 3.4-liter inline-six XK engine augmented by no less than three twin-choke Weber carburetors.
“The Jaguar D-type is one of the most iconic and beautiful competition cars of all time, with an outstanding record in the world’s toughest motor races. And it’s just as spectacular today,” declared Tim Hannig, director of the Jaguar Land Rover Classic division. “The opportunity to continue the D-type model’s success story, by completing its planned production run in Coventry, is one of those once-in-a-lifetime projects that our world-class experts at Jaguar Land Rover Classic are proud to fulfill,” he concluded.
Being such a high-priced machine, the D-Type Continuation will be tailored to each customer’s wishes. If you had the money, what would you choose between British Racing Green and Ecurie Ecosse Blue?
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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