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Unrestored Jaguar C-Type Once Raced by Stirling Moss to Cross the Auction Block

1952 Jaguar C-Type (Chassis XKC 011) 11 photos
Photo: Matt Howell for Bonhams
1952 Jaguar C-Type (Chassis XKC 011)1952 Jaguar C-Type (Chassis XKC 011)1952 Jaguar C-Type (Chassis XKC 011)1952 Jaguar C-Type (Chassis XKC 011)1952 Jaguar C-Type (Chassis XKC 011)1952 Jaguar C-Type (Chassis XKC 011)1952 Jaguar C-Type (Chassis XKC 011)1952 Jaguar C-Type (Chassis XKC 011)1952 Jaguar C-Type (Chassis XKC 011)1952 Jaguar C-Type (Chassis XKC 011)
Fifty-three units were made between 1951 and 1953, and all of them use the running gear of the XK120 wrapped up in a lightweight tubular frame and an aero-conscious aluminum body shell. C-Type chassis XKC 011 is one of the most desirable of the lot because it is “possibly the most original C-Type remaining.”

Slated to cross the auction block at the Les Grandes Marques a Monaco sale, Bonhams estimates that the Jaguar C-Type in question is worth €4 to €5 million. That is $4.51 to $5.64 million converted at current rates, which isn’t much for a remarkable survivor from the 1950s with an interesting history.

Built in 1952 and assigned to Stirling Moss and Peter Walker for the Goodwood 9 Hour race, the duo brought XKC 011 to a fifth-place finish. Sir Stirling Moss would drive XKC 011 once again in 1953, at the Mille Miglia. As fate would have it, he did not finish because of a mechanical problem.

Then, Moss got back in the driver’s seat for the 1953 British Empire Trophy, where he finished fourth overall. Fast forward to 1957, the XKC 011 was sold to its first owner. The current owner acquired the car in the late 1960s.

Despite a great competition history, XKC 011 has never been crashed. Its body shell does bear the patina of living life at the limits of grip, though. The engine and interior are also highly original, something proper collectors will undoubtedly appreciate. The lump that motivates this C-Type is a 3.4-liter straight-six with a compression ratio of 9:1 and 210 horsepower, enough grunt for a top speed of 152 mph (244 km/h).

It remains to be seen if Bonhams will be able to sell XKC 011 for the estimate presented above, more so if you consider that a lightweight specification, ex-Ecurie Ecosse Jaguar C-Type has crossed the block for $4.8 million in 2013. Then again, British Racing Green looks better than the Flag Metallic Blue of Ecurie Ecosse.
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About the author: Mircea Panait
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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.
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