VIN: the works Jaguar C-type chassis XKC001
History of chassis XKC001
Chassis XKC001 was the first of three C-types built for the 1951 season, all of which were reserved for factory use.
Upon completion in early June, XKC001 was given a shake down at the Motor Industry Research Association test track in Warwickshire. It was then taken to Silverstone where Stirling Moss, Peter Whitehead, Peter Walker, Jack Fairman and Leslie Johnson all got a chance to drive.
The three Jaguar team cars were then entered for the 1951 Le Mans 24 Hours and driven to France accompanied by a lorry filled with spares.
XKC001 (registered 032 RW) was allocated to Leslie Johnson and Clemente Biondetti. During the build up to the race, it had to have its engine rebuilt.
When the race began, Biondetti surged into fourth position. At the end of the first lap he had moved up to third behind the Talbot-Lago of Froilan Gonzalez and Stirling Moss in one of the sister C-types.
While Moss went on to take the lead, third place Biondetti and his team-mate, Peter Walker in fourth, drove to a strict pace.
The fourth hour saw the Jaguars move into first, second and third positions. However, a short while later, XKC001 had to be withdrawn; a cracked oil feed pipe led to a loss of oil pressure and nothing could be done as the rules only allowed the use of parts and tools that were carried in the car.
The Moss / Fairman C-type also fell by the wayside, but Walker / Whitehead went on to secure a famous win for Jaguar.
XKC001 next appeared for the C-type’s second race: the Dundrod Tourist Trophy on September 15th. Leslie Johnson and Tony Rolt were partnered together in the car with Johnson doing a steady first stint.
When Rolt took over, he set a series of flying laps and began to close the gap to the leaders. He ultimately went on to claim fourth as the sister cars of Stirling Moss and Peter Walker came home first and second to claim another major success for the new Jaguar.
Stirling Moss then took the wheel of XKC001 for a couple of brief five lap races at Goodwood on September 29th. Against a field of Frazer Nashes and Jaguar XK120s, Moss (who was entered to drive an HWM in the headline single seater event) proved unbeatable. He also established a new sports car lap record.
Although Jaguar built up a couple of additional works cars for the 1952 season (chassis XKC011 and XKC012), the trio of ‘51 machines were retained, updated and raced again.
XKC001 made its debut appearance of the ‘52 season at the Silverstone International Trophy on May 10th where Jaguar entered a three-car team of C-types for the 17 lap Production Sports Car race. XKC001 was allocated to Tony Rolt who was third at the end of the first lap behind team-mates Walker and Moss. Rolt soon moved into second when Walker had to call into the pits. However, with two laps to go, XKC001 coasted to a stop with a broken half-shaft.
The car’s final period outing came at what was the biggest British sports car race of the year: the Goodwood 9 Hours on August 16th.
Jaguar once again entered a three-car team and on this occasion XKC001 was allocated to Tony Rolt / Duncan Hamilton.
The race got underway at 3pm in heavy rain and Rolt swept round to lead at the end of lap one. He was passed by Reg Parnell’s Aston Martin DB3 on lap eight, but as the track began to dry during the second hour, Rolt re-took the lead. Team-mates Moss and Whitehead also went passed the DB3 to briefly make it a Jaguar 1-2-3 until Whitehead crashed out a short while later.
By 7pm, XKC001 was still in the lead and Hamilton had handed the car back to Rolt. An hour later, the sister car of Moss / Walker had taken over at the head of the field and the C-types were the only cars on the lead lap.
It remained this way until around 9:30pm when XKC001 went missing out on track; a half-shaft had broken and a rear wheel come adrift.
This marked the end of XKC001’s front-line competition career.
Over the winter of 1952-1953 the car was used to test Dunlop’s new disc brake system. Unfortunately, by the summer of 1953, chassis XKC001 ceased to exist; like XKC002 and XKC003 it was dismantled and the parts passed on to the Service Department.
Notable History
Green
Jaguar Cars
Registered 032 RW
23/06/1951 IND Le Mans 24 Hours (L. Johnson / C. Biondetti) DNF (#23)
15/09/1951 IND Dundrod Tourist Trophy (T. Rolt / L. Johnson) 4th oa, 3rd S3.0+ class (#9)
29/09/1951 IND Goodwood International Sports Car Race (S. Moss) 1st oa (#60)
29/09/1951 IND Goodwood International Handicap Race (S. Moss) 1st oa (#60)
10/05/1952 IND Silverstone International Trophy (T. Rolt) DNF (#42)
16/08/1952 IND Goodwood 9 Hours (T. Rolt / D. Hamilton) DNF (#2)
Early 1953 used for disc brake tests
Summer 1953 dismantled and the parts passed on to the service department
Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: unattributed
