VIN: the Cyril & Doris Anderson / Bill Pitt Jaguar D-type chassis XKD 526
History of chassis XKD 526
Chassis XKD 526 was one of three D-type Jaguars originally exported to Australia.
It was supplied by Anderson’s Agencies, the Jaguar distributor for Brisbane, owned by Cyril Anderson and his wife, Doris. The Andersons were part of a consortium that paid £2000 each for a one third share in the car. Bill Pitt and Charles Swinburne were the other members of the original consortium.
The plan was for Pitt, Swinburne and Doris Anderson to compete with XKD 526; together they had raced a couple of XK120s earlier in the 1950s.
However, Swinburne soon became seriously ill and sold his share to the other two parties.
The British Racing Green machine was completed in September 1955 and subsequently tested at the MIRA proving ground.
XKD 526 was then dispatched for Brisbane in mid October 1955 and landed in late January 1956.
Within a few days of its delivery, Doris Anderson used the car for its maiden outing; she hit 120mph over the flying quarter mile at Strathpine.
Unfortunately, gearbox problems at Lowood in April precluded any further competition activity for several months while parts were sourced and repairs carried out.
Bill Pitt then raced XKD 526 for the rest of 1956. He picked up several good results, but during the season-ending Australian Grand Prix support race at Albert Park, lost control, hit a kerb and rolled the car. Pitt was thrown clear and miraculously did not sustain any major injuries. The Jaguar was trailered back to Brisbane and repaired over the next few weeks. During this time, the colour was changed to bronze.
Now the car’s sole owner, Pitt continued to race XKD 526 for the next two-and-a-half years. At the end of 1957, the colour was switched back to green.
In July 1959, the D-type was purchased by Leaton Motors of Sydney. Leaton Motors had the engine uprated to 3.8-litre specification and the colour changed to pale yellow with a black stripe. It was then raced by one of the company’s salesmen, a young Frank Matich.
Matich, Doug Chivas and Barry Topen all drove the Jaguar over the next few years; in 1961, it was fitted with an aluminium hardtop that enabled it to run as a GT car.
At Sandown in March 1962, Barry Topen crashed and lightly crumped XKD 526’s nose. That was the end of the D-type’s career and it was subsequently offered for sale in 1963.
The car then went through the hands of Sydney mechanic, Michael Crampton, who in turn sold it to Keith Russell in 1965. Russell ran a panel repair shop in Campsie, a few miles outside Sydney. He repaired the Jaguar’s nose and then repainted the car blue and white.
XKD 526 subsequently went through the hands of a couple more Australian owners and was fully restored in 1981.
In 2014 it was repatriated back to the UK and returned to its original configuration.
Notable History
British Racing Green
Supplied via Anderson’s Agencies, Brisbane
Sold to Cyril Anderson / Bill Pitt
30/01/1956 Strathpine Flying Quarter Mile (D. Anderson) 120mph
19/02/1956 Leyburn Flying Quarter Mile (D. Anderson) 135.2mph
17/03/1956 Strathpine Airfield (D. Anderson) ran
08/04/1956 Lowood Sports & Saloon Scratch Race (D. Anderson) 3rd oa
12/08/1956 Lowood Champions Scratch Race (B. Pitt) 1st oa
12/08/1956 Lowood Sports & Saloon Handicap (B. Pitt) 4th oa
01/10/1956 Bathurst Scratch Race (B. Pitt) 2nd oa
01/10/1956 Bathurst (B. Pitt) 2nd
04/11/1956 Lowood Tourist Trophy (B. Pitt) 1st oa
25/11/1956 Australian Tourist Trophy, Albert Park (B. Pitt) 4th oa
02/12/1956 Australian GP Support Race, Argus Trophy, Albert Park (B. Pitt) DNF
Crashed and rolled during the Argus Trophy
Repaired and repainted bronze
17/03/1957 Albert Park Victorian Tourist Trophy (B. Pitt) 2nd oa
24/03/1957 Albert Park Sports Car Scratch Race (B. Pitt) 3rd oa
24/03/1957 Albert Park Victorian Trophy Handicap (B. Pitt) 6th oa
07/04/1957 Lowood (B. Pitt) 1st oa
16/06/1957 Lowood (B. Pitt) 3rd oa
06/10/1957 Bathurst Sports Car Race (B. Pitt) 3rd oa
06/10/1957 Bathurst Sedan & Sports Car Handicap (B. Pitt) 1st oa
03/11/1957 Lowood Tourist Trophy (B. Pitt) 2nd
03/11/1957 Lowood Scratch Race, Lowood (B. Pitt) 1st oa
03/11/1957 Lowood Sports & Racing Cars Race (B. Pitt) NC
Repainted green
27/01/1958 Gnoo Blas South Pacific Championship Race (B. Pitt) 4th oa
27/01/1958 Gnoo Blas Handicap Race (B. Pitt) 6th oa
23/03/1958 Lowood Over 1500cc Scratch Race (B. Pitt) 1st oa
23/03/1958 Lowood A Grade Scratch Race (B. Pitt) 1st oa
07/04/1958 Bathurst Scratch Race for Racing Cars (B. Pitt) 5th oa
15/06/1958 Lowood Scratch Race (B. Pitt) NC
15/06/1958 Lowood QRRC Race (B. Pitt) 4th oa
31/08/1958 Lowood (B. Pitt) 4th oa
31/08/1958 Lowood Trophy (B. Pitt) 4th oa
31/08/1958 Lowood Sports & Saloon Car Handicap (B. Pitt) NC
05/10/1958 Australian Tourist Trophy, Bathurst (B. Pitt) DNF
06/10/1958 Bathurst Sports Car Race (B. Pitt) 2nd oa
26/10/1958 Lowood Champions Scratch Race (B. Pitt) 1st oa
26/10/1958 Queensland Tourist Trophy, Lowood (B. Pitt) 1st oa
23/11/1958 Albert Park Racing Car Scratch Race (B. Pitt) 7th oa
23/11/1958 Victorian Tourist Trophy, Albert Park (B. Pitt) 3rd oa
30/11/1958 Albert Park Sports Car Scratch Race (B. Pitt) 3rd oa
30/11/1958 Australian GP, Albert Park (B. Pitt) 6th oa
28/03/1959 Bathurst 100 (B. Pitt) DNS
14/06/1959 Australian Tourist Trophy, Lowood (B. Pitt) 2nd oa
14/06/1959 Lowood Trophy (B. Pitt) DNF
Sold to Leaton Motors, Sydney
Repainted pale yellow with black stripe
Updated to 3.8-litre specification
30/08/1959 Lowood (F. Matich) 4th oa
30/08/1959 Lowood (F. Matich) 2nd oa
04/10/1959 Bathurst (F. Matich) DNF
07/03/1960 Australian Tourist Trophy, Longford (F. Matich) 3rd oa
12/06/1960 Albert Park Sports Car Scratch Race (D. Chivas) 1st oa
02/10/1960 Gnoo Blast (D. Chivas) 2nd oa
03/10/1960 Gnoo Blast (D. Chivas) 2nd oa
18/12/1960 Warwick Farm (D. Chivas) 3rd oa
Raced by Matich, Chivas throughout 1961 and 1962
Damaged at Sandown in 1962
Repaired in 1965 and restored in 1981
Returned to the UK in 2014 and returned to its original configuration
Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: unattributed
