One to Buy: 1 of 2 in Red ex-Peter Blond / Jonathan Sieff 1955 Jaguar D-type
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Only two D-types were originally painted red by the Jaguar factory in Browns Lane, Coventry, one of which is this car, chassis XKD 518, currently on offer at the Fiskens showroom in London.
Dispatched to Henlys of Manchester on December 29th 1955 and subsequently registered KDB 100, chassis XKD 518 was then sold to privateer racer Peter Blond via Bernie Ecclestone’s London dealership in early 1956.
In addition to using XKD 518 as a fast road car, Peter Blond raced the red D-type all over the UK until mid 1957. During this time he took in a number of major races, most notably finishing tenth overall in the 1956 Daily Express Trophy at Silverstone, fifth overall at the 1956 Aintree 100 and sixth overall at the 1956 Oulton Park International meeting.
Having secured a works drive with HWM for 1957, the D-type saw limited use in 1957 and Blond sold the car to his cousin, Jonathan Sieff. With Sieff behind the wheel, XKD 518 continued to pick up good results in the UK and also in Europe.
In 1959, Sieff sold XKD 518 to Monty Mostyn of Speedwell Garage who in turn sold it to John Houghton. In 1960 the Jaguar was acquired by Jean Bloxham who raced it at Goodwood and Silverstone before selling it back to Houghton in 1962. Five years later the Jaguar passed to the famous Jaguar dealer and race entrant, John Coombs, who bought XKD 518 jointly with stockbroker Dick Wilkins. Subsequent owners included Clive Lacey and, from 1977, Peter Grant – the manager of Led Zeppelin.
In 1982, the D-type was sold to George Stauffer in Wisconsin, which marked the beginning of an extended sojourn that saw it reside in American collections until 2021.
Since then, XKD 518 has been owned by a British enthusiast and fully restored by Brazell Engineering. The tail-fin that was added at some point in its past has been removed, but the full-width windscreen added during Jonathan Sieff’s ownership has been retained. The car is now presented as it was when it contested the 1958 Oulton Park Tourist Trophy.
Offered fresh from an extensive restoration and accompanied by an FIA Historic Technical Passport valid until 2034, XKD 518 importantly retains both its matching numbers engine and original body.
