One to Buy: ex-Lee Kun-hee / Silverstone ICC-winning 1991 Jaguar XJR-15
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The JaguarSport Intercontinental Challenge of 1991 remains arguably the most spectacular one-make racing series ever organised. It comprised three events, supporting the F1 races at Monaco, Silverstone and Spa, with the winner of rounds one and two each getting a TWR Jaguar XJR-S while the victor in the finale was gifted a cheque for $1m.
The Intercontinental Challenge was created to legitimise TWR’s creation of the XJR-15 which had been conceived as the supreme road-going supercar of its day. Based on the Le Mans-winning XJR-9, the XJR-15 (built by TWR-run JaguarSport) was something of a problem for the parent company which had invested heavily to bring their own million dollar supercar to market: the XJ220.
Ultimately, a run of 53 XJR-15 customer cars were built during 1991 with 18 completed to racing specification and the other 35 to road trim.
Currently on offer at The Octane Collection showroom in Horsham, West Sussex, is chassis 048, the car originally purchased by South Korean collector, Lee Kun-hee. Lee Kun-hee was the third son of Samsung founder, Lee Byung-Chul, and assumed Chairmanship the company in December 1987 following his father’s death.
For the first two rounds of the ‘91 Intercontinental Challenge, Juan-Manuel Fangio II drove chassis 048 on Lee Kun-hee’s behalf. The Argentine placed fourth in Monte Carlo and then won at Silverstone, after which John Watson drove the Spa event but failed to finish after a coming together with Tiff Needell.
Today, chassis 048 is offered in immaculate condition throughout together with the 600-miles from new XJR-S awarded for victory at Silverstone.
