One to Buy: rare road use from new 1952 Jaguar C-type
/
Following a series of successful outings with semi-works XK120s in more-or-less standard trim (a programme that most notably yielded victories at the 1950 Dundrod Tourist Trophy and Alpine Rally and nearly produced an unexpected win at Le Mans), Jaguar created the purpose-built C-type racer.
Based around a new lightweight chassis draped with an air-piercing aluminium body, the C-type made its competition debut at the 1951 Le Mans 24 Hours and went on to prove itself as arguably the best off-the-shelf racing car available during the next two-and-a-half seasons.
Fast enough to win at Le Mans (which it did in 1951 and ‘53), the C-type was also sufficiently rugged to contest the kind of gruelling week-long rallies that were popular throughout the 1950s.
Considering this world-beating level of performance and a complete lack of proper weather gear, the majority of the 53 C-types built by Jaguar between 1951 and ‘53 were pressed into competition use.
However, a handful saw service (in generally warmer climates) as the ultimate road cars of their day and currently on sale with DK Engineering is just such a car: the currently United States domiciled chassis 028.
Configured in the handsome and rarely seen colour combination of Silver with Black upholstery, chassis 028 was originally delivered via the Charles Hornburg dealership in Los Angeles during November 1952 and escaped the kind of hard competition life that many C-types were subject to. Accordingly, it remains an extremely correct, highly original and most authentic example of this two-time Le Mans-winning model from the golden age of sports car racing.
