For sale: 1955 Jaguar D-Type

 

Images thanks to RM Sotheby’s, by Patrick Ernzen

This jaw-droppingly beautiful 1955 Jaguar D-Type is one of just fifty-four and has a history that includes period racing success in Finland including.. ice racing? It’s heading to auction at RM Sotheby’s’ upcoming Amelia Island sale.

The car, chassis XKD 530, left the factory in February of 1956 and was delivered soon after to Finnish tennis player Curt Lincoln, who imported it into his native Finland. Wanting to avoid the sting of import taxes, he asked Jaguar to make the car appear used, so they brushed the pedals, replaced the steering wheel with a used one and did something that would have most car salesmen waking up in cold sweats – pushed the odometer forward.

Lincoln would race the car at one of Finland’s most famous races in the period – the Elaintarhanajo in Helsinki. In his first run at the event in 1956 he took the car to a class win, taking another class win later in the season.

Following the ’56 season he got into ice racing, fitting the car with 1¾-inch spiked tyres and claiming wins on the ice in February and March of ’57. After these wins he repainted XKD 530 from its original British Racing Green to his Scuderia Askolin team’s white and dark blue livery.

Lincoln would then move on from driving the car, although it continued to be raced by other drivers in the team, seeing continued success in 1958. During this period Wiima of Helsinki installed a full-width windscreen, new nearside door and custom tail fin.

The car made a visit to Jaguar’s Works competition department in December of 1959, to receive some love after years of ice racing. It would be repainted in white, have the engine block replaced with a factory 3.8-litre, carburetors replaced with uprated 45-millimeter Webers and have the gearbox and brakes reconditioned. Jaguar returned it to Finland with a tag with “+100 hp” written on it.

Enjoying the car in its refreshed state, Lincoln returned to racing it and picked up more wins early in 1960. It was then, however, that their time together would end, and he sold it to Olli Lyytikainen, who would race it with Timo Makinen.

In 1961 Heimo Hietarinta won the Formula Libre Class at the Leningrad Grand Prix in the car, potentially making this car the only D-Type to race in the Soviet Union.

By 1966 XKD 530 was no longer competitive on Finland’s ice, and was sold to collector Nigel Moores. It had worked hard through its decade of ice racing and was this was beginning to show.

The original body was, at the time, too expensive to rebuild for its value, so the chassis tub was separated, all new factory long-nose-styled bodywork was fitted and a new wide-angle headed D-Type engined was installed.

The separated monocoque body, original engine and gear box were put aside and sold to John Harper, who repaired the coachwork and mounted it to a new chassis comprised of original Jaguar components. Both cars were stamped with the XKD 530 chassis number, giving the car a serious split personality identity crisis.

In 1998 and 2002 one person was able to buy both cars. They were sent to CKL Developments late in 2002, where they were disassembled, taking note of individual parts numbers, and sorted into those that were original to XKD 530 and those that were replacements.

The repaired original monocoque was then re-mounted to the original chassis, finding legitimacy when the non-uniform bolt holes matched the bolts perfectly. CKL’s reunion and restoration was completed in 2003.

Since then the car’s run the full suite of world-class historic motorsport events, including the Mille Miglia Storica, Ville d’Este Concorso d’Eleganza, Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance and Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance. It’s also raced in the Silverstone classic and Goodwood Revival.

In recent years the car’s been fine-tuned and finessed and is now believed to be one of the most original examples around. It will be sold with its original engine, transmission, chassis frame, monocoque body and brake calipers. It’s also comes with FIVA Passport and FIA papers, and with its history will be welcome at any historic motorsport event around the country.

This beautiful example of the golden age of motorsport is a living, breathing and active piece of history, and tells the kind of story that demonstrates just why this sport is so fascinating. There’s no wonder it’s expected to hit between US $3,750,000 and $4,250,000 when it goes to auction on Saturday, March 14, 2015 at RM Sotheby’s’ Amelia Island Sale.

RM Sotheby’s’ Amelia Island Sale will be held on Saturday, March 14, at the Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island. For more information, head to RM Sotheby’s’ website here.

Images thanks to RM Sotheby’s, by Patrick Ernzen