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1954 Jaguar Type D

Roadster
Chassis number: XKD 403
Engine number: E 2004-9

This was the 2nd 1954 works team car and was the designated lead car for Le Mans. It was fitted with a tail fin for this race. It was a factory team car in 1954 and 1955 and began its career at the 1954 Le Mans 24 Hour Race at the hands of Stirling Moss. Before retiring in that race it set a new record of 172.97 miles per hour on the Mulsanne straight. They led the race before retiring with brake problems after midnight. On July 4th at the Reims twelve-hour sports car race, Moss and Walker did not finish.

For the September 11 Dundrod Tourist Trophy, Peter Whitehead and Ken Wharton finished 5th. The car was fitted with a 2 1/2-liter engine #E 2005-9.

After the race and by November 30, 1954, it had been fitted with a 3.4-liter engine #E 2004-9 for tests and was used as a test car by Norman Dewis over the winter.

In private hands, the car raced through 1957 in the U.K. and into 1963 in Canada. Since 1999, it has been vintage raced in the United States.

OKV 2 has had a very illustrious racing career, including being driven by ten factory drivers at events such as LeMans, Goodwood, Aintree, Reims, Dundrad, Oulton Park, Silverstone and Snetterton. Bob Berry (who was to become head of public relations for Jaguar) raced the car extensively and did very well. Bob was considered one of Britain's best 'up and coming drivers.' In 1955, Bob received an invitation to the Portuguese Grand Prix. OKV 2 was loaded on a transporter and headed to Portugal. Unfortunately, the transporter broke down in France. The D-Type was, therefore, unloaded, filled with all the spares they had brought and headed south. Twenty hours and 980 miles later, a very travel stained 'D' roared into the main square of Oporto, having traveled virtually non-stop across Portugal, Spain and most of France. The 'D' ran flawlessly, with the exception of a front sump seal leak. This forced a pit stop 10 laps from the end to top up the oil and dropped him from a 3rd place finish to a respectable 5th. Nevertheless, it was a great race and the prize money paid for all expenses. The D-Type was once again loaded with spares and driven back.

Roadster
Chassis number: XKC401

This is the original prototype of the D-Type - one of the most successful competition series, built between 1954 and 1956. Following in the wake of the indomitable C-Type, which won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1953, the D-Type was born into huge expectation. And it did not disappoint. Its chassis number, XKC401, signals that it was the first competition car built in 1954, and on its first outing to Le Mans for practice sessions, it broke lap records and reached speeds in excess of 170 mph. Under the bonnet beats a finely tuned 3.4-liter XK engine with triple Weber carburetors, producing 250 horsepower. The light alloy monocoque was fused to a multi-tubular frame, with disc brakes on all four corners, and the low-drag body skin featuring a driver headrest melding into the stabilizing tail fin. In 1954, in the debut race for the new D-Type based on this prototype, a team car came in 2nd at Le Mans and went on to win the 24 hour race in 1955 and 1956. Remarkably, in 1957 the model took 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 6th places at the fabled endurance track.

The Jaguar D-Type sports cars were produced from 1954 through 1957. These factory-built race cars were similar to the C-Type, but given more powerful engines, improved chassis, and aerodynamic bodies.

Walter Hassan was tasked with designing a sportscar for Jaguar. The result was the XK-120 which showed promise on the racing circuit. Although the alloy bodied cars were fast, it would not be a serious contender at the 24 Hours of Le Mans race. Further development was needed. In 1951 the XK 120 C, also known as the C-Type, was prepared and ready for testing at Le Mans. The straight-six cylinder engine had been modified to production 210 horsepower and various other mechanical enhancements greatly improve the performance. Three C-Types were entered in the Le Mans race with two failing to finish. The third C-Type finished strong, winning the event while averaging 93.49 miles-per-hour.

Three experimental C-Types were entered in LeMans in 1952. A long tail had been applied to the C-Type in an effort to improve aerodynamics and stability during the long, straight stretches. Unfortunately, all three failed to finish due to overheating problems. For 1953, the use of experimental bodies was scrapped in favor of the tradition bodies. The factory cars were fitted with disc brakes. In the end, this combination proved to be all that was necessary to score top finishes.

To stay ahead of the competition, Jaguar began working on a Le Mans replacement for the C-Type, resulting in six D-Types in 1954.

The D-Type was constructed of a monocoque-type chassis welded to a subframe. Later versions of the car were bolted, rather than welded, to allow easy detachment.

The same XK engine was used, albeit with minor modifications such as the use of dry-sump lubrication. The frontal area to house the engine was decreased. This was to provide for higher top speeds as Le Mans. A large fin was place behind the driver to provide stability at speeds in excess of 150 mph. Due to the new design, additional modifications to the shape and size of the engine were required to fit it into the engine bay. It was tilted 8-degrees, resulting in an off-center bump in the hood. The 1955 D-Types used asymmetrical heads, known as '35/40' heads, with intake valves positioned at 35-degress and exhaust valves at 40-degrees.

Four D-Types were entered into the 1954 Le Mans race and were not enough to beat the powerful Ferraris. 1955 modifications propelled the Jaguar marque to its third LeMans victory. A Mercedes-Benz SLR was leading the Jaguar by two laps when it was withdrawn from the race.

Though 1955 meant another victory at LeMans for Jaguar, it was a devastating year for the sport. The Mercedes-Benz SLR's were poised to capture the victory when a tragic accident occurred, involving an SLR, and killing the driver and 80 spectators. Mercedes-Benz withdrew from the race and from motorsports.

Most of the D-Types were single seaters and built for the race track. During the final year of production, Jaguar offered the Jaguar XKSS, a street version of the race car.

XKSS

Twenty-five of the 68 Jaguar D-Type race cars were left unsold when Jaguar decided to cease its participation in the International Sports Car Racing program. Jaguar decided to convert the 25 remaining vehicles into road-worthy sports cars.

The rear fin was removed, bumpers were added, and the single-seater was left topless with a canvas hood available to protect the driver from the elements. A windscreen was designed and a second door was added to accommodate passengers. With a Dual-Overhead Cam straight-six cylinder engine with 3442 cc capacity, the vehicle could race from zero to sixty in 7.3 seconds. The 250 horsepower output was capable of propelling the car to a top speed of nearly 150 miles-per-hour. Excellent stopping power was provided by the 4-wheel disc brakes.

In 1957, the XKSS was introduced at the New York Auto Show.

Sixteen private buyers purchased the XK-SS with the majority going to the United States. Two went to Canada, one to Hong Kong, one in the UK, and the rest to America. There were over 300 examples being built when a fire destroyed the machinery, assembly line, and most of the XKSS models. Steve McQueen, a film star and motor racing fan purchased one. McQueen is famous for his documentary of the 24 Hours of LeMans.

by Dan Vaughan