Description
Jaguar D-Type Long nose – A Beautifully Crafted and Highly Usable Example
This particular car has a manufacture date of 1958 and was first put on the road in 2013.
It features a full aluminium body, constructed using the same set of buck drawings as the 1955 Le Mans-winning D-Type. You could quite rightly describe it as a toolroom-quality body, such is the attention to detail and accuracy of its construction.
In fact, the car has been inspected by Kev Riches, who oversees the Jaguar D-Type and XKSS Continuation cars, and he commented on just how accurate the bodywork is.
Under the bonnet sits a 4. 2-litre engine producing approximately 270 bhp, which is more than enough performance for a car of this weight. This is coupled to a 1963 E-Type Moss gearbox. Although the car originally came with a four-speed overdrive gearbox, I specifically wanted the Moss box for that unmistakable first-gear sound that is so synonymous with these cars.
The rear features independent rear suspension (IRS), making the car considerably more usable and enjoyable on the road.
The cockpit has been recreated to be as faithful to the original as possible, right down to the carefully selected period-correct switches.
I also fabricated a mild-steel straight-through exhaust system, giving the car that distinctive, unmistakable D-Type exhaust note. It really does sound every bit as good as it looks.
This is not simply a car to admire in a garage. I wouldn’t hesitate to pack a bag and head off touring in it. It has already spent time in the USA and has been driven extensively throughout Europe, including trips as far south as Italy. It is a genuinely usable car that has proved itself on long-distance journeys.
To achieve this level of craftsmanship, presence, performance and that unmistakable D-Type experience, you could easily be looking at a car costing in the region of £500, 000.
This example offers that experience at a fraction of the price.
