Jaguar puts iconic D-Type to Building Brand New D-Types,Iconic D-Type Production , II 62 Years Later, Jaguar Classic Continues Its Iconic D-Type Production

(Images: Jaguar)

The Jaguar D-Type of the mid-1950s, easily one of the most beautiful metal skins ever wrapped around four wheels and a frame, is back. Jaguar is building 25 brand new 2018 D-Types, exactly as they were made over 60 years ago, for some very lucky and wealthy customers.
The Jaguar Land Rover Classic Works shop, quickly starting to look like one of the coolest places to be in the automotive industry, is doing this short run of D-Types entirely in period-correct style to make good on on the company’s intention to build 100 examples in the first place.

Apparently only 75 D-Types were ever actually built, despite the car having won Le Mans 24 Hours race three times between 1955 and ’57. Production constraints? Weak demand? Perhaps both, and more. But it doesn’t matter now because we’re going to get a new batch, and, wow.

Jaguar is promising that the 2018 D-Types, which I still can’t believe I’m writing, will be built exactly as they would have been in the ’50s, down to the six-cylinder XK engine, leather straps, skinny tires, and not a single LED in sight.

 

Those who have the means to order one will be able to pick either the 1955-style Shortnose or 1956-style Longnose body. Jaguar is not listing an MSRP, and one of its representatives told me “every car will be a little different” so pricing will range. But they did add: “Previous continuations from Jaguar Classic have typically cost in excess of £1 million each” which is around $1.4 million.
I would expect all 25 of the 2018 Jaguar D-Types to run north of seven figures, meaning there will probably not be a lavish press trip for me to go whip this thing on some wild mountain road between coffee shops. But still, I’m glad it’s going to exist.
Now here’s hoping the folks who buy these actually put them to work rather than just putting them on display.

 Jaguar is reviving its legendary D-Type more than six decades after production ceased.

Jaguar Land Rover Classic Works, based in Warwickshire, is producing 25 ‘new’ examples of the iconic car to the exact standards from when it first entered production in 1954.
Jaguar originally planned to build 100 D-Types, but only 75 were completed. The next 25 will fulfil the production run.
The D-Type is best known for winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans race three times between 1955 and 1957, and these new cars will be created to authentic, original specification of the road-going vehicle.
Jaguar Classic will hand-produce both the 1955 Shortnose and 1956 Longnose bodywork versions of the vehicle at its factory in Coventry, allowing customers to choose their preferred body-style.
The first ‘new’ D-Type – an engineering prototype in Longnose spec – is set to be showcased at the Salon Retromobile in Paris today (February 7).
Jaguar Land Rover Classic director Tim Hannig said: “The Jaguar D-type is one of the most iconic and beautiful competition cars of all time, with an outstanding record in the world’s toughest motor races. And it’s just as spectacular today.
“The opportunity to continue the D-type’s success story, by completing its planned production run in Coventry, is one of those once-in-a-lifetime projects that our world-class experts at Jaguar Land Rover Classic are proud to fulfil.”
The D-type is the third continuation vehicle revived by Jaguar Classic, following six ‘missing’ Lightweight E-types built in 2014-15 and nine XKSSs built in 2017-18.
Kev Riches, engineering manager for the firm, said: “Recreating the nine D-type-derived XKSSs was hugely satisfying, and an even bigger technical challenge than the six missing Lightweight E-types, but lessons learned from the XKSS project have given us a head start on the final 25 D-types.
“Each one will be absolutely correct, down to the very last detail, just as Jaguar’s competitions department intended.”
Jaguar has not confirmed a price for the D-Type, but an original 1955 Le Man’s winning example sold at auction for around £15.6 million in 2016.
The old saying, “They don’t make them like they used to,” is such a tired expression. The sentiment is that manufacturing quality used to be higher — that product-driven experiences were more visceral once upon a time.
There is, of course, some truth to the claim. A skilled laborer crafting a single chair each day yields a better product than assembly lines scrambling together 50 chairs a day. Similarly, driving an open-cockpit, V12-powered Formula One car from the 1950s is a whole lot more death-defying than piloting today’s turbocharged V6, halo safety-equipped model.
But we can’t go back — right?
Jaguar Classic disagrees. The U.K. automaker just announced it will restart production of perhaps its most storied model — 62 years after production ended in 1956. The D-Type pioneered monocoque chassis construction and certain aerodynamic principles that helped it far outpace rivals in competitions like the 24 Hours of Le Mans. If ever there was a heritage race car to give new life, this would be it.
Jaguar Classic will introduce its new D-Type at the Salon Retromobile show in Paris this week. Each of the 25 planned production units will be built at Jaguar Land Rover Classic Works’ Warwickshire facility. These models will join the 75 units produced between 1954 and 1956.
Each new model will be built to original specification, including the car’s six-cylinder XK engine. This is made possible from exclusive access to original Jaguar engineering drawings and records.
“The Jaguar D-type is one of the most iconic and beautiful competition cars of all time, with an outstanding record in the world’s toughest motor races. And it’s just as spectacular today,” said Tim Hannig, Jaguar Land Rover Classic director.
The D-type is the third continuation vehicle from Jaguar Classic, joining the six missing Lightweight E-type models completed between 2014 and 2015, and nine XKSS models built in 2017 and 2018. “Each one will be absolutely correct, down to the very last detail, just as Jaguar’s Competitions Department intended,” promised Kev Riches, Jaguar Classic engineering manager.
So how much does an ultra-rare, labor-intensive, race-bred automotive icon cost? If you have to ask … well, you know.