Unicorn Cat: 1955 Jaguar D-Type Hitting the Block (Again)

By John Coyle - January 18, 2021

This Jaguar D-Type didn’t meet reserve last time it was up for sale. Will this time be different?

Back in 2018, this ultra-rare 1955 Jaguar D-Type came across the auction block at the RM Sotheby’s auction in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Unfortunately for the seller, the car didn’t meet the whopping $8.8 million asking price, and now it’s come up for sale again. At this point, the auction house is estimating it’ll fetch anywhere from $5.7 to $7.5 million, which seems to suggest the seller’s expectations for it have been adjusted. Given the current pandemic, which makes 2018 seem like a decade ago, whether it’ll go home with a new owner is anyone’s guess. Regardless of whether it sells or not, even for a D-Type Jaguar, this is an interesting car.

Chassis XKD 518 is still sporting its original red paint, which as racing fans might know, was an unusual choice in the mid-1950s. Now, why the buyer chose to go with a color generally seen on Ferraris and Maseratis of the era is unclear. But what is clear is that the machine was originally sold by one Bernie Ecclestone, before he brought his iron-fisted rule to Formula 1.

Whether or not you think that’s a positive or negative likely depends on how you feel about the man himself, who once famously said he would stand in front of a machine gun to save Russian President Vladimir Putin.

That said, music fans might be more interested in the fact that the car was also owned by Led Zeppelin manager Peter Grant, inarguably a much cooler dude. Though this particular D-Type never raced at Le Mans, it was campaigned by driver Peter Blond at iconic tracks like Aintree, Silverstone, and Goodwood. The fact that it never competed at the legendary French endurance race might be the reason why when it left the factory, it wasn’t sporting the vertical fin.

These were said to greatly aid high-speed stability on the Circuit de la Sarthe’s notoriously long Mulsanne Straight, and might not have been as necessary for tracks without such a protracted straightaway. Of course, whether it’s original or not, the fin looks fantastic, as does the curved strip of sheet metal separating the cockpit. Both serve as evidence that while racing cars have certainly gotten faster over the years, it’s tough to argue they were ever more beautiful than they were in the mid-50s.

The engine and cylinder head are original to the car, and in a testament to just how much competition cars have changed, this weapon’s grade cat carries an on-board spare, in case one of the lovely Dunlop knock-offs gets a flat. How crazy is that?

Obviously, tire technology has improved substantially in the last 65 years, but today, you’d be lucky to find a road-going car that comes with a full-size spare. Trucks and SUVs aside, I can’t actually think of a new vehicle that comes stock with an old-fashioned spare, though if you can, I’d love to hear about it.

I’ll be keeping an eye to see whether this baby actually winds up with a new owner after the auction on January 22nd, but until then, head to the auction site to read the exhaustive history of this machine, and watch the video below to see a factory Jaguar driver Mike Hawthorn lap Le Mans in a 1956 D-Type.