What would you say to a chance to drive the legendary septuagenarian that is the C-type, and yet still be driving a new car? Well you can. All you need to do is acquire one of the 8 C-type Continuations that Jaguar has just announced it is launching. A 100% SoBARNES eccentricity.
To celebrate the first victory of the C-type at the Le Mans 24 Hours in 1951, Jaguar is building eight units strictly based on the original model. Yup, you got it, in an inversion of logic, the idea is to construct a racing car in 2021 that had its heyday 70 years previously. Why? For the pure pleasure of it. And to overcome the technical challenge of dusting off tools and expertise that had been relegated to the archives long ago.
This pure marvel will be hand built at Jaguar Classic Works in Coventry to the specification of the 1953 C-types, the year of its second Le Mans win. The new Continuation will notably sport the bonnet vent and the four disc brakes that contributed to the car’s success at Le Mans. And each new unit will boast the 3.4-litre straight-six engine that triumphed in 1953. The triple Weber 40DCO3 carburettors produce 223hp, an impressive performance at the time.
It took a two-year treasure hunt into Jaguar’s archives to compile the plans, documents and images needed for this exceptional project. Copy typists were even recruited to digitise the hundreds of pages required by the engineers.
And for a SoBARNES detail that we love: the Rexine finish on the dashboard and side panels is from the last roll of this type of material available. After all, using real leather probably seemed too simple!
The attention paid to each element extends to the brake fluid reservoir, which on the original model featured brackets that were designed for its application on another vehicle. For the C-type, they therefore served no purpose. However, remaining true to the original, all Continuation cars will retain this anomaly. And taking a look in the rear-view mirror doesn’t mean we’ve forgotten we’re in 2021: a 3D CAD configurator allows prospective buyers (or simply the curious, we’ll admit it) to choose the colours for the paint and leather seats of their C-type.
The price of these vehicles from another era has not been revealed, but we do know it will be in the 7-figure range. But the lucky owners of the C-type Continuation will be delighted to hear that the new apple of their eye is approved by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) and is eligible to take part in historic race championships. Thank goodness.
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Information:
Itching to embark on the adventure? Jaguar Classic has given out its number +44 (0) 2476 566 600 and email address: [email protected]
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