The prestige of winning the world renowned Le Mans 24-hour Race provided the impetus for the conception of the D Type Jaguar Racing Car.
It's distinctive body shape was perfectd by aerodynamicist, Malcolm Sayer, with speed and top performance as the sole design criteria. This single-minded pursuit of success resulted in a number of important European titles including consecutive victories in the e Mans between 1955 and 1957. A truely magnificent achievement.
This is one of only 71 cars of its type subsequently produced by the company for factory teams and private sale.
Dispatched on December 16, 1955 to Hoffman, USA. little is known of this car's early history, although it is believed to have been owned and raced by George Constantine. It was purchased from him in a wrecked state by Canadian, Bill Sadler. Sadler rebuilt the car and raced it several times, only to have it fall off a trailer at about 100kmh, while returning from a race meeting. Again, it was rebuilt with the use of fiberglass. It was then purchased by John Cannon, who crashed it at Mosport, Canada. The next owner was Hugh Dixon who acquired it late 1962. Dixon rebuilt the car and painted it bright red with a blue stripe. The quality of his work was soon acknowledged as the D Type was placed first in a Concourse D'elegance in Montreal in 1963.
The vehicle was acquired in England for the Museum in 1980. It had apparently spent the previous decade in that country under the ownership of Peter Ashworth. A good indication of this man's enthusiasm for the car is his acquisition of the unique XKD 545J registration plates which match the chassis number.