With the publicity in mind that only a win at LeMans could bring for Jaguar, Sir William Lyons commissioned an outright race version of the XK 120, known as the C-Type. Considering the popular success of Jaguar’s XK 120 and the Mark II that bore the same engine, there was no imminent necessity for the company to set its sights on the LeMans 24-hour race. As the XK 120 surprised Coventry with success at Silverstone and LeMans, Malcolm Sayer made designs for a lightweight, aerodynamic factory race car that utilized most of the XK’s mechanicals. Soon after, the project was a success as the newly christened Jaguar secured its first victory at LeMans with a C-Type in 1951 driven by Peter Walker and Peter Whitehead. It was the first British victory at LeMans since Lagonda had managed the feat in 1935. Duncan Hamilton and Tony Rolt would repeat the feat in 1953 driving a similar C-Type; truly ushering in an era of Jaguar endurance racing victories and competitiveness in the 1950s.

Just 54 C-Types were produced, with demand far exceeding supply. The pure physical form, outright speed and handling, plus the passion for the Jaguar marque has led to construction of some quite exacting copies of this beautiful and well-respected machine. Today replica models offer the enthusiast Jaguar performance and C-Type styling at a more road-friendly cost.

Offered here is a 1952 C-Type replica that is fully clad in aluminum coachwork, painted in a lovely forest green and built largely from Jaguar XK 120 components. The car is powered by a 3.4-litre, twin-overhead cam, six-cylinder XK 120 engine, which has been highly modified to C-Type specifications. The carburetors are original-style, sand-cast H8 SU’s while the brakes are taken from an XK 120 and the rear axles are altered Salisbury units. This fleet-of-foot machine is fitted with the correct long-fan pulley and the steering rack is made specifically to the original specification. The front and rear torsion bar set-up also follows exact C-Type qualifications.

One can visually see the period correctness with the C-Type wire wheels with knock-offs, side exhaust system, leather bonnet straps, quick-fill fuel cap, a pair of Brooklands-style windscreens and a wrap-around aero screen. The C-Type is complete with a full FIVA passport and FIA papers and is eligible for nearly all historical events around the globe. This is a rare opportunity to own one of these coveted Jaguar C-Types for a fraction of the price.