Oxford 76DTYP002 Jaguar D Type Black

Product Description

The Jaguar D-Type was a sports car produced by Jaguar Cars Ltd between 1954 and 1957 when it was superseded by the legendary E-Type. Classed as a sports racing car with a roadster body style, it took on many of its mechanical components from the previous C-Type including the basic XK engine. The futuristic structure, however, was radically different with the innovative monocoque construction comprising sheets of aluminium alloy, bringing aviation technology to competition car design.The distinctive tailfin added aerodynamic stability and was aimed specifically to gain maximum speed at Le Mans. The long-nose bodywork also complemented the streamlined body to maintain racing speed advantage. The fuel was carried in the tail. As a result of all these refinements, D-Types did very well in the Le Mans 24-hour race which they won in 1955, 1956 and 1957. After Jaguar temporarily retired from racing as a factory team, the company offered the remaining unfinished D-Types as XKSS versions whose extra road-going equipment made them eligible for production sports car races in America. In 1957 25 of these cars were in various stages of completion when a factory fire destroyed nine of them.