1960 Jaguar D Type

The Swann Collection consists of a Works Lightweight C Type replica, this 1960 Jaguar D Type, and a 1966 E Type Series 1 4.2.

These cars are offered by the vendor, Roy Swann, a retired aeronautical electronics engineer, business owner and passionate Jaguar enthusiast.

Together they form an important and rare grouping of legendary British motoring icons.

Of course, it is still possible to buy an original D Type.

We know of a 1955 D Type that achieved £16,641,143 at auction in Monterey in 2016.

We’re sure there are other, equally affordable examples out there.

Well, it’s only money, isn’t it?

Alternatively, you could opt for one of the ‘continuation’ D Types destined for release by Jaguar Classic sometime in, well, the next year or two. Apparently.

You’ll need between £1 and £2 million for one of those.

If neither of those routes has any immediate appeal, then you might be inclined to consider a new toolroom replica.

The trouble with that is that Jaguar has been keen to ‘dissuade’ manufacturers of toolroom replicas from plying their trade.

Why?

Because Jaguar would like to cater to that market exclusively through their ‘continuation’ cars.

So, unless you’re a multi-millionaire, pretty much the only way to experience the power and glory of a 1955 Long Nose D Type is currently sitting at our Abingdon HQ.

The vendor, Roy Swann, bought this car privately in 1995 from John Markey.

Among many other claims to fame, John Markey was an accomplished racing driver, having driven in Spa, Nurburgring and Targio Florio World Sports Car Championship races, to name but a few.

In the late 1980s John co-founded Colborne Restoration Services, a business with particular expertise in building C and D Type replicas to a very high standard.

John Markey bought this D Type as a kit from the highly respected C and D type specialists, Proteus Cars. Colborne Restoration Services then built the car - “And a very good job they made of it, too”, John tells us.

The car’s registration comes from a 1960 ‘donor’ Jaguar 240 saloon.

The car differs from Hawthorn’s 1955 XKD 505 in a few key respects, the foremost being that this replica has the more powerful 3.8 straight-6 engine. It has a space frame chassis, aluminium front section, fibreglass fin and rear section, and torsion bar suspension.

When the vendor purchased the car from John Markey he asked that a new 15” steering wheel be fitted, that the fuel filter fairing should be metal lined and painted to match, and that the GB and BRDC decals should be removed.

We have driven the car and can report that it drives exceptionally well.

Yes, it will need more comprehensive recommissioning than the basic level we have carried out (new oil, fuel, plugs), but it starts, goes and stops as it should.

Driving this car back-to-back with the C type in the Swann Collection reveals exactly how and why the character of these cars is so very different.

The C Type was the last of a generation of two-seater racing cars in which you could drive from your home to the circuit, win your race and then drive home again, stopping off to pick up some groceries on the way.

The C is a magnificently capable, usable, pedigree, all-round performer.

The D is a racing car, pure and simple. It’s a touch angrier, harder, more focused and purposeful.

The C is a Mozart symphony, written and orchestrated to cover the full baroque spectrum of tonality, expression and subtlety.

The D is Wagner’s Ride of the Valkyries, all thunder and lightning and tempestuous, gothic fury.

The gear lever faces forward at a 45° angle, but is nonetheless fast, slick, notchy and a joy to use. The steering is sharp and focused. The chassis and agile suspension give you more confidence and (at least perceived) ability than the C type when entering and exiting fast corners

Power comes on in great waves as you move round the rev counter, all to an accompanying soundtrack of spectacular rips, snorts, roars and barks.

The overrun generates a glorious cacophony of deafening crackles, shrieks and pops from the pretty much straight-through exhaust.

It sounds like a velociraptor in urgent need of a few anger management classes.

It makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.

And it makes you feel just a little bit heroic.

Marvellous.

This car presents extremely well and its unique shark-fin silhouette is as striking today as it must have been in 1955.

It’s in very good condition all-round.

It’s immediately obvious that this replica was hand-built and assembled to the highest standards by experts in their crafts.

The panels and flanks are smooth and free of any dinks, dents, ripples, scuffs or other unsightliness, save for a tiny crease on the bonnet below the Jaguar badge. The paintwork is BRG and has a good depth of shine and lustre to it.

The panel and door gaps are fine, and the trim, screens, grilles, badging, bonnet straps and headlights are unmarked by use and untroubled by age.

The Dunlop wheels and spinners are in top condition and the tyres have plenty of tread in evidence.

The sculpted and louvred bonnet is a thing of beauty. If you look closely, you can see ghostly lines of rivets under the paint and lacquer.

This is a joyous facsimile of 1950s aircraft engineering for the road.

The interior, too, has been recreated, built and looked after very well indeed.

The green leather upholstery shows no sign of wear and, once you’ve worked out how to manoeuvre yourself into the snug embrace of the cockpit, is both comfortable and supportive.

All the controls are weighty, dependable and reassuringly over-engineered.

Visibility through the arrangement of low-level screens is not too bad, all things considered, but we hate to think what it must have been like to drive one of these flat-out at night in the rain.

As far as we can tell, all dials, instruments, knobs, levers, toggles, switches, flaps and buttons do what they’re meant to do.

Lifting up the carpets anywhere on the car reveals…no rust anywhere that we can see.

Like everything else with this car, the interior is there to serve a single purpose: to help you focus on winning the race.

It’s not there to look good or to cosset or pamper the driver.

Ironically, perhaps, that’s why it looks so good.

The undersides of the car are clean, tidy and well protected by various trays and covers. There are only a few spots of superficial rust dust here and there.

All visible components appear to have a great deal of structural integrity, as you might expect of a car that’s covered about 3700 miles in total.

Everything appears solid and in its right and proper place.

The 3.8 litre straight-six engine and engine bay are equally impressive and we have seen nothing of concern anywhere.

The car comes with big box of paperwork and bits and pieces, the highlights of which we have detailed in our photographic gallery.

You’ll find all manner of press cuttings and articles (some more relevant than others) and plenty of old MoT certificates. You’ll also find letters between the vendor and John Markey.

As with the C Type from the Swann Collection, what you won’t find are wads of bills, invoices and receipts.

The vendor did the basic servicing and maintenance work himself and the car has never required more than that.

The car doesn’t currently have an MoT certificate. Its last MoT test, taken on 20.6.15, was passed with no advisories.

The car’s 2006 MoT records the then mileage as being just under 3000 miles, which gives you some indication of how little the vehicle has been used in recent years.

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of this and other paperwork to support our claim that this car has been built and maintained to very high standards.

If you’d like to inspect the car prior to placing a bid – something we would encourage – then please use the Contact Seller button to arrange an appointment.

This car is a spine-tingling, pulse-quickening, adrenalin-pumping homage to a truly legendary Le Mans winning car.

It’s the nearest you could hope to get to experiencing the visceral thrill of a definitive 1950s racing car without having £10 million or more in the bank. We think this one will fetch between £95,000 - £135,000.

And with ‘continuation’ classics effectively consigning new toolroom replicas to the history books, it might be one of the few remaining D Type recreations within your grasp.

It’s a bit special.

It really is.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; we are open Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm, to arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.