Historic Jaguar D-Type driven by motorsport royalty tipped to sell for incredible £11million
This classic race car has been driven by one of Britain's most famed drivers. But it has also seen a tragic past
A CLASSIC Jaguar driven by a host of motorsport legends has emerged for sale for a whopping £11million.
The 1954 D-Type was once driven by International Motorsports Hall of Famer Sir Sterling Moss and English racer Peter Walker at the Le Mans 24-hour race in the same year.
The third of just six models from the Jaguar Works team at the time, the motor led for a significant portion of the race with Moss and Walker at the wheel.
But despite being named the hot favourites to take out the Le Mans title, the D-Type incurred a fault in its brake system, costing the team the victory.
But before its mechanical mishap, the sleek sports car managed to set a then record speed of 172.97mph.
The 3.4L motor continued to race for the Jaguar team throughout the 1954 season before it passed through several owners who also raced it.
Unfortunately, British mechanic Alistair Smith was killed in the car during a low-speed crash in Canada in 1963, which led to the D-type being placed into storage for the next 17 years.
The Jag passed through another two owners before it was sent to sell with RM Sotheby's Auctioneers.
The two-seater car has British racing green bodywork with matching interior, and remains in superb condition.
The sleek open-top has its racing number 12 painted on the left hand door and at the rear, along with a large rear fin designed to take in air for the engine which sits at the front.
The classic racing look is completed by a list of the drivers to have driven the car painted on the driver's side door.
A spokesman for the auctioneers, said: "This is the third of just six Works D-Types to come out of Jaguar's Coventry factory in 1954, and was piloted by none other than Sir Stirling Moss and Peter Walker.
"The car led the race and set a new speed record of 172.97mph before retiring with brake problems just after midnight.
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"All told, it was one of the most actively raced D-Types of the 1950s and was driven at one point or another by some of the most hallowed names in racing.
"It pushed not only Jaguar, but also their competitors, to the very limit of racing - it is the veritable cornerstone of Jaguar's racing history."
The Jaguar will go under the hammer with RM Sotheby on January 18.