Ultra-rare and Famous 1955 Jaguar D-Type Sold for $7.6M at Auction

An extremely exclusive and valuable 1955 Jaguar D-Type was the star of the RM Sotheby’s auction in Arizona last Friday. It ended up selling for $6 million USD, or about $7.63 million CA at the current exchange rate.

Painted Red with an interior trimmed to match, it was one of a very small number of D-Types (perhaps as few as two or three examples) to be so finished when new.

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Renowned British race car driver Peter Blond became its first private owner in 1956, having purchased the car from former F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone, who had taken it on after the dealer failed to find a buyer. Blond soon put it to good use in club racing.

The D-Type had many other owners after that including Led Zeppelin manager Peter Grant. It crossed the Atlantic Ocean in 1982 after its purchase by American collector George Stauffer, then changed hands a few more times.

Painted British Racing Green at some point in its past, the car has since been returned to its factory Red. Inside the remarkably low-slung cockpit, the correct red interior upholstery found on the lap belt-equipped seats continues on the transmission tunnel. The two seats are a separated by a divider, a feature eliminated on the road cars.

Underneath the aerodynamically sculpted hood, fittingly secured by leather straps, sits the numbers-matching 3.4-litre engine which was rated at 245 horsepower when new. 

That 1955 Jaguar D-Type was one of 84 prestigious automobiles put up for bid by RM Sotheby’s in Arizona, 64 of which sold for a total of $31.3 million USD ($39.7 million CAD).

A 1937 Bugatti Type 57SC Tourer fetched $4.7 million USD ($6 million CAD). It was one of just eight bodied by Corsica and also one of two that featured four seats. A comprehensive restoration was completed in 2003 and the car has been faithfully maintained ever since.