D-Type Jaguar’s triumphant era started off in the wake of tragedy. Its first major win was the 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans. The Jag was trailing when Pierre Levegh crashed his Mercedes into the spectator stands, killing 80 people. The Mercedes team immediately parked its remaining cars, including Juan Manuel Fangio’s (who was leading at the time), thereby ceding the win to Jaguar. From then on the Jag was nearly unstoppable, winning Le Mans again in 1956 and ’57. In the end it was a rules change, and not a competitor, that ended the D-Type’s dominance.
The car itself is a benchmark for sports racer beauty and innovation, making it a perfect subject for AUTOart’s 1:18 model. Beautiful detail on the 3.8L XK Inline-6 and aerodynamically sculpted body are highlights.
