Jaguar’s classics department has announced that it will make eight more of the curvaceous C-Type that was originally produced from 1951 to 1953.
The follow-on cars, scheduled to converge on a special track day in 2022 to celebrate 70 years since the original launch, will be the fourth of their kind for the company based in Coventry, England. Jaguar started to develop Jaguar Lightweight E-Type e Jaguar XKSS continuation cars already in 2014; in 2018, started building Type D continuations.
Jaguar is far from the only company to profit from the continuation business model, which grants new supercar and hyper-limited cars to well-heeled fans of the brand. In 2018, Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings Plc announced that it would make 19 new sequels to its classic DB4 Zagato GT from the 1960s and 25 continuations of his Famous DB5s of Gold Finger. In 2019, Porsche brought back a single 993 – some would say the “continued” – to help launch a new series of Porsche 911 Turbos. The original 993 line was discontinued in 1998.
The iconic Jaguar C-type won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1951 and 1953.
Source: Jaguar
The (Re) Birth of the Legend
Simply put, a continuation car is a vehicle discontinued from production and then produced again by the original automaker, usually in extremely petty quantities. Continuation cars are not restorations or replicas; they are built new following the original standards and engineering plan. (Some contain modern components, however.) As for numbering – the real fundamental when it comes to enhancing these rarefied machines – each type C continuation will receive an entirely new chassis number and unique characters to show that it was built in 2021, rather than following the vintage sequence.
The success of the continuation as a business model remains undisputed, although Jaguar and Aston Martin consistently decline to specify revenue or profit margins. At the time of the launch of the D-Type, Tim Hannig, the director of the Jaguar Land Rover Classic, said that the sequels are not extremely profitable, but “bring money to the company”.
Eight Type C continuation cars will be built ahead of a race-inspired celebration event for owners in 2022.
Source: Jaguar
The fully authentic and disc brake equipped C-Type will be built by Jaguar Classic specialists at the Jaguar Land Rover Classic Works facility in Coventry, England.
Source: Jaguar
Virtually every continuation series offered by Aston Martin and Jaguar sold out before its official announcement – even when prices can range from six digits to more than $ 2 million.
The consensus among collectors of the originals seems to be that the continuation pieces do not deviate their value to one side or the other. Jaguar has earned a reputation for careful and accurate continuations in extremely low batches, which helps to preserve the value of the originals. (Of the 53 Jaguar C-type sports cars built in the 1950s, 43 were sold to private owners.)
A new online configurator allows potential customers and enthusiasts to specify their perfect C-type virtually.
Source: Jaguar
“There was a lot of concern when we made the first lightweight E-Type [in 2014]- which can deteriorate values - but the opposite happened, ” Hannig said. “Suddenly, people started talking about these cars. Promoted the car in its own right. It allows us to communicate in a different way about the past and show what we have as heritage. “
A strong history
Originally produced from 1951 to 1953, the C-Type gained renown for its cartoon-shaped body, designed by artist Malcolm Sayer. The car won the prestigious Le Mans 24 Hours race on its debut in 1951, marking the first of seven definitive wins for Jaguar in that series. The vehicle carried pioneering disc brake technology in a revolutionary system developed by Jaguar and Dunlop. In 1952, the famous driver Stirling Moss won the Reims Grand Prix in France using the same system. Type C won the 24 Hours of Le Mans again in 1953.
Tony Rolt and Duncan Hamilton’s No. 18 Jaguar C-Type wins the 1953 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Source: JDHT
Each example of an upcoming C-Type will reflect the specifications of the winning Le Mans car in 1953, including a 3.4-liter inline 220 hp engine and six with triple Weber 40DCO3 carburetors and disc brakes. Additional options include an FIA-approved harness type seat belt, as Type C continuations will be eligible for – and expected – historic race and track days.
The best news: some Type C sequels are available for sale, according to a Jaguar spokesman. (They are usually sold out even before their public announcement.) The online configuration tool allows potential buyers to compare the color options and finishes of 12 exterior colors and eight available interior colors, as well as apply optional racing roundels, steering wheel emblem and hood emblems. The price is expected to start at around $ 1.3 million.
Jaguar’s Type C racing team is ahead of the start of the 1953 Le Mans 24 Hours, with Stirling Moss at No. 17. Moss would finish second overall with Peter Walker.
Source: JDHT