Many consider the Jaguar E-Type to be the UK automaker’s signature classic model. They’re probably right, but there was one model that came before it that’s just as beautiful and even rarer. It’s the D-Type, built from 1954 till 1957, and it was engineered specifically to win Le Mans, which one did in 1956. The styling was a dramatic departure for Jaguar at the time, and was a revolution for the industry at large. Its driver’s tub has a monocoque construction made mainly of aluminum alloy. Instead of a conventional gas tank, the fuel was stored in the tail.
Styled by a guy named Malcolm Sayer whose previous work experience was designing airplanes, the aerodynamic influences are obvious throughout, allowing the car to reach a top speed of 172.8 mph. And now one of these ultra-rare beauties will hit the auction block next month at Pebble Beach. Powered by a 3.8-liter inline-six with three Weber carburetors, it also has a four-speed manual gearbox, an independent front suspension, live rear axle, and four wheel-disc brakes. It was fully restored in 2003. But here’s that moment of lunacy: it’s now estimated to sell for between $4 million to $5 million dollars.
