THE first C-type Continuation has been finished by Jaguar Classic.
The strictly limited run is well underway at Jaguar’s Classic Works in Coventry, with the first car having finished shakedown testing and being prepared for delivery to an enthusiastic customer.
Each C-type Continuation undergoes at least 400km of physical testing by Jaguar Classic engineers, following a build process that requires 3 000 hours of intensive and highly skilled craft.
The first customer’s Continuation is finished in pastel green with suede-green leather seats.
It is inspired by the original Jaguar C-type, which won the 360km-long and 50-lap sports car race at the Reims Grand Prix Meeting on 29 June 1952.
This car was the first C-type fitted with disc brakes to win an international competition.
It was after driver Stirling Moss persuaded Jaguar to implement the pioneering technology it had in development.
The victory at Reims was a glimpse to the C-type’s dominance at the following year’s Le Mans 24 Hour race, and Jaguar’s continued supremacy in 1950s sports car racing.
Head of engineering at Jaguar Land Rover Classic, David Foster, said: “We have combined original drawings, modern CAD (computer-aided design) techniques and 3 000 hours of skill and attention to produce our first hand-built C-type, noting a historic landmark moment for Jaguar Classic.
“Our exclusive Continuation C-types feature the technical innovations and specifications of the ultimate 1953 Le Mans winning car, including the innovative Dunlop disc brake set-up that was victorious in Reims in 1952.
“Each C-type offers an authentic driving experience for customers starting even from the car’s distinctive starting procedure, that our team was determined to get exactly right,” Foster said.
Handcrafted at Jaguar Classic Works in Coventry, all C-type Continuation models will be built to the specification of the 1953 Works C-types.
The first version to be completed has undergone final shakedown testing and the team at Jaguar Classic cannot wait to deliver it to an excited customer.
