2008-10-15 04:37:15 | Lofty writes:

Works lightweight, 1953 LeMans, driven by Whitehead & Stewart to 4th place.

2015-07-27 23:40:33 | pauls writes:

Car to be at auction 8/15
www.rmsothebys.com/mo15/monterey/lots/1953-jaguar-c-type-works-lightweight/10761 ...

Auction description:
Monterey
13-15 August 2015
Lot 235
1953 Jaguar C-Type Works Lightweight
To be auctioned on Friday, August 14, 2015
$9,000,000 - $12,000,000

Chassis no. XKC 052
Engine no. E 1055-9


Finished 4th overall at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1953
The second of only three Works Lightweights
One of the final C-Types built; the rarest of the racing Jaguars
Campaigned to multiple wins by Ecurie Ecosse in 1954
Driven by the who's who of Jaguar racing fame
Expertly restored to 1953 Le Mans specifications
Extremely well documented; available for the first time in 15 years
A truly once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to acquire one of the most important Jaguars ever

Chassis XKC 052 is the second of those three lightweight Works examples that were prepared specifically for the 1953 running of Le Mans. These cars constituted the final examples of the mighty C-Type (a last development car wore a D-Type-style body) and featured a number of upgrades over the prior examples. Improvements included new thin-gauge aluminum coachwork, more powerful Weber carburetors, a fully synchronized gearbox and triple-plate clutch, an additional upper link to the rear axle, and a rubber aircraft fuel bladder, amongst other lighter, weight-saving components. Most importantly, the three cars were the only lightweight C-Types built by the factory and were the first disc-brake-equipped entrants to ever run Le Mans, being the only cars so outfitted among the 1953 field. This distinction proved to be quite significant in the race's outcome.

On February 12, 1953, chassis number XKC 052 was tested by Norman Dewis in preparation for the upcoming race. Wearing #19, the C-Type was entered with its two sister cars (XKC 051 and XKC 053) during the Le Mans weekend of June 13, 1953, piloted by Peter Whitehead and Ian Stewart. As the sun set on the first day of competition, Jaguar, Ferrari, and Alfa Romeo appeared to be the teams to beat. The Jaguar drivers soldiered on through the night, certainly battered but not to be defeated. With the rigors of endurance racing taking their toll, only one of the three Ferraris remained by daybreak, while all three Alfas retired early.

The C-Types, essentially unmatchable through the curves with their low weight and disc brakes, continued to set the race-leading pace, with 051 and 053 in 1st and 2nd place, respectively, and 052 only a few laps behind in 4th. The Jaguars continued to run strong, fighting through the fatigue and exhaustion, and by the 24th hour, this order remained, with Briggs Cunningham's C5-R preserving 3rd place to stave off a 1-2-3 sweep by the Coventry team. With Ian Stewart concluding driving duties at the end of the grueling 24 hours, XKC 052 completed 297 laps with an average speed of almost 167 km/h.

Following this smashing success, XKC 052 continued its factory competition campaign, with appearances at Silverstone and Goodwood, but mechanical issues resulted in two DNFs. By the end of the 1953 season, Coventry was beginning development of its next sports-racing model (soon to be known as the D-Type) for the following year's Le Mans, as the company was far more interested in competing at Sarthe than other venues or series. Consequently, in November 1953, chassis number 052 was prepared for private sale with a rebuild to Le Mans specifications and was sold to the famed Ecurie Ecosse.

On December 12, 1953, the Scotland-based scuderia registered the Jaguar with tags reading LFS 672. Painted the Ecurie's signature color of Flag Metallic Blue, XKC 052 was mostly driven by Jimmy Stewart, older brother of famed Jackie, through May 1954, finishing 1st three times at Goodwood and once at National Ibsley. In early June, future Le Mans winner Roy Salvadori took over for Stewart, winning two events at Snetterton on June 5 before Stewart returned to finish 1st at Goodwood two days later. Ninian Sanderson then became the car's principal driver for the next month, taking 2nd place at National Oulton Park on June 12 and at the National Charterhall race on July 11. Salvadori claimed another checkered flag at National Charterhall on September 4, following it up with a 2nd place finish at the Penya-Rhin Grand Prix on October 10. In total, XKC 052 netted Ecurie Ecosse eight victories during 1954, with four 2nd place finishes, four 3rd place finishes, and three 4th place finishes, which is a remarkable overall record for a single season.

In the October 22, 1954, issue of Autosport magazine, the Ecurie Ecosse advertised all three of its 1954 team cars for sale, and XKC 052 was soon thereafter purchased by well-known privateer Peter Blond. Repainting the C-Type green, Mr. Blond used the car for club racing throughout 1956, finishing 2nd at Goodwood in March 1955 and 5th at the Spa Grand Prix in May, with Hans Davids at the wheel. Three 4th place finishes at the Goodwood International, BARC Goodwood, and the Crystal Palace International rounded out the 1955 season. The following March, Mr. Blond improved upon his BARC performance with a 3rd place finish at the Goodwood event.

By mid-April 1956, XKC 052 passed to Maurice Charles, who continued the car's racing endeavors with appearances at Goodwood and the Aintree 100 and a 5th place finish at Brands Hatch on August 6. Mr. Charles offered the car for sale in October, and it was soon after purchased by Jim Robinson, of Northampton, who ran the car twice at the Evesham sprints, finishing as high as 2nd in class. The owner advertised the car twice in Autosport during 1957, eventually selling the C-Type to Alan Ensoll later that year.

Mr. Ensoll somewhat renewed the car's competition relevance with some stronger driving in various hill climbs and sprints, taking 3rd place at Charterhall in May 1958 and 1st in class at Barbon Hill and Yorkshire. Second place finishes were achieved at Charterhall and Catterick Camp, with an all-out victory earned at the Castlewick Hill Climb in June.

In September 1958, Mr. Ensoll sold the Jaguar to Tom Candlish, and it remained competitive with a 4th place result at Charterhall and 1st overall finishes at the Rest-and-Be-Thankful Hill Climb Championship and the unlimited GT race at Charterhall in July 1959. During an outing around this time, XKC 052 was involved in a moderate accident, and in late 1959, the important race car was sold to Ian Denney, who completely restored it, including a new lightweight body. After passing in 1969 to Brian Classic, the car was acquired in 1970 by Paul Grist, who cosmetically returned it to its former Ecurie Ecosse livery.

In 1971, the C-Type found a more permanent home when it was purchased by the esteemed Martin Morris, one of Britain's more astute collectors of the period. The car remained in the Morris family's purview for over 30 years, finally reaching the status of rare collectible. In one of the C-Type's final period outings, Stephen Curtis ran it at the Le Mans 50th Anniversary event on June 9, 1973, finishing a commendable 11th place.

In 1986, Mr. Morris commissioned a comprehensive two-year restoration of XKC 052 that was publicly enjoyed a few years later with the car's participation in the Jaguar factory's Cavalcades to Le Mans in 1991 and 1993. In 2000, Morris's son assumed control of the C-Type's care, and he soon sold the car into American ownership for the first time in its existence. XKC 052 was purchased then by the consignor, one of the world's foremost collectors of important vintage sports cars and a regular exhibitor at premium concours d'elegance, including Pebble Beach.

The consignor's first order of business was a proper renewal to 1953 Le Mans specifications, which he entrusted to John Pearson, of the United Kingdom. The C-Type was completely mechanically refreshed and mounted with new, completely accurate, lightweight thin-gauge aluminum coachwork built by RS Panels to the factory-correct thickness. This is typical of these types of race cars, as they saw a great number of years of competition; the lightweight aluminum bodies were never intended to outlast their racing careers. The body was finished in the Ecurie Ecosse livery, with a fresh coat of the famous blue paint and decorated with #19 roundels. The 1959 replacement body has been retained for the car's overall historical record and completeness.

Following the completion of Mr. Pearson's exacting work, the consignor began to enjoy the Jaguar on various rallies and tours, starting with the factory's C-Type Cavalcade to Le Mans in June 2001. XKC 052 was also featured on the cover of the December 2001 issue of Classic Jaguar World magazine. In August 2002, the car was exhibited at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance as a display-only, non-judged entry; while in April 2005, it participated in the California Mille. Four months later, the C-Type drove the prestigious Quail Rally, staged in conjunction with the Quail Motorsports Gathering in Carmel Valley, California. Furthermore, XKC 052 is eligible for just about any of the most prestigious and exciting events the world over.

Enjoying climate-controlled storage and regular maintenance and attention as needed ever since, XKC 052 has benefited from a pampered life over the last 15 years and still displays the beautiful quality of Mr. Pearson's restoration.

Now publicly available for the first time in many years, this historically significant C-Type is one of those rare sports-racing cars that truly embodies a crowning acquisition. It is a very significant component of Jaguar's storied racing history and remains one of the rarest and most significant race cars of that period, let alone one of the most timelessly beautiful sports cars ever designed. The apogee of the C-Type's technical development, this highly desirable Works Lightweight would make a spectacular addition to the most pedigreed collections, being enjoyed for its brisk performance in vintage rallies throughout the world. XKC 052 also promises acclaim at the world's finest concours, offering future ownership a singular and impressive landmark in the Coventry legend.

2015-08-15 09:41:27 | Fritz writes:

13.200.000 incl. premium of 1.200.000 ! Could you believe it ?
XKC-042 was sold for 4.558.000 in December 2013. Two years earlier
a C-Type was between 1.800.000 and 2.300.000

www.rmsothebys.com/mo15/monterey/lots/1953-jaguar-c-type-works-lightweight/10761 ...

2015-10-17 16:09:11 | pauls writes:

Lot 235
$13,200,000
1953 Jaguar C-Type Works Lightweight
Chassis no. XKC 052
Engine no. E 1055-9

A new record for any Jaguar....

2016-01-16 01:59:11 | terry mcgrath writes:

XKC052 If I had just paid $13,200,000.00 USD for a C type I would be very keen to find out the chassis number stamped under the top one! if you look carefully at the photo you will notice hammer marks around the 3 numbers and quite clearly a ZERO up much higher than the top stamping and the last digit looks like a SIX it looks like 046 ???
Has anyone seen this stamping first hand?

2016-01-18 23:43:51 | terry mcgrath writes:

Having looked at the photo more carefully I have gone off the idea of it being a 4 one C type owner suggested a "one" which I am in agreement with and also suggested the last character looks like a "two" leaving it as: 012

2017-08-14 23:22:09 | Alan E. Hames C.Eng.,MICE, MCIHT writes:

After Jim Robinson bought the car and enjoyed it for about a year, he decided that it was time to move it on and as the record above shows he twice advertised the 'C' in 'Autosport'. The first advert attracted no attention or offers and so he advertised a second time and managed to find a buyer. He then accepted the magnificent sum of £950 for this historic car and many tears later, after the restoration locally by John Pearson, he was invited to once again have a trial run in his old car, that by then was worth well in excess of the £950 that he accepted years before. The cutting from 'Autosport' back in 1957 asking for offers, has long adorned the display cabinet on the garage showroom wall owned by my brother and Peter Robinson who is Jim's son. We also have the picture after the restoration of Jim sat in the "C" Type, before it departed to the new owner in America. Picture available on request.

2019-11-13 20:59:49 | terry mcgrath writes:

car appears to be in west palm beach florida