2009-01-13 19:04:57 | Anonymous writes:

www.motorsportmemorial.org

Tony Dennis
Death date: 02.Apr.1956
Circuit: Goodwood
Race: Race 3, Sports +1500cc race
Vehicle brand/model: Jaguar D-Type #XKD510
Note:
Driving the Jaguar D-Type entered by Duncan Hamilton, Dennis crashed at the end of the Lavant Straight; the car rolled at Woodcote bend and caught fire, he died before arriving to hospital. The accident happened on the 13th lap of Race 3 for sportscar over 1500 cm3, of the Lavant Cup event, held on 1956 Easter Monday at Goodwood.

In a separate accident in the same meeting, during the race for "non-supercharged cars under 2000cc", was killed Bert Rogers, who rolled his car at Lavant Corner.

The wreckage of Tony Dennis' Jaguar was bought by Gerald Ashmore who rebuilt the car around a new monocoque - the damaged tub, after spending some time stored on the roof of Ashmore's garage, was later sold to Nigel Moores and built up with subframes taken from chassis number XKD606. After several changes of ownership, the XKD510 made its way to Singapore, where it was sold to Nam Kee Yong, one of the leading local drivers. Regrettably, Yong lost his life in a crash at the 1963 Johore Grand Prix, his first outing in the car.

2009-01-13 19:08:32 | Anonymous writes:

Nam Kee Yong
Death date: 02.Sep.1963
Circuit: Johore
Race: Johore Grand Prix
Vehicle brand/model: Jaguar D-Type #XKD510
Note:
Nam Kee Yong (Yong Nam Kee in Chinese) was from a wealthy Singaporean family which owned the Woh Hup building contractor company. He was born sometime before 1935, when Singapore was part of the Straits Settlements, a British colony that included Penang and Malacca, both of which are today parts of Malaysia. Because of his place of birth and heritage, Yong is called Singaporean.

In the late 1940s or early 1950s Nam Kee's father was shot in Singapore and he was sent to Penang to study at the Chung Ling High School. It was there that, riding a red Triumph Speed Twin S 5050 motorcycle, that he met Rodney Seow, who would become his racing team mate years later.

Affectionally called "Fatso", Yong returned to Singapore in 1952 and soon took up on motorcycle races in hillclimbs and sprints. Sometime after 1953 he began racing cars, competing in his first events with an Austin 100 special. In the early 1960s he would meet Seow - who returned to Singapore after studying in the United Kingdom - and the two had a successful association racing Volvos in touring car races. He would later upgrade to a Jaguar E-Type, winning several events with it, including the 1962 Malaysian Grand Prix.

In 1963 Yong drove a specially imported Jaguar D-Type from Cycle & Carriage, Co. in Singapore. That car, chassis number XKD510, had a long racing history, having been campaigned since 1956; it was at the wheel of this very machine that Tony Dennis would lose his life in 02 April of that year, when it rolled and caught fire at the end of the Lavant Straight during a sportscar race in Goodwood. The car was rebuilt around a new monocoque and, after several changes of ownership, finally made its way to Southeastern Asia.

Yong's first and only sortie with the dark green D-Type would be the Johore Grand Prix on 02 September of that year. Yong was one of the candidates to the final win and in fact alternated in the lead with Albert Poon several times. Sadly though, he had an accident at the seafront straight, in which the car broke in two and the front half went over a cliff to the beach below, killing him. Albert Poon ultimately won the race. Two weeks later the Federation of Malaya - in which Johor Bahru, the site of the race, was located -, would become Malaysia, a country uniting Malaya, Sarawak, Sabah and Singapore. Singapore would secede from Malaysia in April of 1965.

Note: Being born in Singapore when it was a part of a British colony within the Commonwealth, Yong was a British citizen and then automatically became citizen of the Federation of Malaya when this was formed in 1957.

Biography prepared with the kind help of Mr. Rodney Seow.

2009-04-13 18:32:30 | pauls writes:

This car is mentioned in the book "Jaguar D type & XKSS" by Graham Robson as having body H2010.

2009-04-13 21:01:59 | pauls writes:

Said to be originally delivered Aug 24, 1955 to Dick Walkins, UK.

2016-11-06 02:39:59 | pauls writes:

Published in Jaguar magazine 11/5/16:
www.jaguarmagazine.com/vale-ian-thomas-cummins-1938-2016/

It is with shock and enormous sadness that I write this news to reveal the sudden passing at home in Tasmania last night (November 5) of the legendary Ian 'Cummo' Cummins.

Ian collapsed during a family gathering to celebrate his and Judith's return home following a trip to the U.S. He died soon after.

We will publish a full tribute to the great man in our coming edition, but Ian was one of the most fascinating and nicest people in the Jaguar and collecting world. His curiosity and vast knowledge covered all things including model cars, antique guns, swords and convict memorabilia - all of which he was a world expert on.

Ian owned and restored C-Type XKC037 and D-Type XKD510, the latter which he owned on more than one occasion, the last being in partnership with his good friend Chris Haigh.

Ian also built a batch of around eleven perfect replica D-Types which were so very good that at least six are being raced around the world, or kept in collections, as genuine factory built cars. Ian vigorously enforced the fact his cars were replicas and even as late as last year identified an XK-SS at the Goodwood Festival of Speed as one of his.

Such was the regard for Ian that through his friendship with John 'Jumbo' Goddard, and his acumen, Ian befriended Tom Wheatcroft who appointed him as the manager of his world renowned racing car collection at Donington. Ian and Eola spent some years there and did a brilliant job of controlling operations until the lure of Australia and family call them back.

Ian owned too many cars to list including S.S. Jaguar 100s, an Austin Swallow, XK120s, E-Types, XJ-R X300, plus the legendary Alan Mann F3L sports racing car which was created to replace the GT40, and all sorts including a Bugatti which he purchased in the U.S. days before his passing.

2017-09-21 12:05:44 | terry mcgrath writes:

car is being auctioned in Melbourne by Mossgreen on the 14th or so of October

2017-10-04 16:57:06 | pauls writes:

Information from above auction:
www.mossgreen.com.au/m/lot-details/index/catalog/354/lot/133992/1955-JAGUAR-D-TY ...

Auction description:
The Motorclassica Auction(#158MG) 14/10/2017 6:00 PM AEDT
Lot 35 of 54: 1955 JAGUAR D-TYPE CHASSIS NUMBER XKD510
Estimate: $7,000,000 - $8,000,000
Ex-Duncan Hamilton, Gerry Ashmore, Bib Stillwell
Chassis No: XKD510
Engine No: E 2017-9
Body No: H 2010

Jaguar D-Type chassis number XKD 510 was dispatched in British Racing Green livery from the factory on 24th September 1955. The distributor was Henlys of London. It was first registered as YPC 614 in Surrey two days later. On January 10th 1956 it was sold by the racing driver and Jaguar dealer, John Coombs of Guildford to Dr Richard Wilkins of Bishops Stortford. Wilkins however quickly on-sold 510 to the 1953 Le Mans winner Duncan Hamilton with just 250 miles recorded. Born in Ireland in 1920, the charismatic Hamilton epitomised living life to the full. He spent the War in the Fleet Air Arm and as a racing car driver, despite his 'large build' had few peers when the track was wet. Noted for his appetites his autobiography Touch Wood published in 1960 is a classic of its kind. Hamilton retired from racing in 1959 after the death in a car crash of his close friend and F1 World Champion of that year, Mike Hawthorn.

On 11th March 1956 and on loan from Duncan Hamilton, who was also to participate with another of his D Types OKV1, XKD 510 was driven by Graham Whitehead at the Dakar Grand Prix in Senegal, acclaimed as the world's fastest circuit of that era. The race was ultimately won by 39-year-old Maurice Trintignant of France driving a Ferrari 857S. Whitehead with race number 49 finished in fifth position in XKD510. It was during this race that Duncan Hamilton stated in Touch Wood that XKD 510, sporting 17" wheels (and the tallest differential available), topped the 200 mph (320 km/h) mark. Half-brother to the more famous Peter Whitehead, it was Graham who was at the wheel when Peter was killed in another Jaguar when they crashed in the Tour de France at Lasalle.

Duncan Hamilton was to loan XKD 510 once again shortly after, but this time to an inexperienced friend. After a successful season in 1955, but racing Austin-Healeys, for the first race of the 1956 season Tony Dennis was at the wheel of Hamilton's XKD 510 when he crashed fatally by selecting first gear at high speed at the Goodwood Easter meeting in April 1956 in which there were five D-Types competing, including Hamilton driving his other car, in the Sports Car race for over 1500cc cars.

XKD 510 was then purchased by Gerald Ashmore of West Bromwich near Birmingham. According to MotorSport magazine Gerry Ashmore and his brother Chris, "were second generation British racing drivers - following in the footsteps of their father Joe and Uncle Fred."

Ashmore rebuilt the car using a factory original replacement monocoque and XKD 510 was now painted maroon. The recorded results for XKD 510 with Ashmore behind the wheel are as follows:

1957 - 28 September, SILVERSTONE - fifth.
1958 - 12 September, SILVERSTONE:- SUNBAC meeting, race 1, second: FORMULA LIBRE race, second.
1958 - 26 September, SILVERSTONE:- five-lap scratch race, first; FORMULA LIBRE race, did not finish.
1958 - 30 October, SILVERSTONE, not placed.
1959 - 27 March, SNETTERTON, third.
1959 - 25 April, BRANDS HATCH, race number 1, second.
1959 - 19 May, GOODWOOD, WHITSUN TROPHY, sixth.
1959 - 29 May, SILVERSTONE, team 1, fastest average speed.
1959 - 24 July, DUNBOYNE: Leinster Trophy, did not finish.
1959 - 26 July, SNETTERTON, fourth.
1959 - 2 August, SNETTERTON, third.
1959 - 7 August, SNETTERTON, third over 3000cc class.
1959 - 2 September, SNETTERTON, Vanwall Trophy, third.
1959 - 3 October, SILVERSTONE, raced but not placed.
1959 - RAGLEY HALL hill climbs

The Whitsun Trophy race of May 1959 was also notable for the fact that the 23-year-old Jim Clark who would become World Champion in 1963 and 1965, failed to finish in his Lister-Jaguar. Towards the end of 1959, Ashmore who would drive in four F1 Grands Prix in 1961 and 1962 had advertised the car for sale and in early 1960 it was sold to Neville Taylor of Sheffield. Taylor had 510 parts converted to road going XKSS specification though he continued to race the car as follows:

1960 - 27 March, SNETTERTON, 3rd over 3000cc class.
1960 - 24 June, OULTON PARK, sprint, second.
1960 - 2 September, OULTON PARK, sprint, second.
1961 - 1 July QUEENSFERRY, sprint, race number 1, best time of day.
1961 - 29 September, SNETTERTON, FORMULA LIBRE, first in class.
1961 - 20 October, CASTLE HOWARD, raced as XKSS.
1961 - December, OLIVERS MOUNT hill climb, second.
1962 - SHELSLEY WALSH hill climb, accident, did not finish.
1962 - September, OULTON PARK, five-hour team relay, Ashmore, fifth.

Now painted yellow, in August 1963, XKD 510 was sold to the Jaguar importers in Singapore. The Cycle & Carriage Company had begun life in Kuala Lumpur in 1899 before moving to its headquarters in 1926 in Singapore where it still flourishes today. Cycle & Carriage sold the car to Yong Nam Kee. From a wealthy Singaporean family, 'Fatso' Yong Nam Kee, in a Jaguar E-Type, was the winner of the inaugural Malaysia Grand Prix in 1962 run on the Thomson track in Singapore. During the Johor GP on 1st September 1963, Yong Nam Kee was killed when he was overtaking another car which moved across his path, causing him to crash on the 58th lap, whilst lying second to the eventual winner Albert Poon of Hong Kong.

The badly damaged XKD 510 was put into storage after being purchased by a local garage where it remained until 1967 when it was purchased by John Hallihan. Hallihan had it shipped to his native Australia. In 1975 it was sold to Ian Cummins also of Australia. Cummins, a famous collector and acknowledged Jaguar expert who passed away in 2016, was also at one point in his career manager of the Donington racing car collection. He rebuilt the car with Classic Autocraft. The front and rear sub-frames were still intact and using the original front bulkhead and driver's footbox area, the tub was re-skinned using XKD 526 as a pattern. XKD 510 is also confirmed as having its original bonnet, tail section, engine, gearbox, Dunlop knock-off alloy wheels drilled for lightness and brake cooling, steering and suspension, together with many other original parts including the rare original Plessey pump.

The rebuild was completed in 1981 and in 1982 sold at auction for a then world record price to Australian Formula 1 Gold Star Champion of 1962, '63, '64 and '65, Bib Stilwell. Stilwell who was also Formula Two Champion in 1965 and Sports Car Champion in 1961 and 1962, had been the first owner of Jaguar D-Type XKD 520. His business interests had later taken him to the USA as President of Gates Learjet Corporation where he raced XKD 510 with great success in historic events at Laguna Seca, Detroit, Road America, Elkhart Lake and others.

According to the Jaguar Journal, in 1987 the car was sold to Bob Baker of Nebraska and then sold again to Victor Gauntlett in the UK who in 1984 had taken ownership of Aston Martin. In 1988 Ian Cummins re-purchased XKD 510 and it returned to Australia. Cummins in turn later sold a half share to his friend Chris Haigh (who later, and for many years, would also own David McKay's Jaguar Mk 1 competition saloon, 'Grey Pussy'). XKD 510 would appear in many historic events including the 1996 Le Mans factory 40th Anniversary retrospective gathering of 28 D-Types assembled from around the world, travelling by road once again "from Coventry to Le Mans".

In 1997 XKD 510 was purchased by internationally acclaimed Big Band Maestro, Warren Daly OAM of Sydney. Daly continued to feature the road-registered D-Type in historic events including at the Australian Grand Prix (1998, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011), Classic Adelaide Rally, Speed on Tweed (2005, 2008) Golden Era (GEAR) race meetings Wakefield Park, Tasman Revival and Super Sprints at Eastern Creek etc. During the Jaguar 2000 Australia Celebrations XKD 510 was the icon car and featured at the Sydney Motor Show that same year as well. It also headlined at the 38th National Jaguar Rally in Adelaide in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the legendary 1957 Le Mans victory.

With a subsequent ownership change, XKD 510 has been based in the UK, featuring prominently on display at the famous Donington Motor Museum before now returning to Australia, where all import duties have been paid in full.

This exquisite piece of machinery is accompanied by a comprehensive written and photographic report (available on request) by Chris Keith Lucas of CKL Developments, one of the world's foremost authorities on sports and racing cars of the 1950s and '60s and in particular Jaguar D Types. In this report it states, "In conclusion, I can say that XKD 510 is in fact a car with a remarkable and continuous history. It is nicely restored. In good condition and retains to this day some original material many other well-thought-of cars lost a long time ago!"

2017-10-14 07:59:27 | bob writes:

I was working for Customs in Tasmania in 1975 and believe I inspected and cleared one of these cars - pretty sure it was an XK - it was definitely green and had the XK type fin at the back. Not sure where it came from now but think it may have been the UK. Is anyone aware of this car in Tasmania or elsewhere ?

2017-10-15 15:07:21 | pauls writes:

Motorclassica Auction Lot closed - unsold Estimate: $7,000,000 - $8,000,000 bidding reached AUD$5.5m but that didn't reach the reserve.

2018-12-06 13:11:53 | pauls writes:

Car now offered at:

ckl.co.uk/sales/1955-jaguar-d-type-xkd510/

Seller's description:

1955 JAGUAR D-TYPE CHASSIS NUMBER XKD510

Ex-Duncan Hamilton, Gerry Ashmore, Bib Stillwell

Chassis No: XKD510

Engine No: E 2017-9

The Jaguar D Type, long considered the most beautiful and iconic sports racing car ever built, was developed for and specifically to win the most prestigious of motor racing events of the day – Le Mans 24 Hours.

Jaguar founder and chairman, Sir William Lyons, knew only too well that sales of his beloved Jaguars would benefit exponentially were it to establish supremacy at this world-famous circuit.

Despite winning the 1953 Le Mans 24 Hour race with Duncan Hamilton and Tony Rolt driving a C-Type and leading home Jaguars to three of the top four places, it had become evident that further development was needed if Jaguar were to stay in front of the pack.

Therefore, in 1954 the D-Type was unveiled.

Jaguar D-Type chassis number XKD 510 was dispatched in British Racing Green livery from the factory on 24th September 1955. The distributor was Henlys of London. It was first registered as YPC 614 in Surrey two days later. On January 10th 1956 it was sold by the racing driver and Jaguar dealer, John Coombs of Guildford to Dr Richard Wilkins of Bishops Stortford. Wilkins however quickly on-sold 510 to the 1953 Le Mans winner Duncan Hamilton with just 250 miles recorded. Born in Ireland in 1920, the charismatic Hamilton epitomised living life to the full. He spent the War in the Fleet Air Arm and as a racing car driver, despite his ‘large build’ had few peers when the track was wet. Noted for his appetites his autobiography Touch Wood published in 1960 is a classic of its kind. Hamilton retired from racing in 1959 after the death in a car crash of his close friend and F1 World Champion of that year, Mike Hawthorn.

On 11th March 1956 and on loan from Duncan Hamilton, who was also to participate with another of his D Types OKV1, XKD 510 was driven by Graham Whitehead at the Dakar Grand Prix in Senegal, acclaimed as the world’s fastest circuit of that era. The race was ultimately won by 39-year-old Maurice Trintignant of France driving a Ferrari 857S. Whitehead with race number 49 finished in fifth position in XKD 510. It was during this race that Duncan Hamilton stated in Touch Wood that XKD 510, sporting 17” wheels (and the tallest differential available), topped the 200 mph (320 km/h) mark. Half-brother to the more famous Peter Whitehead, it was Graham who was at the wheel when Peter was killed in another Jaguar when they crashed in the Tour de France at Lasalle. Duncan Hamilton was to loan XKD 510 once again shortly after, but this time to an inexperienced friend.

After a successful season in 1955, but racing Austin-Healeys, for the first race of the 1956 season Tony Dennis was at the wheel of Hamilton’s XKD 510 when he crashed fatally by selecting first gear at high speed at the Goodwood Easter meeting in April 1956 in which there were five D-Types competing, including Hamilton driving his other car, in the Sports Car race for over 1500cc cars.

XKD 510 was then purchased by Gerald Ashmore of West Bromwich near Birmingham. According to MotorSport magazine Gerry Ashmore and his brother Chris, “were second generation British racing drivers – following in the footsteps of their father Joe and Uncle Fred.”

Now painted yellow, in August 1963, XKD 510 was sold to the Jaguar importers in Singapore. The Cycle & Carriage Company had begun life in Kuala Lumpur in 1899 before moving to its headquarters in 1926 in Singapore where it still flourishes today. Cycle & Carriage sold the car to Yong Nam Kee. From a wealthy Singaporean family, ‘Fatso’ Yong Nam Kee, in a Jaguar E-Type, was the winner of the inaugural Malaysia Grand Prix in 1962 run on the Thomson track in Singapore. During the Johor GP on 1st September 1963, Yong Nam Kee was killed when he was overtaking another car which moved across his path, causing him to crash on the 58th lap, whilst lying second to the eventual winner Albert Poon of Hong Kong.

The damaged XKD 510 was put into storage after being purchased by a local garage where it remained until 1967 when it was purchased by John Hallihan. Hallihan had it shipped to his native Australia. In 1975 it was sold to Ian Cummins also of Australia. Cummins, a famous collector and acknowledged Jaguar expert who passed away in 2016, was also at one point in his career manager of the Donington racing car collection. He rebuilt the car with Classic Autocraft. The front and rear sub-frames were still intact and using the original front bulkhead and driver’s footbox area, the tub was re-skinned using XKD 526 as a pattern. XKD 510 is also confirmed as having its original bonnet, tail section, engine, gearbox, Dunlop knock-off alloy wheels drilled for lightness and brake cooling, steering and suspension, together with many other original parts including the rare original Plessey pump.

The rebuild was completed in 1981 and in 1982 sold at auction for a then world record price to Australian Formula 1 Gold Star Champion of 1962, ‘63, ‘64 and ‘65, Bib Stilwell. Stilwell who was also Formula Two Champion in 1965 and Sports Car Champion in 1961 and 1962, had been the first owner of Jaguar D-Type XKD 520. His business interests had later taken him to the USA as President of Gates Learjet Corporation where he raced XKD 510 with great success in historic events at Laguna Seca, Detroit, Road America, Elkhart Lake and others.

According to the Jaguar Journal, in 1987 the car was sold to Bob Baker of Nebraska and then sold again to Victor Gauntlett in the UK who in 1984 had taken ownership of Aston Martin. In 1988 Ian Cummins, re-purchased XKD 510 and it returned to Australia. Cummins in turn later sold a half share to his friend Chris

Haigh (who later, and for many years, would also own David McKay’s Jaguar Mk 1 competition saloon, ‘Grey Pussy’). XKD 510 would appear in many historic events including the 1996 Le Mans factory 40th Anniversary retrospective gathering of 28 D-Types assembled from around the world, travelling by road once again “from Coventry to Le Mans”.

In 1997 XKD 510 was purchased by internationally acclaimed Big Band Maestro, Warren Daly OAM of Sydney. Daly continued to feature the road-registered D-Type in historic events including at the Australian Grand Prix (1998, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011), Classic Adelaide Rally, Speed on Tweed (2005, 2008) Golden Era (GEAR) race meetings Wakefield Park, Tasman Revival and Super Sprints at Eastern Creek etc. During the Jaguar 2000 Australia Celebrations XKD 510 was the icon car and featured at the Sydney Motor Show that same year as well. It also headlined at the 38th National Jaguar Rally in Adelaide in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the legendary 1957 Le Mans victory.

XKD 510 has more recently been based in the UK, featuring prominently on display at the famous Donington Motor Museum before returning to Australia once again.

This exquisite piece of machinery is accompanied by a comprehensive written and photographic report by Chris Keith Lucas of CKL Developments, one of the world’s foremost authorities on sports and racing cars of the 1950s and ‘60s and in particular Jaguar D Types. In this report it states, “In conclusion, I can say that XKD 510 is in fact a car with a remarkable and continuous history. It is nicely restored. In good condition and retains to this day some original material many other well-thought-of cars lost a long time ago!”