2009-04-14 17:58:19 | pauls writes:

According to "Jaguar D Type & XKSS" by Graham Robson car was dispatched Oct. 13, 1955. Exported to Australia.

2010-03-02 07:45:19 | Tom writes:

Car information found here: www.jagqld.org.au/Bulletin/bill_pitt.htm

2010-03-02 07:46:31 | Tom writes:

D-Type XKD526

The major decision for Bill and Charlie Swinburn in 1955 though, was whether or not to take up the offer from Cyril Anderson to become partners in the ownership of a brand new D-Type Jaguar. In Melbourne, Bib Stillwell, who had raced XK120's and was a Jaguar dealer, had placed an order for one through Jack Bryson. After a long and careful deliberation, Bill remembers he and Charlie parted with 2,000 pounds each for the car. As it turned out, Charlie never drove the D-Type, and Geordie did only briefly: so virtually all of the competition was done by Bill.

He recalls that there was friendly rivalry between he and Stillwell, and they would stay at each other's homes and house each other's cars when interstate.

Bill rolled the D-Type (XKD526) on the first outing. That was in Melbourne at the 1956 Olympic Games meeting at the very fast Albert Park Circuit. The 'greats', including Stirling Moss, Jean Behra and Ken Wharton, were out from Europe with their latest machinery. (The circuit today is vastly different than it was in 1956. No run-off areas, no safety barriers, no smooth curbing. Plenty of period hay bales. It was a tree lined public road that went around the lake with parts of the road having bluestone curbing . The current F1 circuit now runs on the opposite direction than it did then.)

However, for Bill Pitt the competition was most fierce against Bib Stillwell, and in that near fatal race, Stillwell got the jump at the start and lead Bill into the fast, first left-hand corner. He recalls how he closed quickly under braking into Melford Corner before realising he had gone into it far too fast. The car was still under control, and as he continued the power slide and concentrated on the short burst into the next corner, suddenly it was all over before he knew what had happened. As the D-Type slid wide, and the power was applied, the back wheel touched the stone curbing and at those speeds the car simply twisted into the air and slammed down on its back.

As the beautiful green D-Type lay upside down the scattered hay bales caught fire and quickly spread to the car. The marshals were convinced that the driver was squashed under the car, but couldn't right the car till the fire was out. When that was done, and the car was back on its wheels, they were shocked to find the cockpit empty. Bill had been thrown out while the car was in mid air, and in a state of shock, and worry about Jack Brabham's Cooper which was following, he jumped a six foot wall of hay bales before anyone had seen.

The damaged D-Type was returned to Brisbane for a rebuild which was completed in time to return to Melbourne for a meeting in February the following year, this time painted bronze (only for a short while).

Photos: Ian Richardson

The D-Type was sold in 1959 to Leaton Motors for Frank Matich to drive, and shortly after was fitted with an aluminium hardtop for GT racing. This is the only time a roof is known to have been fitted to a D-Type. Today it is one of the very best D-Types in the world, and is now owned by Kieth Berryman, The car was restored back to original specifications in Sydney at Steve Sulis' Classic Autocraft alongside Ian Cummins' D-Type XKD510 (now owned by Warren Daly).

PHOTO
Keith Berryman (and family) with XKD526 at the 1988 Gold Coast Jaguar Rally, together with the excellent replica built by Classic Autocraft for Don Biggar (now owned by Frank Moore)

2011-08-19 15:16:35 | pauls writes:

The car is reported to be still in the hands of the Berrymans in the August 2011 issue of "The E-Type" magazine, pg. 20, which also contains a photo of the car in BRG.

2013-10-01 07:36:08 | pauls writes:

Confirmed as of Sept. 2013, Keith Berryman still owner.

2015-11-11 10:42:28 | Bruno Dugauquier writes:

XKD526 was seen at the last Goodwood Revival (September, 2015) with the plate '12 RW' Ext Color : Green

2016-05-07 19:18:03 | Anonymous writes:

I saw 12 RW in Oxfordshire today.

2016-11-19 18:44:31 | Anonymous writes:

car for sale Here @ will stone : www.willstonecars.com/jaguar-d-type-1955.html

2017-03-26 04:29:12 | pauls writes:

Above sellers description:
XKD 526 was the first D-type to enter Australia and was supplied to the Anderson company. They were the Jaguar agents for Brisbane and the owners were the husband and wife team of Cyril and Doris 'Geordie' Anderson. Ownership was also shared with Bill Pitt who became the regular and very successful pilot of 526 though Geordie was quick to set her own records first!

In January 1956 at Strathpine, she was timed at 120 mph over the flying quarter mile, still in third gear apparently... Not content with that she tried the following month at Leyburn sprints and achieved a new state record of 135.2 mph over the quarter mile.

Pitt, eager to see some competition himself continued to race frequently and successfully throughout the rest of the year including finishing 2nd to Stan Jones (father of F1 champion Alan) in a Grand Prix Maserati 250F at Bathurst. He also notched up impressive results at Lowood and Albert Park. In December 1956 Pitt rolled 526 whilst competing in the Argus Cup at Albert Park. A very fast circuit which in period ran counter-clockwise. Fortunately, Pitt was unhurt and the car was repaired and competing again from February '57 onwards maintaining strong results.

In order to stay competitive, parts were supplied by the factory in June 1959 to update 526 to 3.8 Litre specification. In late '59 the D was sold to Leaton Motors, New South Wales who repainted it yellow with a black stripe. Interestingly at this time Leaton Motors also ran a C-Type in the same livery. Frank Matich and Doug Chivas continued to campaign 526 into the early 60's. At this point which is a great testament to the incredible enduring competitiveness and appeal of the D-type an aluminium fastback hard top (still with the car today) was fitted in order for 526 to run in the GT classification. Matich won at Warwick Farm in July in the Australian GT Championship and again at the New South Wales Championship later that year.

With continued racing exploits throughout the Sixties, the previous owner who acquired the car in 1967 removed and stored the hardtop and ultimately gave 526 a well earned rest from racing before subsequently restoring the car with the highly respected outfit, Classic Autocraft. Following the completion of the works in 1982 the D type rightly assumed a more leisurely lifestyle and sometimes prior to the Grand Prix visiting racing luminaries were granted an audience with 526.

Upon the present owners acquisition of 526 and the return of the car to the UK, it was entrusted to the pre-eminent Jaguar racing specialists CKL Developments in conjunction with Gelscoe Motorsport to sympathetically further restore and refurbish what was needed to bring the car up to the very high standard that it enjoys today. Raced at this years Revival meeting at Goodwood, eligible of course for so much more, the D will always have a seat at the top table in the pantheon of Fifties sports racing cars. The most attractive and evocative period before function irreversibly began to edge out form.

2017-08-07 10:52:04 | will writes:

I am happy for you to use my pictures of the car, the sale of which I have been representing. Whilst much of the information written about the car is probably true I wanted to clarify some points regarding its history.

It was not an easy life for most Fifties Sports Racers and unsurprisingly XKD 526 was by no means alone in suffering the odd bump! When Pitt rolled 526 at Albert Park the book says that the scattered hay bales quickly caught fire and quickly spread to the car. In the picture of it, back on its wheels with damage commensurate with a roll (still resembling a D!) there is no visible fire damage. Furthermore, it was repaired and racing again within a few months.

Following its retirement from proper racing it was the subject of a very thorough and well intended restoration by well regarded Jaguar specialists Classic Autocraft in Sydney. It is true that they fitted a 'new' front frame though importantly the original one was retained. When the present owner bought the car to the UK in 2014 he quite rightly had CKL re-install the original frame into the car. This work was of course documented and photographed for posterity.

2018-02-20 16:38:36 | Larry Killip writes:

In the pictures above uploaded March 2010 my twin boys are the passengers shown. My family was at the Gold Coast Jaguar Rally in 1988 and were given a lift from Jupiters Casino to the park nearby where the cars were displayed to the public. My boys got the D-type to travel in.

2020-12-30 09:02:38 | Anonymous writes:

Back for sale here : classicmotorhub.com/showroom/1956-jaguar-d-type-xkd-526/

2023-07-04 17:15:24 | pauls writes:

Car now offered at:

www.fiskens.com/cars-for-sale/Jaguar-D-Type/13731.htm

Seller's description:

The first of three production Jaguar D-Types delivered new to Brisbane, Australia in 1955

Extensive and successful period competition history throughout Australia and nearly 50 years continuous ownership with Keith Berryman as documented in a dedicated Porter Press Book

The only D-Type to ever be fitted with a hard top which remains in original condition and still accompanies the car 

After UK repatriation, marque specialists CKL Developments carried out a meticulous restoration in time for competition in the 2018 Goodwood Members' Meeting Salvadori Cup 

Prepared and eligible for all the very best historic motoring events, including the Mille Miglia, Monaco GP and Le Mans Classic