Jaguar's New 'Continuation' Project Is A Spectacular D-Type

Jaguar has restarted production of the world-famous, world-beating D-type race-derived sports car, and you’d better prepare to want one.

Just 25 of the spectacular recreations will be built at JLR Classic Works in Warwickshire, finishing the original planned run of 100 that was ultimately limited to 75.

It’s a continuation of a wider heritage project that has also produced the Lightweight E-type Continuation and the more recent XKSS Continuation – the rebirth of nine cars that were lost in a factory fire in the late 1950s.

Like those XKSSs, the new D-types will be built to completely, totally original spec. Buyers of the new D-types can choose 1956 longnose or 1955 shortnose body styles, but both will be totally devoid of the comforts of modern engineering. They will be, to use Jaguar’s words, ‘period-correct.’ They won’t be easy to drive.

Each car will have a 1950s-spec straight-six engine built to the original plans and tolerances, as set out by competitions manager Lofty England (the best name in motorsport history?) and his team of engineers 60 years ago.

The engineering prototype is in longnose spec. As you’d expect, the bonnet is longer, it has the fin behind the driver’s head, a wide-angle cylinder head and ‘quick-change’ brake calipers. Most importantly, though, it’s absolutely stunning.

Kev Riches, Jaguar Classic Engineering Manager, said:

“Recreating the nine D-type-derived XKSS models was hugely satisfying, and an even bigger technical challenge than the six missing Lightweight E-type models, but lessons learned from the XKSS project have given us a head start on the final 25 D-type models.

“Each one will be absolutely correct, down to the very last detail, just as Jaguar’s Competitions Department intended.”