Got A Deep Pocket? This Is Your Chance To Own A Certified Le Mans Champion

Updated: Saturday, August 13, 2016, 17:44 [IST]

The 1955 Jaguar D-Types are one of the finest examples of automotive engineering. The good news is that, one of them is going up for auction during the 2016 Monterey Car Week.

This roadster is known for winning overall podium in 1956, claiming Jaguar's fourth overall.

This 1955 D-Type was used for the Scottish Ecurie Ecosse racing team, wearing the team's fabulous Flagship Blue Metallic paint.

The teams participating in the 1956 Le Mans competition were given strict fuel regulations, and all the cars with larger engines suffered.

While Aston Martins always ran into fuel consumption issues, the eerie speed of the Jaguar D-Types had always made up for the fuel conservation efforts.

Apparently, the other big-bore cars were driving at maximum attack to keep up, the Jags ran the course with the engines at 1,000 rpm.

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Unfortunately, the car shown here had no significant motorsports victories, and the car changed hands a few times, before landing in the collection of a Scottish car collector in 1970.

Since then, the car flourished, with multiple rebuilds, and "sympathetic" restorations. Eventually, the XKD 501 moved on to a bigger collection in the U.S., where it remained until now.

To date, the most expensive British car sold at a public auction was the 1962 Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato, claiming $14.3 million (Rs. 93 Cr) last year. The underdog, the 1953 Jaguar C-Type, was sold earlier for $13.2 million (Rs. 88 Cr).

The XKD 501 will cross the RM Sotheby's auction on August 19th, in Monterey, California.