Yahoo Finance Jaguar D-Type set to reach £4.7 million at auction
A classic British sports car, once owned by Le Mans winner Duncan Hamilton, is set to become the most expensive car ever sold in Australia when it is auctioned off next month.
The 1955 Jaguar D-Type – the only D-Type down under – is being sold by Mossgreen Auctions at the annual Motorclassica Sale in Melbourne on 14th October. It has been given a list price of £4.7 million – at least four times more than any motor has sold for in Australia.
The Jag is powered by a beefy 3.4 litre engine, boasting a whopping 250bhp.
It has previously been raced in the Dakar Grand Prix, at Silverstone and Brands Hatch, as well as competitions in Singapore and Australia. Until recently it had been on display at the Donington Motor Museum in the midlands.
Paul Sumner, Mossgreen CEO, said: “The Jaguar D-type is one of the world’s most significant and collectible marques, and we are thrilled and excited to have this exceptional and historic car consigned to our inaugural Motorclassica Auction.
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“Along with impeccable provenance and competition history, the D-type is gorgeous, an absolute work of art, a sculpture on wheels, one of the most beautiful cars ever made.
“It’s the most valuable car to ever go to public auction in Australia, and no doubt will set new records on auction night at Motorclassica.”
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The D-Type is one of Jaguar’s most successful motors ever, playing a key part in the manufacturer’s glory years of the 1950s. Various D-Types won the Le Mans race in 1955, 1956 and 1957, while Jaguar won the race five times across the decade.
Last year, the 1956 Le Mans winner was auctioned off in the States and fetched £16 million – then a record for a British car.
