Want A Jaguar D-Type Once Owned By Richard Attwood?

Enzo Ferrari might have said the Jaguar E-Type was the most beautiful car ever made, but it can’t hold a candle to the sumptuous curves of its predecessor, the racing D-Type. It’s a rare event indeed when one of these comes up for sale, but on February 9, a 1955 Jaguar D-Type is coming to auction in Paris, and with an extensive racing history behind it, no less.

Just the seventh D-type to leave the factory (and one of just 18 factory racers and 53 customer racers in total), RM Sotheby’s is offering chassis number XKD 520, which was originally purchased by an Australian importer for Bob Stilwell. He raced it the following couple of years with success, setting numerous records and winning the South Australia Trophy and the Bathurst Road Racing Championship in 1956, among other feats.

The Jaguar then went through a few hands and found more success in Australian sports car racing, and was eventually purchased in 1967 by Richard Attwood – yes, the same Attwood who was then a seasoned Formula 1 pilot and who would later go on to win the first overall victory for Porsche at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1970.

Attwood kept chassis number XKD 520 for 10 years before selling it on, where it changed hands a few more times. During the car’s life, the original 3.4-litre straight-six was replaced with a factory original 3.8-litre counterpart, and in the last few years has undergone serious upkeep, though most of its parts are original.

This particular D-Type also comes with extensive documentation, including an FIA Historical Technical Passport. As you might think, the expected price reflects the rarity and provenance of such a historic car: €5.9 million to €6.4 million, or between $6.5 million to $7 million. And don’t be surprised if it sells for higher.

*Images courtesy of RM Sotheby’s. XKD 520 images courtesy of the owner.