New Retro-Cool Jaguar Celebrates Classic Race Car

Old-school style meets modern technology with this limited edition stunner.

While Jaguar celebrated the E-Type’s 60th anniversary with special editions of the the F-Type, the storied British marque has something even grander in store for the C-Type’s big 7-0. 

The Jaguar Land Rover Classic Works facility is recreating the 1950s  sports racer in a spec that’s identical the 1953 Le Mans-winning “works” team car, down to the 220-horsepower 2.4-inline-six engine with triple Weber 40DCO3 carburetors. Disc brakes are also equipped, instead of the drum brakes that came on all production C-Types and the version that finished No. 1 at the famous French endurance race in 1951. 

There are some cool classic interior details—a funky dual-panel windscreen, a tachometer that moves counter-clockwise, and a bronze steering badge featuring an especially vicious rendition of the wild cat for which the auto company is named. 

To recreate the open-top roadster’s flowing shell, Jaguar Classic engineers consulted the Jaguar archives and cross-referenced scan data taken from an original C-type in conjunction CAD tech. 

The same data was used to launch a new online configurator to allow users to render 3D versions of the vehicle in 12 different exterior colors (pictured above in black and below in green) and 8 different interior colors with racing roundel and badge options. 

Only 53 production versions were sold to the public between 1951 and 1953, and it’ll be similarly difficult to get your hands on one of the eight C-Type Continuation cars. 

Prices weren’t disclosed, but a rep told Autoweek that previous continuation Jags like the XKSS typically cost between $1.3 and $2.7 million