Jaguar's Fibreglass D-Type

[a8hex]

I remember we had a discussion about Jaguars Fibreglass D-Type prototype some time ago, but I can't find the posting.

The car seems to be up for Auction in May according to an entry in the latest Octane (P150 #71)

Interesting to see how they explain away the history of the car.

[williamp]

not heard of this- do you mean a D-type chassis with a modern body on it, or a body from jaguar themselves in glassfibre. If its the latter, then I would think of it as an experimental and no less (possibly more) valuable then a "standard" D-type. If anything, its an original D-type and hugely desirabgle. I still think about my ride in a D-0type a few years ago- and that was a Lynx replica.

I'm sure lowdrag will be able to tell us the full history of it. I'd certainly like to know more.

[a8hex]

Jaguar made a prototype D-Type in Fibreglass.
The history of this car is discussed in various books, including Normal Dewis' biography where he relates the alarming story of the chassis cracking while he was driving it at speed.
It was my understanding that the car had been broken up according to factory records.

The entry in Octane says the car is being sold in the "WorldWide Groups" May auction in Houston. http://www.wwgauctions.com/houston09/index.cfm

We had a long discussion of the history of this particular car here sometime ago. I tried to search back to find the thread, but couldn't find it.

[a8hex]

OK, I've found the discussion now. It wasn't a separate thread, it was inside Lowdrag's 1952 "droop snoot" C type thread on page 2.

[Bozwell]

get around a bit these cars

[a8hex]

But that's not a D-Type engine :-)
And it's not my engine either.

You just get spoilt Bozwell, still it must help your model making when you can go a look at an original to make sure you've got some detail just right. And in your place's case, the originals are probably right too, or with you to be put right.

[Bozwell]

thats a photo i took years ago

the engine was out of an E type

[a8hex]

It was from the wrong end to know which car it came from. All I could tell was that it wasn't a wide angle head.
And it's got the wrong plugs to my engine, it's also much too pretty looking. My 150 is down with you guys having an Eike Wellhausen engine put in it, but I think it's at your other place now - not being so exotic. Hopefully it'll be ready soon and I can have an excuse to pop in and say hello.

[lowdrag]

C'mon! gold head = 3.8 E type! Also, that colour is the later, not the early 3.8 colour!

[a8hex]

You see straight port heads in so many different colours.
Being an XK man, I'm more used to seeing them in "Pumkin", Unless it's changed since I last saw it, my new engine is apparently D-Type colour, not sure how to describe it, but it ain't.

[exkay]

D types silver................

[AJAX50]

It's a shame Jaguar didn't carry on developing glass fibre tubs, they could really have been a leader in the development of the really light composite cars that we still await today. It took the car racing industry a long time to catch up with the marine industry in the use of composites, I'm not even sure they are ahead now.

[a8hex]

exkay said:

D types silver................

Oopss! of course. Should engage brain before ears.


The funny thing is that the heads of C types are also bare metal, but for the XK140, the C-Type head is red.

As to the Jaguar and Fibreglass. The D had the normal D-Type metal engine and rear frames, but used Fibreglass for the tub and the rest of the body. It had metal plates sandwiched into the plastic to which the frames were bolted. The Fibreglass cracked around these plates. Norman Dewis thinks the tub was sent up to Radford where the SP250 bodies were being made. Given the problems Jaguar had inherited with the SP250, they'd probably had their fill of Fibreglass.