Jaguar C-Type
| Jaguar C-Type | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Jaguar Cars |
| Production | 1951–1953 |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Competition-Sports car |
| Body style | Roadster |
| Chronology | |
| Successor | Jaguar D-Type |
The Jaguar C-Type (also called the Jaguar XK120-C) is a racing sports car built by Jaguar and sold from 1951 to 1953. The "C" stands for "competition".
The car used the running gear (Moss gearbox) of the contemporary road proven XK120 in a lightweight tubular frame (devised by William Heynes) and aerodynamic aluminium body designed by Malcolm Sayer. A total of 53 C-Types were built, 43 of which were sold to private owners mainly in the US.
The road-going XK120’s 3.4-litre twin-cam, straight-6 engine produces between 160 and 180 bhp (134 kW). The C-Type version was originally tuned to around 205 bhp (153 kW). The early C-Types were fitted with SU carburetors and drum brakes. Later C-Types (mid 1953) are more powerful, using triple twin-choke Weber carburettors and high-lift camshafts. They are also lighter, and from mid 1953 braking performance was improved by disc brakes on all four wheels. The lightweight, multi-tubular, triangulated frame was designed by William Heynes. Malcolm Sayer designed the aerodynamic body. Made of aluminium in the barchetta style, it is devoid of road-going items such as carpets, weather equipment and exterior door handles. According to the Jaguar Heritage Registry the cars were produced between May 1952 starting with XKC001 and ending August 1953 XK054. The original alloy body was marked with the prefix K (e.g. K1037).
The C-Type was successful in racing, most notably at the Le Mans 24 hours race, which it won twice.
In 1951 the car won at its first attempt. The factory entered three, whose driver pairings were Stirling Moss and Jack Fairman, Leslie Johnson and triple Mille Miglia winner Clemente Biondetti, and the eventual winners, Peter Walker and Peter Whitehead. The Walker-Whitehead car was the only factory entry to finish, the other two retiring with lack of oil pressure. A privately entered XK120, owned by Robert Lawrie, co-driven by Ivan Waller, also completed the race, finishing 11th.
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