D-TYPE LE MANS WINNER SET AUCTION RECORD

D-TYPE LE MANS WINNER SETS AUCTION RECORD

CHRIS I IES RACKED UP A NEW RECORD AUCTION PRICE FOR

a Jaguar when the 1956 Le Mans-winning Ninian Sanderson/Ron Flockhart D-type was sold to an anonymous buyer for £1.7m in November. XKD 501 has a particularly clean history, for after three successful seasons racing with Ecurie Ecosse it was bought by the Scottish team’s benefactor Major Edward Thompson, who kept it until 1970. The new owner, after paying

the then-staggering sum of ,f..10,000, has had the car ever since, using it sparingly on the road, which makes this possibly the least interfered with D-type of all. Apart from its racing forays, which included that 24 Hours win at La Sarthe, victory in the Ulster Trophy, a second in the Goodwood Nine Hours and fourth at Reims and a Mille Miglia entry, the car has not left Scotland since Jaguar delivered it to David Murray in April 1955. GC