One of the most iconic racing cars EVER that set a blistering speed record of 172mph at 1954 Le Mans hits auction

ONE of the most iconic racing cars ever manufactured is tipped to sell for a whopping fee when it goes under the hammer.

The eye-catching 1954 Jaguar D-Type is expected to sell for an eye-popping £7million when it’s auctioned off.

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The legendary 1954 Jaguar D-Type will go under auction soonCredit: Mediadrumimage/BroadArrowAuction

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The interior features green leather seats and a wooden steering wheelCredit: Mediadrumimage/BroadArrowAuction

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It clocked a blistering 172.97 miles per hour in 1954Credit: Mediadrumimage/BroadArrowAuction

Finished in British Racing green, the motor comes complete with green leather seats, a wooden steering wheel, and a spare wheel in the boot in case a switch up is required.

In 1954, the racing vehicle was the “team lead” at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Stirling Moss and co-driver Peter Walker steered the motor to victory following their successful second place finish the previous year.

During the former, the dynamic duo achieved the fastest time in practice, clocking a blistering 172.97 miles per hour.

This car marked the start of Jaguar’s dominance at Circuit de la Sarthe that decade.

The car will be offered without reserve during the Amelia Auctions by Broad Arrow Auctions and is estimated to be sold for £7million.

“The car was restored by Lynx Engineering in the late 1970s and later acquired by marque expert Terry Larson and now offered from 15 years of devoted enthusiast ownership,” reads the listing.

“It has raced at the Goodwood Revival, Classic Le Mans, and Monterey Historics, and been driven on the Colorado Grand, California Mille, and numerous C- and D-Type tours.

“The model was retained by Jaguar Works and raced and tested by legends Tony Rolt, Peter Whitehead, Mike Hawthorne, Ivor Bueb, Ninian Sanderson, and Norman Dewis.

“It has been extensively documented with period testing and is accompanied by Le Mans paperwork and an abundance of archival racing imagery.

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“This model is an important piece of international competition and automotive history.”

It comes after a classic Ferrari which won the Le Mans 24 hour race in 1965 sold for £29million.

The 1964 250 LM became one of the most expensive Ferraris ever sold.

It competed three times at both Le Mans and the 24 Hours of Daytona race before retiring in 1970.

The car then spent the next 55 years at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum in the US.

Now it has been auctioned by RM Sotheby’s in a Paris sale to an unnamed buyer — breaking the £21million pre-sale estimated value.

US race driver ­Masten Gregory and German-born Jochen Rindt won the Le Mans race in the car by five laps.

It was the only “privateer-entered” Ferrari to win the French race.

The most expensive Ferrari ever sold was a 1963 250 GTO, which fetched £56million in a private sale in 2018.

Read more on the Scottish Sun

An RM Sotheby’s spokesperson said: “In short, chassis 5893 is the NART Ferrari.

“It would crown most any sporting collection, having claimed the ultimate achievement for a Ferrari, and indeed any racing sports car of its calibre—victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the world’s most important sports car race, bar none.”

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A rear view of the racing vehicleCredit: Mediadrumimage/BroadArrowAuction

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The boot is equipped with a spare tyreCredit: Mediadrumimage/BroadArrowAuction

History of Jaguar

Brief timeline:

• Jaguar was founded in 1922 as the Swallow Sidecar Company before evolving into the Jaguar brand in 1945.
• 1966 – Merged with the British Motor Corporation (BMC), later forming British Leyland in 1968.
• 1975 – Jaguar struggled under British Leyland due to financial issues and declining quality.
• 1984 – Jaguar was privatized and became an independent company once again.
• 1990 – Acquired by Ford Motor Company, becoming part of Ford’s Premier Automotive Group.
• 2008 – Sold to Tata Motors (India) along with Land Rover, forming Jaguar Land Rover (JLR).
• 2013 – Jaguar introduced the F-Type, reviving its sports car heritage.
• 2018 – Launched the Jaguar I-PACE, its first all-electric vehicle, winning multiple awards.
• 2021 – Jaguar announced its plan to go fully electric by 2025, transitioning into a luxury EV brand

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