Welcome to Jaguar Classic’s latest project. To celebrate the legendary C-Type’s 70th birthday, it’s building eight ‘continuation’ cars to the exact same spec as the one that won Le Mans in 1953.

That means a 3.4-litre straight-six with triple Weber carburettors and 220hp. They’ll also have disc brakes – when Sir Stirling Moss won the Reims Grand Prix in 1952, the C-Type became the first car equipped with disc brakes to win an international motor race.

Then in 1953, after Dunlop had developed sturdier discs to last a full 24hrs, the C-Type won Le Mans for the second time (having also won on its debut in 1951). In doing so, the C-Type became the first car to win the 24hrs at an average speed of more than 160km/h.  

Ecurie Ecosse, which raced C-Types in period, is also paying tribute to the car’s 70th anniversary with a limited run of recreations. 

Set to be built at Jaguar Classic’s HQ in Coventry, Jaguar’s own ‘new’ C-Types “will be eligible for historic racing, track and closed-road use” (though no doubt someone will find a way to make one road-legal).

The company says a CAD model it’s put together of an original C-Type, plus original engineering drawings and records from the Fifties, mean the racer’s “authentic 1953 specifications [will be] accurately maintained”.

The continuation C-Types will be available in 12 colours, and there are eight options for the interior. A configurator has been set up to help prospective owners decide what they want to go for – go have a play by clicking on these blue words.

Owners will also be able to spec roundels, badges, an FIA-approved harness retention system and rollover protection, among other things.

Price? Lots, no doubt. 

STORY Tom Harrison