1952 Jaguar C-Type

POA

Fantastic European history throughout its life
Entrant of some of the period’s most important International race meetings
3rd place at the 1953 Spa-Francorchamps 24 Hours
Coming from almost two decades of ownership
Eligible for Goodwood, Le Mans Classic, Monaco Historique and a calendar full of concours and rallies

Jaguar’s XK120 not only won worldwide acclaim through its successes on the gruelling long-distance Alpine and Tulip rallies, but was unquestionably the most beautiful car to emerge from the immediate post-World War II era. Yet, while the likes of Stirling Moss was able to use it to great effect at the 1951 Tourist Trophy, its luxuriant weight hampered the XK’s chances on closed circuit racing.

In complete secrecy, Jaguar developed the answer in the form of their first purpose built racing car: the XKC or C-Type. It shared the XK120’s 3.4-litre XK-straight six engine but little else, and even that was reworked for more power. An aluminium spaceframe chassis supported both a slippery aerodynamic body and new independent rear suspension set up. Lower, stiffer, lighter and with more grunt, the C-Type was an immediate success and won its first race: none other than the 1951 Le Mans 24 Hours.

Throughout the early and mid-1950s, C-Types became global ambassador’s for Jaguar and Britain, contesting all of the major international races and winning many of them. For the budding Gentlemen Driver, there was no better tool.

This C-Type, chassis XKC 019, was sold new to one such aspiring enthusiast: Herman Roosdorop. A garage owner from Antwerp, Belgium, cars were a business as well as a hobby for Roosdorp and his enterprise enabled him to go motor racing with this top-flight sports racing car. Jaguar factory records show that XKC019 was dispatched from Coventry on 24th October 1952, as one of just six C-Types out of the 53 built to be painted silver.

Roosdorp would race the Jaguar periodically and cherrypicked some of the period’s greatest international meetings to enter. His best result was 3rd place at the 1953 Spa-Francorchamps 24 Hours. He and co-drived Ulmen hoped for a repeat performance four weeks later at the Nurburgring 1000 Kms, but would retire with accident damage. Clearly not severe damage however, as the C-Type was in action just a few weeks later at the Jabbeke speed trials and recorded a top speed of 234kph (145.4mph).

Into the late 1950s the C-Type passed through the hands of Hans Maasland, the Dutch Maserati importer, and continued racing in Holland at circuits such as Zandvoort. By the mid-1960s the car had been colour changed to white and then British Racing Green, and was photographed at that time with a distinctive full windscreen. A transatlantic voyage took XKC 019 to the USA where, in December 1967, it was for sale with New York dealer Herb Wetson.