24h Le Mans
24 HOURS CENTENARY – MAKES, MARQUES and IMPRINTS ⎮ Beginning with Ferrari's victory in 1949, Great Britain reclaimed its throne in the years after the return of the 24 Hours of Le Mans after WWII. And, with five wins between 1951 and 1957, Jaguar firmly cemented its reputation by matching the record held by Bentley since 1930.
A sign of the allure of the 24 Hours, Jaguar co-founder William Lyons decided to enter the marque in the race in the early 1950s to expand its visibility internationally. The approach was not yet called marketing at that time, but would nonetheless place Jaguar in the pantheon of great sports cars, both in competition and on the road.
In 1950, the British manufacturer also supported three XK-120s at Le Mans. Created in 1948 and designed by William Heynes, the car succeeded the SS 100 (1936-1939) and was produced until 1954. Though Bert Hadley/Leslie Johnson were forced to retire, Peter Clark/Nick Haines and John Marshall/Peter Whitehead finished 12th and 15th, respectively. The positive results compelled Lyons and Heynes to continue their efforts at the 24 Hours.
They decided to make improvements to the XK-120, recruiting Malcolm Sayer for the project. The aeronautical engineer who had worked at Bristol Aeroplane Company during WWII impressed Lyons and Heynes with his knowledge of light materials and aerodynamics. Sayer designed a new much more streamlined and rounded body based on the XK-120, and so was born the XK 120-C which would go down in history as the Jaguar Type C.
Positive results soon followed. In 1951, Peter Walker and Peter Whitehead clinched Jaguar's first win at the 24 Hours, with 11th place for Robert Lawrie and Ivan Waller as well. After a double retirement in 1952, the Type C reclaimed the top step on the podium the following year with three cars in the top 5: Duncan Hamilton/Tony Rolt (winners), Stirling Moss/Peter Walker (second) and Ian Stewart/Peter Whitehead (fourth).
For the 1954 24 Hours, Sayer created his first true masterpiece. The Type D reflected the ideal combination of aerodynamic approach, aeronautical research and track efficiency. Its harmonious lines captivated motorsport enthusiasts well beyond the 24 Hours, in particular thanks to its long front bonnet and shark fin look.
In 1954, the previous year's winners, Hamilton and Rolt, finished on the heels of the triumphant Ferrari of Trintignant/González after a long duel in the rain.
The Type D went on to earn a string of three victories: Mike Hawthorn/Ivor Bueb in 1955, and Ron Flockhart with Ninian Sanderson and Ivor Bueb in 1956 and 1957, respectively. In 1957, Jaguar triumphantly placed five Type Ds in the top 6 thanks to John Lawrence/Ninian Sanderson (second), Jean-Marie Brussin/Jean Lucas (third), Paul Frère/Freddy Rousselle (fourth) and Masten Gregory/Duncan Hamilton (sixth). The Type D's track record also included two impressive results by Jacques Swaters, third in 1955 with Johnny Claes and fourth in 1956 with Freddy Rousselle.
With five wins in seven runnings of the 24 Hours, Lyons had clearly won his bet. Not only did his marque join Bentley as co-holder of the win record, but it could also count on the notoriety gained at Le Mans for future development. And let us not forget that Sayer achieved a new masterstroke with the Type E in 1961. Directly inspired by the Type D three-time winner at the 24 Hours and characterised by its long front bonnet, the coupé-cabriolet definitively established Jaguar among iconic sports road cars manufacturers.
In addition to the relationship between the Type D and the Type E at the race, Le Mans also served as the test bed for a major innovation on the Type C: disc brakes. More to come on that in a future Centenary article.
PHOTOS (Copyright - ACO Archives): LE MANS (SARTHE, FRANCE), CIRCUIT DES 24 HEURES, 1951-1957 24 HOURS OF LE MANS. From top to bottom: the Type D of Ron Flockhart and Ninian Sanderson winner under the chequered flag in 1956; Peter Walker (at left) and Peter Whitehead scored Jaguar's first win at the race in 1951; three Type Ds just before the start in 1956, with in order the cars driven by Jack Fairman/Ken Wharton (#3, retirement), Ron Flockhart/Ninian Sanderson (#4, winners) and Freddy Rousselle/Jacques Swaters (#5, fourth); like the winning car in 1956, the Type D of winners Ivor Bueb/Ron Flockhart in 1957 sported the midnight blue with white stripe livery of the Ecurie Ecosse team.
