One question I get asked quite often is what it my all time favorite car. This is a hard question for many automotive journalists to answer but I do have one single answer for that question, XKD501.
To me the Jaguar D-type is the single most beautiful car design ever. Sure I love a great many cars, the Aston Martin DB5, the Ferrari 365 California Spider, any Porsche 962, but at the end of the day the D-type simply ticks every single box for a car. The 1956 Le Mans winning 1955 Jaguar D-type XKD501 is my ultimate car.
The downside to the D-type in general and XKD501 in particular is that the average D-type costs somewhere north of $4 million and when XKD501 last changed hands, it sold for the stratospheric price of $21,780,000.
What this means for most people is that a D-type is out of reach for all but a few collectors in the world. Happily, there is a sort of consolation prize for those of us who don’t have a bank balance to cover the cost for a real D-type.
The Pick of the Day is a Jaguar D-type replica by Lynx for sale on ClassicCars.com by a dealer in New York.
Calling this car a replica really does not do justice to what it is, so let me give you some background on Lynx.
Lynx Engineering was founded in 1968 by engineer Guy Black and architect Roger Ludgate, and they initially specialized in the repair and restoration of original Jaguar C- and D-Type sports racers. In 1972 the company developed a D-Type replica design utilizing hand-formed aluminum bodywork and E-Type-derived mechanicals. Construction incorporated a Lynx-fabricated aluminum monocoque tub mated to modified E-Type subframes and built in both short- and long-nose configurations.
So, what Lynx basically did was build new D-types in order to give a larger number of people the opportunity to experience these cars. Having driven a number of original D-type cars, including 501 as well as a number of Lynx D-types, the driving experience of both is very close, close enough for me to want a Lynx myself.
This Jaguar D-type replica is located at a dealer in Astoria, New York, and they describe the car as a long-nose example with an optional rear headrest fin and full-length wraparound windshield. It is painted in a Briggs Cunningham-style white and blue livery. Details include a louvered hood with leather hold-down straps, a Monza-style fuel filler concealed within the fin, and side-exit exhaust pipes.
The car rides on Dunlop-style aluminum peg-drive wheels with three-eared knock-offs and clad with Dunlop racing tires. The car has twin brake master cylinders actuate disc brakes all around, with the rears mounted inboard of the independent suspension. The split cockpit features seating for two trimmed in blue leather as well as aluminum surfaces painted to match the body stripes. Equipment includes Luke four-point harnesses, a driver’s headrest, a rearview mirror, a fire extinguisher, and aluminum tonneau cover that fits over the passenger seat. A wood-rimmed steering wheel sits ahead of a black dash housing Smiths instrumentation including a 180-mph speedometer, tachometer, coolant temperature, and oil pressure gauges. The five-digit odometer shows 21k miles, approximately 5k of which have been added by the current owner.
The 3.8-liter DOHC inline-six is fed by three dual-throat Weber carburetors fitted to a Lynx intake manifold and features three-into-one exhaust headers, an alternator, an aluminum coolant header tank, an electric cooling fan, and dry sump lookalike components.
In the spring of 2021, the car was serviced which included adjustment of the carburetors, a coolant flush, lubrication, and replacement of the ignition points and spark plugs and an additional oil change was performed.
The pictures show a car that looks to be a nice driver with a bit of wear. I actually like that the car is not in perfect condition as it makes the car look a bit more vintage. If you plan to show this car at any events, plan to have a number of conversations with spectators as a D-type, even a Lynx replica, will draw crowds anywhere take it.
The asking price for the Jaguar D-type replica by Lynx is a very fair $325,000, especially when you compare it to one built in period by Jaguar.
To view this listing on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day.
