50 years ago... Victory at Le Mans

Each month ahead of the JCNA Championship Challenge this July in Franklin, TN, we take a look at the significance of each anniversary which makes 2001 and the Franklin event so significant. After looking at the 40th anniversary of the E-type, the 30th anniversary of the Jaguar V12, we go back a little further, to 1951 and Jaguar’s first Le Mans victory. Thank you to Tony Bailey and Jag-Lovers for the pictures and poster scans. See www.jag-lovers.org for more.

LE MANS ! … to anyone interested in motor racing, the name represents one of the most famous endurance race track in the history of racing, the site of spectacular accomplishments, breakthroughs, tragedies and even near miracles. Held on the 8.5 miles Circuit de la Sarthe (near the western France town of Le Mans), a track mostly made of public road, the Le Mans 24 hours race is one of longest running event in motor racing and has attracted manufacturers from all over the world.

Over its 78 years history, the 24 Hours of Le Mans has often been dominated by one manufacturer for a few years in a row. Porsche, Ferrari, Ford have all left their mark on the event but in the 1950s, it was Jaguar which dominated the prestigious race, in a way that was unheard of at the time.

It all started when Jaguar launched its all new XK engine in 1949 in a new hastily designed sports car which was only supposed to be a showcase for the engine while a new saloon was being designed. Jaguar was only expecting to build about 200 cars but the performance and the price of the new XK120 was such that the company had to change its plans and build special tooling to keep up with demand; 160 hp and 120 mph top speed was unmatched at the time. In fact, 120 mph was such an accomplishment that Jaguar took a production XK120 on a flat section of highway in Belgium where the car was clocked at 126 mph in front of a group of stunned journalists.

In 1950, three specially prepared XK120s were taken to Le Mans and entered in the 24 hours endurance race to see how they would fare against the competition. While they didn't win or even scored a top three finish, valuable lessons were learned and the potential of Jaguar all new sports car was confirmed. Around the same time, various successes in sports car races such as the Silverstone Production Sports car race or Ulster's Dundrod Tourist Trophy ( one of Stirling Moss most important win) convinced Jaguar to build a special race version the XK 120.

With a more aerodynamic body designed by recently hired aerodynamicist Malcom Sayer, the XK120C better known as the C-type was lighter and also more powerful than the production XK120 as its engine received larger exhaust valves, modified cams and larger diameter carburetors. The first three C-types were ready just in time for the 1951 Le Mans race and largely untested when the team, led by Stirling Moss, arrived at Le Mans. Competition was fierce at Le Mans in 1951 and the Jaguars were not the favorites before the race. Ferrari with no less than 9 entries including four 340 America powered by V12 engines was seen as the top contender along with Briggs Cunnigham’s cars, powered by the all new Chrysler 5.4 liter hemi V8. 1951 was also the first time at Le Mans for a small company who would later become a major player not only at Le Mans but in the sports car world, Porsche with a single 356 entry.

In practice, the Cunninghams confirmed their strength toping the time sheets until one of the C-Type driven by Peter Walker set an unofficial record averaging 105 mph versus the Cunninghams average of just under 100 mph. At the end of the first lap, Jaguar confirmed their potential with strong showings in the top 10 including Moss in second position. By lap four, Stirling Moss had taken the lead and after 2 hours had a full lap on his competition.

During the night a broken oil pipe first on Biondetti's car and then on Stirling Moss' caused some concern in the Jaguar pit and forcied both cars to retire out of the race. Moss was leading at the time, in a brilliant drive despite the heavy and treacherous rain which caused a few accidents. The third car however, driven by Peter Walker and Peter Whitehead went on leading the race and even broke the event distance record after 23 of the 24 hours, despite the rain.

One hour later, after 24 hours of a grueling race, Jaguar took the checkered flag at Le Mans for the first time in its history. Four more wins would come in the 50s and two more much later in the 80s.

Following that first win, and in anticipation of increased competition from Ferrari in 1952, a more streamlined version of the C-type was sent to Le Mans but failed to finish as the cars where plagued with overheating problems.

Jaguar returned to Le Mans in 1953 facing what was probably the fiercest competition assembled at Le Mans with all major manufacturers and top drivers assembled. The 1953 C-type was significantly modified from the earlier model and was 120 lbs lighter. It featured a more powerful version of the XK engine equipped with Weber carburetors instead of SUs, aircraft styled fuel tank, a redesigned rear sus-pension. Most importantly, for the first time it was equipped with revolutionary disc brakes which allowed the drivers to brake later into the corners and not to suffer from brake fade, very important at the end of the 150 mph 3 1/2 mile Mulsanne straight. Despite the opposition the C-Type swept the event partly because of its revolutionary disk brakes

As the C-type was establishing the Coventry marque as one of the top contenders, development was underway on its successor, the D-type which would be developed from the ground up as a race car, unlike the C-type. The first major innovation of the Bill Heynes and Malcom Sayer design, would be the central monocoque section with front and rear subframes. The engine was an upgraded version of the XK engine used in the C-type developing a little more power to propel the car at over 170 mph.

In 1954, the debut of the D-Type was less successful than the C-type with Jaguar unable to capture a second straight victory, having to settle for second place but only 1 minute 45 seconds behind the wining 4.5 liter Ferrari. Fuel contamination early in the race delayed the D-type which came back into contention once the problem was solved but couldn't clinch the victory. A C-type came in fourth place rounding up honorable results for Jaguar.

The D-type first Le Mans victory would come the next year in 1955, with a slightly modified car including a 7" longer bonnet, tonneau cover above the passenger space, a fin behind the driver's head and higher windscreen. Sadly there would be little to celebrate for Jaguar as the 1955 race will remain in motor racing history as the site of the most deadly accident, with 80 spectators killed when a Mercedes 300SL driven by Pierre Levegh hit an Austin Healey stopped in the pits and launched into the crowd. Safety was not a priority at the time, most tracks didn't have pit walls separating the pit lane from the track itself and there was no fence or protection for the crowd. Later in the race, the Mercedes team withdrew its remaining cars cutting short a thrilling battle between Jaguar's new driver Mike Hawthorne and Mercedes' Manuel Fangio.

1956 would be the year of another D-type win, although by the Ecurie Ecosse private team following an early collision between 2 of the factory cars and the retirement of the third later in the race. This would be the last year that Jaguar would enter Le Mans with factory cars as they announced their withdrawal from racing in 1957. Despite this, privately entered D-types led by Ecurie Ecosse would be extremely successful in the 1957 edition crushing the competition with all 5 D-types entered not only finishing but taking 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6th place.

Those five wins in seven years would place Jaguar on the same level as other prestigious names such as Ferrari, Aston and later on Porsche; throughout the 50s special bagging on the rear of the XK series would serve as a reminder of the accomplishment.

It would be a little over 30 years before Jaguar returned to Le Mans in a factory supported effort, even though they considered a return in the late 60s with the development of the V12 and the XJ13 race car. In 1988 a 7 liter V12 powered XJR-12 took the win in a partnership with Tom Walkinshaw Racing team. Jaguar and TWR would renew their win two years later in 1990, bringing the Coventry marque its 7th victory at Le Mans.

See you in Franklin !

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About the author - Pascal Gademer is the webmaster and newsletter editor of the South Florida Jaguar Club. Owner of a restored and upgraded (for reliability and performance) 1972 series 3 E-type 2+2, he doesn't miss an opportunity to drive his E-type to various events (concours, rallies,..) often regardless of distances. His daily driver his another Silver Coupe, a 2000 XKR.

Posted: 5/2001