An ultra-rare preserved-as-original Jaguar C-Type car will be part of Bonhams’ inaugural auction being held in Monaco this coming May. The fully functional, barely altered Jaguar comes with a history long considered somewhat mysterious, though months of research by a number of interested parties and experts has shed light on the precise origins and early years of this model of the iconic British race car.
The Jaguar works team car raced at events such as the 24-hour races at Le Mans and Spa-Francorchamps, and participated in the 1953 Sports Car World Championship in Europe. Later on it was sold to and used as a test car by the Dunlop Rubber Company, while still being maintained by the Jaguar factory, well into the 1960s. It was bought in 1963 by the Griffiths family in 1963, which maintained it in perfect condition and continued to own it until now.
The Jaguar C-Type car will be one of the centerpieces of the Bonhams auction, which is being held in conjunction with the Monaco Grand Prix Historique. 40 specially-chosen cars will be sold at the auction being presented in the Fairmont Monte Carlo hotel, which overlooks the Monaco circuit’s famed ‘Station’ hairpin turn.
