Brand New Classic Jaguars To Light Up Monterey Car Week

Aug. 18, 2023 7:00 PM ET byAnthony Capretto Classic Cars /2 Comments

Jaguar's C-Type and D-Type Continuation models prove that Jaguar makes better old cars than it does new ones.

Monterey Car Week fever is in full swing, and in and amongst the reveals and showcases, Jaguar is in attendance, but not with any new cars. Or not technically. Instead, it will show off brand-new classic cars, displayingcontinuation versions of the C-Typeand D-Type.

Having already toured around the world to places like the UAE, Japan, and Switzerland, the company now wants to showcase its hand-built vehicles to an American audience first at Laguna Seca for the Rolex Motorsports Reunion and then at The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering.

"We are immensely proud of the work everyone at Jaguar Classic Works has put - and continues to put - into these exquisite Continuation vehicles," said Paul Barritt, Director of Jaguar Classic. "They are true masterpieces with exceptional stories behind them. It is very special to bring these stories of Jaguar's incredible heritage to life through the work of passionate and talented individuals, and to be able to share them with the world at events like Monterey Car Week."

Handbuilt over the course of 3,000 hours, continuation models are not only meant to celebrate the brand's prestigious history but also showcase its continued skill and craftsmanship. Utilizing original engineering drawings and records to ensure the utmost accuracy, the Classic Works division is meticulous in its efforts to build vintage vehicles in the modern day.

As continuation models, they're more than just mere replicas, and far fromrestomods like the E-Type ZP Collection. In the case of the D-Type, Jaguar had originally planned to produce 100 of them while securing three consecutive Le Mans victories in 1955, 56, and 57. Unfortunately, the company was only able to produce 75 of them before the model was obsolete, so since 2018 the company has beenbuilding the final 25. Obviously, to make them as accurate as possible, there aren't many options to choose from, but buyers have been able to pick between either 1955-spec Shortnose or a 1956-spec Longnose bodywork.

The C-Type isthe newest Continuation model, introduced in 2021. Having won Le Mans in 1951 and 53, the continuation is based on the 1953 model, which helped to pioneer innovations like disc brakes. Only 16 of these will be built, but buyers get more options to choose from, like one of 12 heritage colors and one of eight interior colors. These C-Type continuation models are the first to fully utilize 3D CAD in their production, ensuring greater authenticity than ever before.

With 3,000 hours of hand-built work and highly limited numbers, every continuation model is highly expensive, pushing well past a million dollars. We imagine these highly lucrative projects have helped immensely in gettingJLR back to profitability, so we figure more are on the horizon.

Maybe one day we'll be writing about the ContinuationF-Typeor, even better, XF Sportbrake S.