1954 Jaguar C-Type

1954 Jaguar C-Type re-creation constructed by Hawker Racing in Suffolk, UK. Built in the early 2010's, it lived in a prominent collection on Long Island, New York.

Featuring aluminum bodywork finished in black over a steel tube frame, the car is powered by a 3.4-liter Jaguar XK inline-six that breathes through twin SU carburetors. Additional features include a four-speed manual transmission, four-wheel drum brakes, independent front suspension, rack-and-pinion steering, 16" wire wheels, side-pipe exhaust, and red leather upholstery over two-place seating.

This C-Type re-creation is now offered with invoices from the last two years and a New Jersey title describing it as a 1954 Jaguar. Jaguar developed the aluminum-bodied, tube-frame C-Type as a competition variant of the XK120 after the latter showed promise racing in the hands of privateers. Approximately 50 examples of the original C-Type were built, among them the 1951 and 1953 24 Hours of Le Mans winners.

This car is said to be among a limited run of re-creations built with hand-formed aluminum bodywork by Hawker Racing, which was formed as an offshoot of vintage aircraft restoration outfit Hawker Restorations.The body is finished in black with number 54 roundels on the hood, sides, and tail section. A paint correction is said to have been performed in 2022. Exterior details include faired-in Lucas tri-bar headlights, leather hood-retention straps, Brooklands-style windscreens behind a fixed full-width windshield, dual side mirrors, a Monza-style fuel filler, and side-pipe exhaust with dual outlets .Chrome wire wheels are secured by two-eared knock-offs and are wrapped in 6.00H16 Avon Turbospeed Mk 4 tires. Stopping is handled by drum brakes at each corner, while steering is via rack and pinion. The brake fluid reservoir was replaced in 2022, at which time the fluid was flushed.The right-hand-drive cockpit houses a pair of fixed-back bucket seats trimmed in red leather, while silver upholstery covers the center tunnel. Additional features include a door-pull strap wrapped in red leather, a polished shift knob, a dash-mounted rearview mirror, and a passenger-side grab handle.The three-spoke steering wheel sits ahead of Smiths instrumentation including a 160-mph speedometer, a reverse-sweep tachometer, and gauges monitoring amperage, fuel level, oil pressure, and coolant temperature. The five-digit odometer shows 360 miles.The 3.4-liter XK inline-six features dual-overhead camshafts, twin SU carburetors, a cold-air intake box, twin Lucas coils, and three-into-one exhaust headers. Service in 2022 included cleaning of the carburetors, repairs to the radiator, flushing of the fuel system, and fluid changes.

I was fortunate enough to speak with someone who has substantial knowledge of these cars and has provided the following information.

The body was built by Clive Smart at Shapecraft in North Hampton Uk. Clive has made over 250 bodies in his career and built the bodies for Nick and David Gilmore of Pink Floyd as well.

The car is equipped with the correct torsion bar suspension. This is a very important detail. Very few recreations have torsion bar suspension.

The exhaust manifolds are correct, cast manifold. They are not from any other production car.
The brackets holding on the dual coils are very unusual to see but absolutely correct and accurate.
The rear suspension is correct, Blade type lower control arm with upper, Side link and pan hard rod.
The front suspension is Mark 7 upper control arms as original with recreation, lower control, arms, torsion blocks and steering knuckles.
The car is fitted with a correct steering rack. (To buy a replacement rack is about $7,000 ).
The chassis comes from Classic Chassis Services in the UK who is a very reputable supplier.