Jaguar With "fin" From The Garage Of The Former Head Of Formula 1 Will Be Sold For 554 Million Rubles

At RM Sothebys on January 22nd, the 1955 Jaguar D-Type with a red body and red interior will be put up for sale - one of the very few examples of this model released in this color combination. The list of its owners includes the former head of Formula 1 Bernie Ecclestone and the manager of the famous rock group Led Zeppelin Peter Grant.

• Perhaps, because of the rare color, the official dealer of the company could not find a buyer for a long time, and, as the auction house specifies, as a result, Ecclestone had to deal with the sale of the car - in the biography of the future head of the "royal races" there was a short episode related to the sale of cars.
• Ecclestone sold the roadster to British racer Peter Blond, who is considered its first official owner. Over the next several years, the car performed in various kinds of racing competitions, until it became a collectible. Auctioneers claim that the entire history of the Jaguar D-Type is documented: for almost half a century, the car was owned by more than a dozen people on both sides of the Atlantic. It belongs to the current owner since 2008.

• The roadster retained the original body and the original engine, although it was redesigned several times over the years. For example, once a sports car was repainted in British Racing Green, but later returned to the original shade. The now installed full-fledged windshield and the characteristic "fin" behind the pilot's seat were added after the roadster was assembled at the factory: initially the car was equipped with only a low transparent speedster-style fairing, which only protects the driver from the wind. This is clearly seen in the archival photographs published by the auctioneers.
• The auction house expects to help out for a well-preserved rarity with a transparent history from 5,750,000 to 7,500,000 dollars (from 425 to 554 million rubles).
• Earlier, a rare Jaguar Mark IX sedan, released in 1960, was put up for sale at Automotive News. Similar cars were used, for example, in Charles de Gaulle's motorcade. They ask for 9.9 million rubles for the oldtimer.