Ex-Bernie Ecclestone 'Red' D-Type Sells for Nearly £4m

One of only two red Jaguar D-Types ever produced and bought new from the former Chief Executive of the Formula One Group has sold for £3,983,454 on 22 January 2021.

Built and delivered to Henlys of Manchester where the curvaceous and already rare D-Type stood out from the usual British Racing Green or Ecurie Ecosse Blue with its bright and flashy red overcoat and an interior trimmed to match perfectly.

It's thought that Jaguar only built two or three red versions of the D-Type at Jaguar's Coventry works. The mystery of why the unexpected colour was chosen is still to be solved, but various anecdotes state that this was Jaguar's attempt to break into the Italian racing sector.

The car initially sported no tailfin behind the head-restraint and had a narrow windscreen - these features were changed for competition reasons.

Intrigued by the red D-Type, Mr Ecclestone purchased it from Henlys and then sold it for a profit. Mr Ecclestone sold the car to racer Peter Blond for £3500. Peter Blond's racing career saw him take victory at Snetterton in June and September of 1956. Other appearances included Aintree, Silverstone, Oulton Park and Goodwood.

Blond then sold the car to Jonathan Sieff in August 1957 who continued to race the car with Blond. In 1959 the car was sold to Monty Mostyn of Speedwell Garage, and after a brief period in the hands of John Houghton, it was acquired by racer Jean Bloxham. Bloxham brought the car to Goodwood in March and April of 1961 and raced the car at Silverstone in May, finishing third in one of her outings.

Chassis no XD 518 returned to John Houghton around 1962 and was sold to John Coombs and Richard Wilkins around 1967. The D-Type was taken to its first International E-type Day at Donnington Park in 1974 by Clive Lacey. After Lacey, the D-Type was purchased by Perter Grant former manager of Led Zeppelin.

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