Race cars, classic or otherwise, going on the block is nothing new. But what if there’s a classic race car that has never turned a wheel in anger, and now it’s headed under the hammer? That’s right. Meet the Jaguar D-type—one of just 71 built—and this particular one is so pristine, it’s basically a time capsule on wheels.
Chassis XKD 551 was born in 1956, but instead of charging down Le Mans like its siblings, it lived a surprisingly civilized life. The first owner even converted it toward XKSS spec, adding a passenger door and full-width windscreen—as if this thing was meant for a Sunday picnic instead of scrapping with Ferraris. Later owners included aristocrats, Formula 1 drivers, and eventually a Swiss caretaker who guarded it for three decades like a dragon hoarding vinyl records.
It has matching chassis and engine numbers, though the original inline-six was tucked away for safekeeping until it was rebuilt in 2005 and only recently reunited with the car. The result is, well, an un-raced D-type that looks like it’s just waiting for the Goodwood Revival to give it purpose.
This unmolested Jaguar D-type will cross the block at Broad Arrow’s inaugural Zürich Auction on November 1, 2025, with estimates ranging from CHF 5,250,000 to 6,250,000.
Images: Broad Arrow Auctions.
