Art History

Jaguar D-type

SportsCarDigest

The Jaguar D-type, was a factory-built racecar. It was essentially an upgraded C-type with a more powerful engine, radically different tubular chassis, and more aerodynamic body with an aircraft-type stressed-skin monocoque construction. The standard D-type was a “one-seater,” with a hard tonneau and small wraparound windscreen. But its signature design element was the faired headrest and high wing behind the driver. This was intended to add high speed stability on the Mulsanne Straight at Le Mans. The D-Type finished 2nd to a Ferrari in 1954, and then dominated in 1955, 1956, and 1957.

Tags
SportsCarDigest
Steve Natale has been playing with cars ever since he was old enough to first hold a matchbox car in his hand. A lifelong enthusiast of anything old with an engine in it or wheels on it, Steve has been active in the hobby for over 35 years. Currently he owns a successful marketing company with his wife Mary, is an automotive photographer, blogger and writer for several automotive magazines and regular contributor to various automotive websites. Steve has attended vintage car events and visited car museums and collections around the world.
Related
Members only$29 / year

Keep going. This is where it gets good.

Sports Car Digest Membership is for people who'd rather spend an hour with one chassis number than skim ten headlines. The rest of this story — and every other one like it — is a few seconds away.

  • 5,000+ members-only stories

    Concours, auctions, race history, driven classics and the full archive.

  • No ads. None.

    The whole site reads like a magazine, on every device.

  • The market, every week

    Auction results and classic-car values from the people who were there.

  • 30% off the shop

    Every Sports Car Digest shirt and piece of merch, all year.

Join Sports Car Digest — Keep Reading

$29 a year. Cancel anytime, no hoops.
Already a member? Sign in

BY CAR PEOPLE, NOT A NAMELESS MEDIA COMPANY. Your membership keeps a small independent team of historians, photojournalists and racing drivers doing this.

Join — Keep Reading $29/yr