In 1954, Jaguar introduced the D Type, a replacement for the successful C Type which had won Le Mans in both 1951 and 1953. A three car team was entered by the factory: Stirling Moss paired with Peter Walker, Duncan Hamilton with Tony Rolt, and Ken Wharton teamed with Peter Whitehead. While two cars had to retire, one with gearbox trouble and the other with brake failure, the Rolt/Hamilton car finished an estimated 2.5 miles behind the winning 4.9-liter Ferrari after 24 hours of racing.
On a personal note: the artist had an occasion in the early ’60s when OKV2 was in Canada, to give this D-Type a chassis lubrication prior to it being taken to Mosport. Unfortunately, the driver at the Mosport meeting, Alistair Cameron Smith, succumbed to injuries suffered when the car rolled during practice. The cur- rent owner of the OKV 2, Terry Larsen of Arizona, commissioned this painting, the reverse side of which contains a dedication by the artist to Alistair’s memory.
For commissions, originals and prints, contact:
Chris Phillips, (905) 648-0329, or see more of his artwork at www.racing-art.com
