Jaguar D-Type sets record price at auction

A new world record auction price for any Jaguar vehicle was achieved yesterday at the Goodwood Festival of Speed auction, with an avid vintage car collector forking over almost USD$4.4 million for the 1955 Jaguar D-Type that belonged to Nigel Moores.

Moores was the nephew of Sir John Moores, founder of a department store chain known as Littlewoods, as well as the Littlewoods soccer pools empire.

The record-setting example sold at auction was the first D-Type to roll off the line in 1955, and was raced by Lou Brero Sr. during the 1956 American season, during which it was just pipped for first place at Eagle Mountain, Texas, by none other than Carrol Shelby in a Ferrari 121LM.

While this would have certainly added to the value of the car, the real clincher was its maintenance of original parts - the original 3.4L engine, and original subframe and tub all remained in the car throughout its 53-year existence. The auction house, Bonhams, declared the vintage Jag to be one of the "most original D-Types in existence."

The previous best price for any Jaguar sold at auction was USD$3.4 million.