The first works Jaguar D-Type, OKV 1, which finished second at the 1954 Le Mans, returned to the circuit for the 90^th anniversary of Le Mans last weekend in a bid to pay homage to all Jaguars that have competed in the famous event.

OKV 1 was invited by the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO), who created and organised the first 24 Heures du Mans in 1923, and was part of a select group of just 11 original Le Mans cars that drove two parade laps around the circuit prior to the start of the race.

Under a grey sky, the extraordinary cars that joined the D-Type ranged from the 1930 Speed Six Bentley that finished second in that same year to an Alfa Romeo 8C from the Alfa Museum, the rarely seen winning GT40 and a present day Audi.

Classic Motor Cars' Chairman, Peter Neumark, drove the famous D-Type that his company restored back in 2000 after which he commented, "It was a great privilege to be asked to take part. The second lap was truly amazing, at every marshals post, each group of at least twenty orange clad marshals stood in line waving and cheering as we drove past."

He added, "This culminated in driving back down the start/finish straight where every team stood in line, including drivers, pit crews and management applauding and saluting us as we drove slowly past. It was remarkable and something that will linger in the memory bank for a long time."

True to its spirit, OKV 1 is not just a museum piece as it had a great racing record since CMC's restoration when it won its grid in the 2010 Classic Le Mans.

Founded in 1993, Classic Motor Cars of Bridgnorth provides Jaguar restoration services to the highest possible standard. It is recognised as one of the world's leading restorer of classic Jaguars and is responsible for restoring some of the most historic Jaguars ever built.

Staffed by a highly experienced team of engineers and technicians based at its Bridgnorth, Shropshire, workshops – which currently cover over 35,000 sq ft – CMC is able to provide an international clientele with a range of services from a simple oil change, performance and handling upgrades to full restorations and even bespoke car design and manufacture.

europe, jaguar, uk, le mans and 14 more...

Viewed: 1,434 times