Michael Satterfield
The Concours of Elegance 2017 will host a 60th-anniversary celebration of Jaguar’s legendary 1-2-3-4-6 finish at the 1957 Le Mans 24 Hours race. All three podium finishers will drive in convoy, alongside two further Le Mans-raced D-types, into the grounds of Hampton Court Palace for the duration of this year’s Concours of Elegance.
Despite taking victory in the 1955 and 1956 Le Mans 24 Hours races, it was the 1957 running when the D-types really had their chance to shine. Scotland’s Ecurie Ecosse team took the first two places in D-types, followed by Equipe Los Amigos in third and Equipe National Belge in fourth. Rounding off Jaguar’s five finishers in the top six was a privateer D-type driven by Duncan Hamilton and Masten Gregory.
Now, 60 years later, the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place finishers will line up at Hampton Court Palace alongside D-type XKD 504, which went to Le Mans in 1955 and 1958, and XKD 605 which finished 6th at Le Mans in 1956.
In the days preceding the Concours of Elegance, the five D-types will embark on an incredible journey from Classic Works, the new heart of Jaguar Land Rover Classic in Coventry. Taking in stops at Silverstone and the home of the Panasonic Jaguar Racing Formula E team, the D-types will drive into Hampton Court Palace on the morning of Friday 1st September.
Jaguar’s Fifties heroes won’t be the only Le Mans legends on display at Concours of Elegance, with the 1988 race-winning Jaguar XJR-9 also forming part of the main concours display.
Throughout the weekend at Concours of Elegance, the D-type display and a number of other vehicles will be starting their engines and driving to the brand new Concours of Elegance central stage. Famous faces and motoring experts will be on-hand to provide commentary and insight into the Concours of Elegance’s world-class cars and features.
Adult tickets for this year’s Concours of Elegance start from just £25, with concessions from £17.50. Children under five and carers can enter free of charge. Members of the public also have the opportunity to attend on Friday 1st September, a day normally reserved for the Owners of the main Concours cars.
The Concours of Elegance takes place at Hampton Court Palace from 1-3 September. Tickets can be bought from www.concoursofelegance.co.uk.
