The Comeback
Pictured above is the Jaguar XJ13 which you may have randomly seen photos of online, but chances are the photos you’ve seen were replicas. Why? Because there is only one authentic XJ13 and this is it.
The car was built in 1966 to bring Jaguar back to Le Mans to compete with Ford and Ferrari but unfortunately the car was completed too late to compete. It had a mid-mounted 5-liter V12 engine so even though it was ready to race in 1967, new ‘3-liter max’ regulations ended the car’s hopes.
During test runs, the XJ13 set new lap records and looked beautiful doing so, until 1971 when being filmed for an E-type press release, the car lost a rear tire and flipped end over end while being driven 140mph by Norman Dewis. Despite not wearing a safety belt, Dewis walked away unharmed, but the car didn’t (see last two photos). Dewis somehow managed to cut the ignition during the crash so no fire broke out.
Unlike so many race cars of the era, the car was saved, repaired, and restored two years later. Jaguar used another engine they had lying around but unfortunately they welded one of the pistons so the car could drive, but not be able to race again.
In 2002, the car fell from a curb cracking the engine block. The bold decision was made to rebuild the engine again but this time it would function the way it was intended, for speed. In 2007, the car debuted at the Goodwood Festival of Speed where it was heard and seen in all its racing glory for the first time in 35 years.
Photos via Supercars.net, Kevin Lloyd, & zero-motors.
Source: motoriginal
472 Notes/ Hide
-
raulsmv96 reblogged this from motoriginal
-
ryusutyle reblogged this from lowkeyloke
-
lowkeyloke reblogged this from cadoretjerome
-
lowkeyloke likes this
-
cadoretjerome reblogged this from motoriginal
-
razorspainbox reblogged this from motoriginal
-
pbzick likes this
-
rin64t likes this
-
pyreariege likes this
-
orreries reblogged this from francotron
-
francotron reblogged this from alwaysinstudio
-
here-cums-trubble reblogged this from pricklylegs and added:
vrrrrrrrooooooooom
-
jettadore likes this
-
kurchina likes this
-
soulsofdistorsion reblogged this from takeovertime
-
soulsofdistorsion likes this
-
craigmacauley likes this
-
dimecuando likes this
-
myfuckinventures likes this
-
fortune8008 likes this
-
lartin-lartin likes this
-
194cm likes this
-
fluffleine likes this
-
francotron likes this
-
-riko- likes this
-
alwaysinstudio reblogged this from takeovertime
-
ntn-esclapez reblogged this from designcouncil
-
mehrblick reblogged this from takeovertime
-
mehrblick likes this
-
thatkindofwoman likes this
-
takeovertime reblogged this from designcouncil
-
designcouncil reblogged this from motoriginal
-
drucatic reblogged this from pricklylegs
-
something-left-to-love likes this
-
southmtn likes this
-
anni-nelson likes this
-
peter-is-the-wolf reblogged this from pricklylegs
-
peter-is-the-wolf likes this
-
styleandglory likes this
-
picardwouldtotallyrulekirk likes this
-
catsmusicetc reblogged this from kaiserwilhelm
-
kaiserwilhelm reblogged this from redjeep
-
nevuary likes this
-
verbnoun reblogged this from tonallygreen
-
here-cums-trubble likes this
-
tonallygreen reblogged this from motoriginal
-
carbonara321 likes this
-
ybb55 likes this
-
notsoquietinside reblogged this from pricklylegs
-
fallenfar likes this
- Show more notes
