D-Types return to Le Mans

From PH (sorry)......so every chance it might prove to be false......

Winning duo from 1957 to return in June.

D-Types back at le SartheJaguar’s iconic D-Type will make a special return to Le Mans this year to mark the 50th anniversary of the 1-2-3-4-6 finish the type recorded at Le Mans in 1957.

The actual winning and second placed cars from 1957 are scheduled to reappear on the track at the Sarthe circuit in June, with the kind permission of their owners Evert Louwman and Sir Anthony Bamford.

It will be the first time they have been reunited at the scene since their epic victory. Similar cars owned by the Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust and Dick Skipworth will also be present.

The celebration has been painstakingly planned by Michael Quinn, grandson of Jaguar’s founder Sir William Lyons, in conjunction with the Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust.

"The 1957 victory for Jaguar was such a landmark at Le Mans that we were determined that the 50th anniversary of it should be properly celebrated. It was, after all, a major British triumph and a great achievement for a relatively small manufacturer at the time. The Le Mans victories really helped put Jaguar firmly on the world map," said Michael.

"Now, in 2007, the Automobile Club de l’Ouest has given its permission for the 1957 D-Types to take part in the 24 Hour trophy presentation on the start-finish straight, just before this year’s race begins. Additionally they will be driven around the circuit in the Motor Racing Legends Cavalcade on Saturday morning for three victory laps."

Jaguar had officially pulled out of racing in 1957, but provided fully-prepared D-Types for legendary Scottish team Ecurie Ecosse, which had won the previous year, to compete on their behalf.

After the usual slog throughout the 24 hours, it was the partnership of Ron Flockhart and Ivor Bueb that eventually seized victory thereby making Jaguar the most successful marque in the history of the race. It was also Ron’s second successive win. Right behind were Ninian Sanderson and John Lawrence, and third place went to Jean Lucas and Jean-Marie Brussin. Belgian journalist Paul Frere and ‘Freddy’ Rouselle finished fourth, with Mike Hawthorn and Masten Gregory sixth.

The victory crowned a hat-trick of wins at Le Mans for Jaguar and its innovative D-Type. These wins in turn followed on from two earlier successes with the C-Type, winning in 1951 and 1953.