1954 Jaguar D-Type Works | Image courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

RM Sotheby’s Unveiled Jaguar D-Type Ahead of Arizona Sale Next Year

RM Sotheby’s third Manhattan ICONS “A Life of Luxury” opened its doors to the public on Nov 30 at Sotheby’s York Avenue headquarters ahead of the auction held on Dec 6. A large showcase of thirty-two cars and a selection of collectibles went on public sale. The inaugural Life of Luxury Week ICONS sale is part of Sotheby’s, presenting offering clients and enthusiasts an unparalleled experience as well as the very best in jewellery, watches, wine, fashion and cars.

Honouring the cutting-edge automotive design

During the auction, RM Sotheby’s legendary stirling Moss’ Le Mans 1954 Jaguar D-Type Works (OKV 2) made an appearance for the company’s 2018 Arizona sale. The specially-curated exhibits ICONS presented 31 iconic automobiles from the world’s most admired marques, from the Classic Era through today’s most advanced hypercars. Along with other selection of automotive collectibles and art, these vintage cars made up a huge part of the auction:

• an alloy-bodied 1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider Competizione which claimed 5th overall at the 1959 24 Hours of Le Mans (Est. $14/17 million);
• the very first Jaguar C-Type
• imported to the United States and raced to victory by Phil Hill (Est. $5.5/7 million);
• the 1952 Chrysler d’Elegance “idea car” with Italian coachwork by Ghia, an influential landmark in transatlantic design (Est. $900k/1.1 million);
• an unmistakable 1960 Volkswagen Deluxe ‘23-Window’ Microbus, an iconic favorite of young and old (Est. $150/225,000, without reserve);
• a 1969 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Berlinetta, both the final prototype and first production Daytona (Est. $1.4/1.7 million);
• a wild 1990 Lamborghini LM002, one of 60 U.S.-delivery examples of the high performance SUV known as the “Rambo Lambo” (Est. $400/500,000);
• a 2000 BMW Z8 originally owned by the late visionary Apple founder, Steve Jobs (Est. $300/$400,000, without reserve);
• a 2014 Ferrari LaFerrari, a 53-mile example of the most advanced street Ferrari ever built (Est. $3.25/3.75 million); and,
• a 2018 Bugatti Chiron (estimate $3.5/4 million), the very first example ordered for the U.S. market (Est. $3.5/4 million).

Throughout the Life of Luxury week exhibition at Sotheby’s, the D-Type went on public viewing alongside 1955 Alfa Romeo 1900C SS Speciale by Boano as part of the A Century of Sports Cars Collection (Est. $1,250,000 – $1,750,000).

Several cars to display at Arizona Sales on Jan 18-19, 2018

Shining the spotlight on the 1954 Jaguar D-Type raced by the factory team at Le Mans, chassis no. XKD 403 (registration mark OKV 2), which will be the first of the featured cars to lead both RM Sotheby’s auction in Phoenix and the entire Arizona car week.

“OKV 2 remains one of the most raced and most original D-Types in existence, retaining its factory tub, chassis, drivetrain, and suspension. The Jaguar is expected to bring in excess of $12,000,000 when it crosses the podium in January.” – RM Sotheby’s

The D-Types presented an exhaustively documented and continuous history from the moment it came out of Jaguar’s Coventry factory in 1954. Visitors will get a glimpse of the OKV 2, which led the race with a new speed record of 172.97 mph on the Mulsanne just before it ran into brake problems; it was also Jaguar’s designated lead team car for Le Mans in 1954, piloted by Sir Stirling Moss and Peter Walker. In addition, OKV 2 went on to make history throughout 1954 on the Reims in the hands of Moss/Walker, and the Dundrod Tourist Trophy with drivers Peter Whitehead and Ken Wharton, securing Fifth overall.