Jaguar C-Type car, 1952 British Racing Green

The decade of the great Jaguar began in 1949 with the magnificent XK120 sports car and led to what is arguably the most beautiful car in history, the XKE type – better known in continental Europe as the E-Type. The C-Type, developed for motorsport use in 1951 based on the XK120, was entirely new, except for the optimized engine.

The Jaguar C-Type has a proud racing history and, from today’s perspective, marks the beginning of Jaguar Cars Ltd.'s impressive motorsport program. The XKC was born from the idea of William Lyons – then not yet "Sir" – and his chief designer William Heynes in late summer 1950. Both aimed to give the brand’s sporting image a lasting boost and to showcase results to an international audience and potential buyers the following year at Le Mans. Quod erat demonstrandum! While the powertrain of the brand-new Type C, built on the proven XK120 engine, was entirely new, its sturdy yet heavy chassis was replaced with a very lightweight tubular frame.

Jaguar Cars Ltd. developed three different variants of the C-Type: The first were three "pre-production" Le Mans racing cars in 1951 – which incidentally reached the finish line on their own wheels – equipped with drum brakes, two SU carburettors, and eye-catching air vents on the bonnet. The second variant consisted of production vehicles built from 1952 onwards – from chassis number XKC005 to XKC049, also with drum brakes and SU carburettors, but with more prominent air vents on the bonnet. The final evolution of the C-Type were the factory racing cars of 1953, which differed from customer XKC models but shared some features: modified engines with three Weber 40DCO3 double carburettors, hand-crafted bodywork made from very thin aluminum sheet, and even an air-cooled rubber fuel tank.

Jaguar was the first to install Dunlop disc brakes and a servo booster to assist braking pressure. For better road grip at Le Mans, the rear axle received additional support, and the front was reinforced with a stabilizer. The reward for this effort: play, set, and victory. On June 14, 1953, at 4:00 PM, the Jaguar Boys completed their mission. The Jaguar C-Type literally outperformed its competitors, taking first, second, and fourth places.

Information about Classic Model Cars (CMC)

Stylish products combined with the highest quality finish make us synonymous with the German brand Classic Model Cars. This is a true homage to handcrafted products that impress with their unique elegance and luxury.

CMC is one of the leading brands producing miniature vintage cars. The company creates classic and collector’s models using authentic materials and fabrics.

Since 1995, CMC has operated its own manufacturing facility with highly skilled engineers and workers in China. The result of months of research is a variety of classic car models, assembled by hand from over 1800 individual parts. The manufactory uses high-quality materials to fully preserve the "faithfulness to the original" of each model.

The company focuses on all major and popular collector scales: 1:12, 1:18, 1:24, 1:43. The first model produced by the company was in 1:24 scale – the iconic Mercedes-Benz SSK from 1930. Built in 1995, it has won numerous prestigious awards.

Each element is carefully assembled by hand. Instruments on the dashboard are mounted separately. The seats are covered with fabric or leather. The flooring is laid inside and in the trunk. The replicas faithfully reproduce the smallest details according to the original plans of each vehicle.