How Do You Feel About Jaguar Replicas?
If it gets any cooler than a replica of a ’50s Jaguar race car, I seriously don’t see how.
Right off the bat, I should state I’m not a Jaguar purist. As I’ve written about here previously, seeing an XJ6 when as preschooler was the spark that ignited a lifelong passion for cars. But when I finally bought an XJ6 of my own, that car was rocking a small block Chevy engine under the hood, and I think the pair went together like chocolate and peanut butter.
Someday, I’m determined to own a Series I or II with an LS swap, and I don’t care one bit if some of the folks at my favorite local British car meetup, don’t approve. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that I’m a fan of the C-Type and D-Type replicas made by Jaguar Replicas.
When a lot of people think about replicas, their minds immediately jump to the crappy, Fiero-based Ferrari and Lamborghini abominations that became popular during the Reagan administration. And for the record? While hate is a strong world, I truly dislike those slapdash jobs, and would totally prefer to walk than drive one. The proportions are so off, they do a disservice to the gorgeousness of the original sheet metal, and inside the cabin, it’s all malaise-era, rectangle-heavy, General Motors anti-design. Believing you were driving a machine with a storied Italian pedigree would require truly heroic dissociative skills.
The creations I’m discussing here, however, have absolutely nothing in common with those fiberglass horror shows. In my opinion, they’re works of art, and even at the lofty prices they command, worth every penny.
Now, even in my wildest imaginations, I don’t have the $4,000,000 it would take to score a real C-Type, and even if I wound up with an actual example, the prospect of driving it would be too daunting. So an aluminum-bodied C-Type replica is one of the vehicles in my dream garage. Since I’m still afraid of carburetors in fantasy land, I’d hide a fuel injection system inside some fake carbs, as Triumph does with the modern Bonneville. And while I’ve waffled on it in my head, if faced with filling out an order sheet, I’d go with right-hand drive too — practicality on American roads be damned.
The level of detail Jaguar Replicas puts into these machines is truly spectacular. The plans were derived from original factory drawings, and while it’s been updated for both practicality and safety, the cars retain Jaguar suspension and running gear. Just look at how sexy the straight-six looks sitting under the hood! It’s an absolute gem of a piece, and infinitely cooler than a modern power unit.
Climb into that cockpit, and it would be easy to imagine I was at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, about to begin an epic campaign to top of the podium. Thanks to this time capsule video of a D-Type lapping the French circuit before the running of the 1956 race, it’s something I’ve thought about more than I’d like a admit.
Given how cool the pictures are, I can’t even conceive of imagine how incredible these babies must be in person. On the street surrounded by regular cars, I think they’d look like something from another world, which in a way, they are.
But how do you feel about these machines? If you had the scratch to drop on a weekend car, would you opt for a C-Type or D-Type replica? Or would you go for something 100% original? It’s always great to hear from the membership, so let me know!
Photos: Jaguar Replicas