Motoring Book Reviews
Jaguar D-type – The Story of XKD 526
By John Elmgreen
ISBN: 978 1 907085 95 6
£20.00
Porter Press International – www.porterpress.co.uk
The second in the Porter Profiles series, although somewhat ‘skinnier’ and more manageably smaller (at 96pp) than the same publisher’s stellar ‘Great Cars’ series, features more tangential but no less important subject matter. XKD 526 is one of only three ‘production’ D-types registered new in Australia in the summer (their winter) of 1955. Although the Coventry factory had promised a run of 100 examples, only 67 were ever completed. However, the company’s victory at Le Mans took precedence and earnest customer demand did follow suit. As might be imagined, the car featured here was already ‘old stock’, as Jaguar continued to develop the D-type for the next couple of years. Yet, in the Antipodes, the ‘old’ cars enjoyed many successes, the featured example even incorporating an unique hardtop that enabled a win in the Australian GT Championship as late as 1961. With a major accident in 1962 curtailing its 50 race successes, it was repaired and laid up for a while, although it did take an historic cars race victory in 1970. It was completely restored in the early-1980s and helped to promote the brand’s relevance and racing history in the southern hemisphere. It was returned to the UK in 2015, since when its amazing originality has been recognised, despite its lengthy history. The story is an enchanting one and gives me an opportunity to clarion the efforts not only of its Australian author, John Elmgreen, but also of the UK-based Porter Press team, with editorial direction provided by the excellent Simon Arron and the design aspects managed by the hugely respected Martin Port. As is typical of these fine books, the photography, including a more current and extensive section towards its conclusion, is of first-rate quality.