1966 Jaguar XJ13 Recreation
British racing heritage reached a crossroads in the mid-1960s as Jaguar sought to reclaim its Le Mans dominance after nearly a decade away from major competition. The XJ13 was the company’s effort to return to endurance racing, featuring distinctive aluminum bodywork designed by aerodynamicist Malcolm Sayer.
This mid-engine prototype marked Jaguar’s first departure from traditional front-engine layouts. The sleek aluminum monocoque housed a 5.0-liter V12 engine producing around 502 horsepower, paired with a ZF five-speed transaxle.
In 1967, with David Hobbs driving, it recorded a lap at the MIRA test track averaging 161.6 mph. The project was abandoned when new Le Mans regulations for 1968 limited prototype engines to 3.0 liters.
Only one original was built. It crashed in 1971 during filming for a promotional video but was later rebuilt by Jaguar. New Zealand’s Rod Tempero has created faithful recreations using original-style construction methods and materials, with just six examples completed.
This particular example sold for $478,000 in 2019.
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