39"it wasdedicatedcLive beecHaM, owner of
xkd603, 1956 works Longnose Le Mans d-type
wHoaLertedustotHesenewLy foundiMages."WHILE WE ALL TRY TO IMAGINE JAGUAR'S
racing triumphs in the 1950s and '60s, there is
nothing like an intimate image to make it all the
more real. Of course, most are in black and white
because colour photography was rare, expensive
then, and did not always produce sharp action
images. Imagine then how thrilling it was to find
these, taken at Le Mans in 1955, which were
beautifully candid - and in full glorious colour as
fresh as today!
It was dedicated Clive Beecham, owner of XKD603,
1956 works Long Nose Le Mans D-Type number
#3 here on the grid, who aler ted us to these newly
found images.
Remarkably, they were taken from pit lane six t y-
three years ago by an unknown Mexican, whose
son has released them now. We have no idea of
the photographer's name.
01 A tantalising shot showing the #1 D-Type
driven by Mike Haw thorn and Ivor Bueb, Jaguar
victors there in 1955. Alongside is brand new
XKD602 and XKD603. The nex t car is the eventual
winner, the first 'production' standard D-Type built,
albeit in the Jaguar Experimental Depar tment, and
entered by Scottish team Ecurie Ecosse making
its Le Mans debut with Ron Flockhar t and Ninian
Sanderson in the driver's seat. The final car, only
identified by the Jaguar board above the pit, is the
Ecurie Belge D-Type XKD573.
02 Jaguar engineers of the highest repute, Tom
Jones and Phil Weaver, lean on the fin of XKD602
before the star t. Both cars would be out af ter the
first standing lap plus t wo corners. They were
of ficially written of f af ter just that much racing life.
They were combined into a single car carr ying the
identit y of XKD603, even though the body used
was from XKD602.
03 The tall man in the centre in blue is American
panel guru Bob Blake who had just been recruited
from the Briggs Cunningham team to Jaguar. He
would personally build E1A, E2A and XJ13!
04 The loneliness of the long distance racer! Ron
Flockhar t passes an empt y pit stand en route to
the first of his second Jaguar Le Mans victories.
05 Winners Flockhar t and Sanderson in XKD501.08
07
06
06 Respect - Design Director Ian Callum glows at the wheel of Clive Beecham's D-Type which finished second at Le Mans in 1957.
07 Ron Flockhart jumps back into XKD501 for another stint. Ron Gaudion watches. 08/09 Ron stands fifth from right, and told us he had
no idea who the man waving victor y flowers was. We didn't think we would ever see those blooms in colour as officials sign documents.EDITION 198 JAGUAR MAGAZINE09