D-Type | British Racing Green | ||||
Open Two Seater | |||||
Right Hand Drive | |||||
24 September 1957 | |||||
E2029-9 | |||||
United Kingdom | |||||
1957 | |||||
2010 | |||||
| |||||
WMV3 | BLH7 | NSW567 |
2 more photos below ↓
Record Creation: Entered on 25 October 2008.
Database Updates: Show dataplate edits
Heritage Notes
Full list of registration numbers: WMV3 (United Kingdom) ; BLH7 (United Kingdom) ; NSW567 (Australia) ; NT5000 (Australia) ; XK55 (United Kingdom) ; 4XK (Germany) .
Registered WVM 3, BLH 7, NSW 567, XK 55, 5000 NT
Car History
Loaned to Henlys, Manchester; works chassis records state, 'redundant after experiment'; supplied to Coombs of Guildford for £2100; despatched 24/9/57; used for display purposes; laie 1957 sold to hillclimber Phil Scragg; winter 1958/59 modified by works to full XKSS spec for owner to use in sports car hillclimb championship; painted, like all Scragg's cars, in light blue; end of 1959 sold to John Browning (Cheltenham); converted at works to 3.8 and hillclimbed; 1962 sold to Betty Haig; re-registered BLH 7; 28/8/62 sold, via Jack Playford or Daniel Hastings, to Laurie O'Neill (Sydney, Australia); re-registered NSW 567; 1964 featured in Sports Car World; owned briefly by Richard Ralph; 1965 sold to Colin Hyams (Melbourne); 1965 damaged at hillclimb; 1966 & 1967 won Car of the Day at Jaguar Club of Victoria concours d'elegance; 1968 sold to Jaguar dealer Bill Clemens; 1971 offered for sale at $20,000; September 1972, sold to Bryan Corser (Shrewsbury, UK); restored, painted Tyrolean Green and re-registered NT 5000; featured in Autocar 20/2/82; 1985 sold to Peter Fowler; registered XK 55; sold to Hermann Graf Hatzfeldt (Germany); used for Mille Miglia and Oldtimer GP, Nürburgring; described by owner as being, 'virtually in its original condition and in perfect running order'.
Photos of XKD540
Click slide for larger image. This car has 3 photos. (Dates are when image was uploaded.)
Exterior Photos (2)
Uploaded January 2016:
Uploaded July 2012:
Detail Photos: Other (1)
Uploaded December 2018:
Comments
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2009-04-13 18:57:41 | pauls writes:
The car is mentioned in the book "Jaguar D Type & XKSS" by Graham Robson as restored and registered 5000 NT and owned by Bryan Corser. Ex Philip Scragg factory converted D-type.
2009-04-14 18:16:08 | pauls writes:
According to "Jaguar D Type & XKSS" by Graham Robson car was dispatched Apr. 29, 1957.
2011-10-12 16:16:16 | Nigel writes:
I worked for Clements Sporting Cars in Melbourne in 1968 and I used to polish the jaguar. It had been made to look a bit like an XKSS as it had a chrome luggage rack on the rear and lacked the fin behind the driver, although I vaguely remember that it may have had a rounded type of headrest. I cannot remember what type of windscreen. It was painted in BRG but did not have the white roundels on it.
2012-07-29 16:21:46 | pauls writes:
Photo added from this site, do not know if it is accurate but appears to match late descriptions.
www.wired.com/autopia/2010/09/jaguar-75th-anniversary/
2016-01-03 18:16:26 | Wilde writes:
The picture uploaded in july 2002 is wrong. It's XKSS701. XKD540 was still in Germany in 2010 with reg. 4XK.
2016-04-06 22:05:12 | pauls writes:
Actually XKD540 once had UK registration XK 55, its likely the 2012 photo is correct. A list of registrations is just below the data plate. XKSS701 holds reg # XKS 5.
2016-09-11 01:40:19 | Bill Clemens writes:
Good Morning Everyone,
I have just received this interesting article from an old friend, Graham, so I thought I should share it.
Interesting history of the most raced "D" type which, as in the text, I owned until becoming a Mercedes-Benz dealer in Melbourne.
The XKSS, as it became was not a suitable centre piece for a Mercedes dealer, no matter how special !
Within months of selling it I was very lucky in being able to acquire a late production 300SL Mercedes roadster, which I registered as Vic SL300.
My understanding is that the XKSS sold for 2.5 Million Euros ! I wish I had been the seller at that time. At least I have had them both at one time.
Cheers, BillC
2016-12-21 02:37:49 | gary pearce writes:
I can well remember this car from 1968. I was driving past Clemens Sporting Cars showroom in Poath Road Hughesdale, Melbourne and there it was sitting in the showroom.
I stopped and went in and the sales guy was kind enough to spend 20 minutes or so talking to this raggedy assed kid about the car. From memory it was dark blue almost black and had the initials "CH" on the door which I assumed was from Colin Hyams ownership. asking price was $25000.00 - a lot of money back then - I was earning $30.00 per week.
I also recall that Colin Hyams drag raced the car at Riverside Dragway in Melbourne. Can't remember any times but what I can remember was that he selected reverse gear instead of first during one race and when he dropped the clutch at 5000rpm the car left line backwards scattering sundry officials and onlookers.
What a car!!
2017-08-29 06:17:56 | Noel Macwhirter writes:
As an 18 yo I remember seeing this car in the Clemens's Poath Road front window as I walked to Hughesdale railway station each day going to work. One summers evening coming home they were driving it out onto Poath Road, absolutely floored it going towards Kangaroo Rd. For about two hours that evening I could hear it roaring around the streets, wonderful. Never realised it wasn't an XKSS but a D-Type.
2018-12-04 14:11:30 | John Elmgreen writes:
I am posting a copy of a letter I received from Bill Clemens back in 1971 re this car. I was tracking XK histories before then ... and ever since!
2022-01-11 05:39:23 | Jesse Fowler writes:
hello,
My grandfather peter fowler used to own this car back in 1985 and I have been trying to track where this car is now and find more recent photos of the car. if anyone can help it would be greatly appreciated.