Jaguar C-Type Replica by Suffolk Sportscars ‘2018

Chassis.nr JAALA3CC324383

4.2 litre Jaguar XK inline six engine with triple Webers

Four speed manual with overdrive

Weight only 950 kg’s

Registered in UK, located in Finland. Last V5 Inspection done in UK 2019.

Serviced in Finland by Jaguar specialists.

99 800 €

Like many other vehicle manufacturers, Sideswallow Sportscars (later Jaguar) was harnessed during World War II to produce vehicles for the needs of the war industry. During the wars, Jaguar also had time to dream of making sports cars. Sideswallow Sportscars had already successfully manufactured a few hundreds of the SS100 sports car model before the Second World War.

After the war, Sideswallow Sportscars became Jaguar (as the abbreviation of the previous name was no longer appropriate) which introduced its first sports car, the XK 120, named after its 120 mp/h top speed. The engine was, among other things, inspired by the cast iron engine of the Alfa Romeo 6 C 2500, inline six with two overhead camshafts and an aluminum cylinder head. Presented at the Earls Court Motor Show in 1948, the fastest mass-produced car of its time was beautiful and the test batch of 200 cars sold out immediately.

With the XK 120, Jaguar invested more and more in sports cars, and already in 1950, Jaguar also aimed at racetracks – Le Mans, of course. In 1951, Jaguar was expected to enter with an improved XK 120, but Jaguar surprised everyone by building a thoroughbred racing car. Jaguar hired engineers specializing in aerodynamics, and Malcolm Sayer was responsible for the racer’s design. The air resistance of the car had to be small, but the similarity of the design to the XK 120 had to be maintained. The car got an aluminum body built on a triangular tube frame. The engine, chassis and brakes were built and tuned to be more suitable for racing. The C-Type was completed and won Le Mans twice, in 1951 and 1953. The car is often considered as the first modern racing car.

Completed in 2018, this C-Type is an incredibly accurate replica of the original. The car was manufactured by Suffolk Sportscars, a family company specializing in Jaguar replicas ­– and whose founder, Roger Williams, has experience with Jaguars dating back to the 1960s.

The body mounted on the tubular frame of the C-Type is made of GRP and aluminum and the total weight is only 950 kilograms. The car’s engine is Jaguar’s 4.2 liter XK straight six with three Weber carburetors. The color of the car is the legendary British Racing Green, with green leather seats and black wire wheels. The racing car’s demand exhaust system emphasizes beautiful exhaust notes.

The car is registered in Great Britain, from where the British owner brought it to Finland in 2020. The car has been serviced by Karaasi, a specialist in British cars, twice in Finland, although the car has only been driven on regular test drives to keep it in working condition. The last service was done in the spring of 2023. The C-Type has only been driven 2270 miles and is in like-new condition except for a few small cosmetic marks.

The car is really wonderful to drive – accurate and easy to steer and handle, the chassis with gas shock absorbers feels like a real sports car and the engine runs really smoothly, producing a violent twist at revs. The car is really fast.

Suffolk C-Type is located in Vantaa, 25 minutes from Helsinki–Vantaa Airport. Views by appointment.