A legend of the 24 in its own right, even if it never reached the finish line
The 1990s was a particularly special time in Le Mans history. Not only did it witness the transition from last-of-the-line Group C monsters to GT1 homologation specials to streamline prototypes, it was also a golden era of manufacturers using the 24-hour race to prove the worth of their latest supercars in the lower ranks. Skip past the prototypes and you’ll find Bugatti EB110s, Honda NSXs, Ferrari F40s and, of course, the mighty.
Jaguar almost had the same fairy tale Le Mans win with the XJ220 on its debut at the 1993 race, although there were a couple of key differences: one, it won its class rather than taking outright victory as the F1 did, and two, it was disqualified a month after crossing the line. Utterly heartbreaking for drivers John Neilsen, David Brabham and David Coulthard, especially as the car was thrown out under dubious circumstances.
What’s especially sad is that the XJ220 has all but been wiped from the Le Mans history books. A pair of XJ220-Cs returned to Le Mans in 1995, but by then the competition had caught up and the McLaren F1 had arrived on the scene. The three LM-spec chassis were sold to private collectors shortly after, with the Brunei Royal family purchasing the number 50 car that won in ’93. It came up for auction recently, while the spare chassis is often bought out for demo runs at events.
In another stroke of bad luck, the car was involved in another shunt while in the custody of an ‘active member’ of the Japanese Jaguar Owners Club. It would, however, prove to be a blessing in disguise. The damaged chassis was sent to famed XJ220 specialists Don Law Racing for repairs to the tune of £200,000 plus the restoration of its stunning original Le Mans livery - complete with the iconic ‘90s category stickers on the roof. Perfection.
Better still, the seller is upfront with the price: €1,295,000 - or roughly £1,100,000. You’ll likely need to factor in import fees at the very least, and then there’s the cost of transporting it back across the channel . But what a fantastic - and highly underrated - piece of Le Mans history you’ll own once all the paperwork’s been filled out.
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