Sothebys

A 1952 Jaguar C-Type, chassis no. XKC 007, that was once raced by Phil Hill is set to be auctioned by RM Sotheby at their December 6 auction in Manhatten. Combining robust engineering with beautiful aerodynamic coachwork, three factory C-Types debuted at Le Mans in 1951, with one of the cars becoming the first British car to win the race in nearly two decades. Jaguar reprised the win with a second Le Mans victory two years later, and in the meantime, approximately 43 customer cars were built, with XKC 007 being the seventh. Believed to be the very first C-Type to reach the U.S., XKC 007 was delivered new to Charles Hornburg’s West Coast distributorship and was retained for competition and promotional purposes, most notably in the hands of the legendary Phil Hill.

It has been described as ‘the most important Aston Martin ever produced’. And in August this 1956 DBR1 could also become the most expensive British car ever when it goes under the hammer at one of the year’s biggest auctions. It will be sold at RM Sotheby’s flagship Monterey sale taking place on August 18 and 19 during the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance motoring week in the US.