The Incredible Story Of The Jaguar XJ13
This Jaguar Came, Saw, and Tried But Never Conquered
The Jaguar XJ13 prototype was built to achieve only one objective under the sun and that is to compete in the Le Mans 24 Hours. This was in the mid-1960s, yet the story of this car would outlive its objective.
From the onset, it is important to note that it never raced and only a single unit was produced. This singular version of the Jaguar lived in a museum for a long time.
However, it crashed while being driven by the company’s test driver Norman Dewis. It still remains under the careful collection of British Motor Museum.
Although there had been talking within Jaguar’s management for the production of a mid-engined prototype, it never materialized until 1965. The input of an exceptional aerodynamicist named Malcolm Sayer who had been with the Bristol Aeroplane Company was instrumental and influential in building the XJ13.
The XJ13 finally came out carrying a mid-engine 5.0-liter V12 engine that sat just behind the driver. It was mated with a five-speed manual gearbox and rode on its rear wheels.
Perhaps worth mentioning too is that although the car’s designers had been quite serious about its production, Jaguar’s management never prioritized its production. More tests later indeed confirmed that the vehicle demanded more development to make it competitive at a time when automakers were going head to head with competitive productions.
The efforts of a man named Edward Loades to restore the XJ13 is a show of compassion. The fallen would-be hero is valued at £7 million (almost $10 million). You need to be totally in love with Jaguars to spend this money on one.
