The C-type presented here, chassis XKC028, is among the finest surviving examples of this legendary Le Mans-winning sports racer. One of the 43 C-types built for customer use, XKC028 was dispatched from Jaguar’s Coventry works on November 24, 1952, handsomely finished in silver and fitted with engine no. E10288, gearbox no. JH13314 and body no. K1028.
XKC028 was originally delivered via Jaguar distributor Charles Hornburg to Imported Motors Inc., a Denver, CO, dealer operated by Charles Hughes and Kurt Kircher. It was from there that the C-type was sold to its first private owner, Doug Maier of Cleveland, OH, who took delivery in June 1953.
Maier used XKC028 exclusively as a road car, accumulating approximately 23,000 miles before selling it to second owner William Franz in 1968. Pat Black purchased the C-type from Franz in 1974, had the engine rebuilt by Jaguar specialist Lou Fidanza, and then took it around the concours circuit, winning several prizes.
The C-type’s next caretaker was Joe Egle of Kansas City, MO. Following his successful career as a British-car dealer, Egle began collecting the kind of cars he had previously sold, focusing primarily on the Jaguar marque. The C-type was one of the last important models he acquired, purchasing XKC028 from Pat Black in 1981.
After performing some light restoration work, Egle debuted the C-type at the Elkhart Lake vintage races, winning first place in the concours d’elegance. Egle retained the C-type until 1988, when it was sold to Bob Baker of Omaha, NE. A connoisseur who owned some of the most significant post-war sports and racing cars, Baker entered XKC028 in the Colorado Grand, the Monterey Historic Automobile Races, and the Jaguar factory cavalcade to Le Mans in 1991.
Arizona-based collector Dr. Philippe Reyns acquired the C-type in 1995 and continued putting it to good use on both road and track, taking part in vintage races such as the Monterey Historics and the Wine Country Classic.
In 2018, XKC028 returned to the U.K., where it was acquired by British collector William Ainscough. Contained in the car’s history file is a detailed report prepared by marque specialists Chris Keith-Lucas that concludes: “XKC028 is a particularly complete and correct C-type; indeed, I cannot think of a more original example. I would particularly recommend it as a chance to see just how these cars looked on day one.” Indeed, it was XKC028’s sheltered early existence as a fair-weather sports car on the backroads of Cleveland that contributed to its wonderfully intact and original condition today.
(Introductory description courtesy of Gooding Christie’s.)
