Some automakers have such an iconic heritage that they live in their own shadow. Although what they do now with their modern vehicles may be still impressive, it is still difficult to get out of their own shadow. Jaguar is one of those automakers. They have some very nicely appointed vehicles now with good performance and sharp styling, but they have been behind the curve with offering vehicles that the market demands currently. It seems as if they can’t quite live up to where they were earlier on.
This is largely due to vehicles like the 1953 Jaguar C-Type. Jaguars like these have a presence in performance and racing history that can’t be overlooked. This vehicle is important enough that the classics division of Jaguar has done a limited reproduction of the C-Type for a select few customers. With all that being said, the 1953 Jaguar C-Type does not come cheap.
Here is what buying a 1953 Jaguar C-Type will cost you today.
The 1953 Jaguar C-Type Is Expensive Today
Back in 1953, the Jaguar C-Type only ran you $6,500 as the original MSRP. Even with inflation considered that is only about $68,000. That is still not a very low price but in comparison to how much it has appreciated to today, it might as well be chump change. The C-Type is a rare car to begin with as only 53 were produced in its production run of 1951 to 1953. This means that they are not seen at dealers or even private owners when they go for sale. They are almost exclusively sold at the occasional big auction house like Barret-Jackson or Mecum. Collectors with deep pockets will pay a pretty penny for a C-Type at auctions like these.
Hagerty, one of the most well-known auction houses for exclusive vehicles, lists that a good condition 1953 Jaguar C-Type is valued at more than $3 million. But recent auction history shows that this could be at the low end since there have been some C-Types that have seen a selling price of more than $13 million.
Classics Reimagined
Given that the 1953 Jaguar C-Type can be out of reach for even some of the most affluential buyers, Jaguar has capitalized on the market of the C-Type and reproduced authentic replicas today. Jaguar likes to call it the “C-Type Continuation” as they stay true to what the original was. Jaguar classics will let customers customize their own C-Type to their liking, but these recreations are not street legal. Don’t expect these versions to be much cheaper than the 1953 version as Jaguar produces these in limited quantities as well.
Although it is clear that Jaguar may not have the same kind of clout as they used too, at least they can use their richly textured heritage to their advantage. Engineering marvels like the 1953 C-Type show that Jaguar has known what they are doing, and they do it well. Let’s hope there’s still spiritual successors to the C-Type in Jaguar’s future.