WSC60 Jaguar XJ-13

3d Model Conversion by: Lucas Macedo

With five wins between 1951 and 1957 (two by C-types and three by D-types), Jaguar were the most successful manufacturer to participate at Le Mans during the 1950s.

Jaguar were best known for their smooth and powerful straight six engines, but a dual overhead camshaft V12 had long been under consideration. Such an engine finally came to fruition in July 1964 with a view to spawning a single overhead cam derivative for production use.

1964 was a watershed season for sportscar racing. Ferrari had largely dominated the scene since Jaguar’s exit, but a new Anglo-American challenger emerged at the Le Mans Test that April: the Ford GT40. Henry Ford II had sanctioned the multi million dollar GT40 programme after Enzo Ferrari reneged on a deal to sell his company. Thus began perhaps the greatest battle in sportscar history.

Compared to the single cam Ferrari V12 and Ford’s pushrod V8, the new Jaguar V12 seemed to have an edge. Understandably, the competition department in Coventry thought it the ideal power unit for an all new prototype racing car that could return Jaguar to Le Mans.

A small team started work on designing a brand new mid-engined challenger: the XJ13. The XJ13 was based around an all new aluminium monocoque chassis. The engine and gearbox were used to carry the rear suspension while the front assembly was attached to a bolt-on subframe. Front suspension was via double wishbones. At the back, the driveshafts were used as upper transverse links (similar to the E-type) with two radius arms per side and a single transverse lower link. Coil sprung Armstrong dampers were fitted all round. Two enormous fuel tanks with a combined capacity of 41 gallons were located either side of the engine, up against the rear bulkhead.

Jaguar’s Claude Bailey-designed 60° V12 was essentially two XK six cylinder engines on a common crankshaft. Initially, six SU sidedraught carburettors were used and the engine developed 445bhp at 7000rpm. Jaguar soon switched to Lucas mechanical fuel-injection which led to a marked increase: 503bhp at 7600rpm. In this configuration, the peak torque rating was 518Nm at 6300rpm. A five-speed manual ZF 5DS-25 transaxle was employed.

The XJ13’s aluminium bodywork was designed by feted aerodynamicist, Malcolm Sayer, who had previously been responsible for both the C and D-type. Shoulder-mounted rear wing intakes fed fresh air into the engine bay, but unlike most sports racing cars of the era, Sayer eschewed a Kamm tail in favour of a pointed rear end with E-type lights. Bodywork was fabricated from aluminium by Abbey Panels just down the road in Coventry. Exposed rivets were a feature of both the interior and exterior. Although at 1040kg, the XJ13 prototype was a little on the heavy side, it could still hit 195mph. 0-62mph took under four seconds.

Working mostly evenings and weekends, the small team had the first car running in March 1966. However, with few staff, little time and an almost non-existent budget, it wasn’t until a year later that testing began in earnest.

Nine tests were variously held at Silverstone and MIRA between March and August of 1967. Unfortunately, just a few weeks earlier, the FIA had dropped a bombshell that killed any prospect of the XJ13 ever going racing.

The day after Le Mans, it was announced a three-litre engine limit would be imposed on Group 6 Prototype racing cars from 1968 in an effort to reduce speeds. The decision was made without any manufacturer consultation, but top flight prototypes had become so fast that the governing body felt drastic action was needed.

As a consequence, a whole raft of cars were made obsolete practically overnight.