how many parts can be replaced before a car is no longer considered original? How many before it's not even the same car? What if you replaced them all, slowly, and put the used parts together? Then you have two cars, with the same serial number. Jaguar XKD 530

Chassis number XKD 530 is one of the 54 examples produced for privateer customers, this car left the factory on February 13, 1956, finished in British Racing Green. Retailed through Finnish Jaguar dealer S.M.K., the car was delivered in April 1956 to Curt Lincoln, of Helsinki, a tennis player on Finland’s Davis Cup team who was known to the racing world for his exploits in F3 midget cars and a Jaguar C-Type.

As factory documentation reportedly demonstrates, Mr. Lincoln sought to avoid excessive duty on the import; therefore, he instructed Coventry to make the car appear used, so that it would not be subject to new vehicle tariffs. To this end, the factory brushed the pedals to make them appear worn, replaced the steering wheel with a used one, and adjusted the odometer to misleadingly reflect accrued mileage, among other measures.

Other than the 1957 Elaintarhanajo, XKD 530 was used primarily for ice racing following the 1956 season, and team Askolin fitted the tires with 1¾-inch spikes

the FIA’s cancellation of the Production Sports Car class in 1957 prompted Mr. Lincoln to contacting the factory with interest in modifying the car to GT class specifications by converting it into an XK-SS road car. Eventually, the decision was made to conduct further race modifications domestically. Coachbuilders Wiima, of Helsinki, were retained to install a full-width windscreen, a new nearside door, and a custom tail fin.

On May 26, 1959, Mr. Lincoln wrote to Jaguar’s racing chief, F.R.W. “Lofty” England, that the rigors of ice racing had taken a toll on the car, and an overhaul was in order. The D-Type arrived at the Works competition department in Coventry in December 1959, and the engine block was replaced with a factory 3.8-liter example. The 40-millimeter Weber carburetors were replaced with 45-millimeter units, the gearbox and brakes were reconditioned, and the car was repainted in white. XKD 530 then returned to Scuderia Askolin with a written tag stating “+100 hp,” and Mr. Lincoln resumed racing it, taking the checkered flag twice more in February of 1960.

Heimo Hietarinta finished 1st in the Formula Libre Class at the Leningrad Grand Prix on August 27, 1961. XKD530 is believed to be the only D-Type to have ever raced in the Soviet Union, and the occasion was reported in the September 1961 issue of Finnish magazine Tekniikan Maailma, forever documenting the car’s momentous participation.

In November 1966, no longer competitive on Finland’s ice courses, XKD 530 was sold to English collector Nigel Moores, showing the symptoms of hard use, and the body had been modified to an open two-seater cockpit with a truncated tail. As rebuilding the original body was deemed to be too prohibitively expensive for a car of such value at that time, it was decided that the later D-Type construction manner, which involved separately bolting a front and rear chassis sub-frame to the monocoque body, afforded the opportunity to remove the damaged body and salvage as many original chassis components as possible.

Mr. Moores’ staff separated the chassis tub, mounted all-new bodywork in the factory long-nose style, and fitted the car with the wide-angle headed D-Type engine that had originally been used by the Cunningham team. The separated monocoque body, the original engine, and the gearbox were put aside and eventually sold, around 1984, to historic racer John Harper, who repaired the coachwork and mounted it on an all-new chassis that mostly consisted of various original Jaguar factory components.

As both resulting cars were stamped with the XKD 530 chassis number, a controversy gradually emerged as to the proper identity of each car, and which was, in fact, the authentic original car.

As detailed by an extensive five-part feature series written by Paul Skilleter and Jim Patten for Jaguar World Monthly magazine between December 2002 and September 2003, the consignor acquired one car in 1998 and the other in June 2002, then delivered both cars in late 2002 to Chris Keith-Lucas’s well-regarded CKL Developments in East Sussex.

Disassembling both cars, CKL carefully noted the individual part numbers and, comparing them to original factory parts numbering supplied by long-time D-Type expert, separated and color-coded the parts that were original to XKD 530 and those used as replacements in either of the two vehicles.

Following the mid-2003 completion of CKL’s amazing restoration, which reunited XKD 530’s separated components for the first time in 35 years, the car was taken to Goodwood for some initial laps, and veteran Le Mans driver Mike Salman (who drove several D-Types in period) was asked to join the session and share his thoughts for the JWM feature.

 XKD 530 has run the Mille Miglia Storica four times since the restoration, and it has been invited to the 2009 Villa d’Este Concorso d’Eleganza, the 2009 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, and the 2011 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance.

Additional vintage race participation included the 2011 Silverstone Classic’s Stirling Moss Trophy, the 2011 Goodwood Revival Sussex Trophy, and the 2012 Goodwood Revival Sussex Trophy, where the car finished 8th overall and 1st among all D-Type entrants.

 In 2008, the Jaguar was returned to CKL for a sympathetic rebuild of the engine, clutch, differential, and brakes, among other components, further ensuring strong future performance.

Accompanied by a FIVA Passport and FIA papers, and featuring its original engine, transmission, chassis frame, monocoque body, and brake calipers, XKD 530 is believed to be one of the most original examples extant, and it has been carefully scrutinized by some of the niche’s leading experts, resulting in a very complete car of utmost authenticity.

http://www.rmsothebys.com/mo13/monterey/lots/1955-jaguar-d-type/1060793