Discover what made the future: Jaguar XJ13

Only one Jaguar XJ13 was ever produced. The project stalled when Jaguar merged with the British Motor Corporation in 1966 due to management considering it obsolete with the Ford GT40 receiving all the attention.

It had a sleek, lengthy design and it was a real beauty. The body exterior was made from aluminium and the aerodynamics were designed by a former aeroplane engineer. David Hobbs, one of the best drivers in the world at the time, and Bob Blake considered ‘An Artist in Metal’, were just two of the highly skilled people working on this project. Even though the car was deemed to need a lot of work before being competitive Hobbs still managed an unofficial UK closed lap record which stood for 32 years.

The 5.0-litre V12 engine was secured in the midsection of the vehicle just behind the driver. A recreation by New Zealander, Rod Tempero, has the mid-mounted engine on display through a glass cover giving the car a truly majestic appearance. This recreation is an identical copy down to the very smalls nut and bolt.

The XJ13 had the makings of a classic so to see it moved into storage to gather dust was a tragedy and the Le Mans return would also be delayed for a few more years. This recreation is an identical copy down to the very smallest nuts and bolts.