• Built by Tom Walkinshaw Racing as a new chassis for the 1991 24 Hours of Le Mans; one of three Silk Cut-liveried XJR-12s to complete the race
• Driven to 4th overall at the 1991 24 Hours of Le Mans by Derek Warwick, John Nielsen, and Andy Wallace
• Later campaigned in 1992 editions of the 24 Hours of Daytona and 12 Hours of Sebring, finishing 2nd and 4th respectively
• Presented in its period-correct Silk Cut Jaguar two-tone purple livery
• Clocked the fastest lap and combined qualifying time in the Group C category at the 2018 Le Mans Classic
• Highly eligible for historic racing events around the world

In the months leading up to the 1991 24 Hours of Le Mans, the only intention of Silk Cut Jaguar team boss, Tom Walkinshaw, was to win again at the Circuit de la Sarthe. The team had triumphed at the previous year’s race, securing an overall win and emphatic 1-2 finish for Jaguar. The impressive result in 1990—with the XJR-12 driven by John Nielsen, Price Cobb, and Martin Brundle finishing four laps ahead of the sister car piloted by Jan Lammers, Andy Wallace, and Franz Konrad—propelled the team into 1991 full of confidence, aiming for a third overall win in four years, having also masterminded victory with the XJR-9 in 1988.

The team fielded three Silk Cut-liveried XJR-12s for 1991, backed by an impressive driver roster—boasting both former and future Le Mans winners in its ranks. Two of those cars were brand new chassis built especially for that year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans, with the third an adapted version of the XJR-12 chassis that raced in 1990 but retired after 220 laps due to a water pump failure. The driver grouping that was entered in this car—chassis 891, which wore race number “33” at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1991—was arguably the strongest combination. Having already won two rounds of that year’s World Sportscar Championship, Derek Warwick was backed by Walkinshaw for a tilt at the title, so was joined by two previous winners of the race, in Nielsen and Wallace.

Chassis 891 was completed in the spring of 1991 as a new build for that year’s race. The 1991 XJR-12 represented a marked progression from the same model that earned Jaguar its win the previous year. While they shared a V-12 engine, the newer car’s capacity was increased to 7.4-litres, while the nose cone was lengthened with a redesigned central front air intake, and its brakes enhanced to improve stopping power.

Starting from 24th on the grid, Warwick took the first stint behind the wheel and worked his way up to 9th before the first driver change. The Jaguar fluctuated between 9th and 4th position throughout the 24 hours of the race; chassis 891 looked set to finish 5th, having occupied the place for the final four hours, but Nielsen found the energy to overtake a C11 of Team Sauber Mercedes to finish 4th overall. Mazdaspeed’s 787B enjoyed a late surge to win outright, followed by the XJR-12 of Davy Jones, Raul Boesel, and Michel Ferte in 2nd, its Silk Cut sister car of Teo Fabi, Bob Wollek, Kenny Acheson in 3rd, and this car, which finished six laps and 81 kilometres down on the winner’s total, with an average speed of 202.070 km/h.

The year after its Le Mans debut, the XJR-12 was entered by Jaguar Racing—updated with the livery of its new sponsor, Bud Light—in the 1992 24 Hours of Daytona. Noted on its entry form as an XJR-12 D, a driver combination of Jones, David Brabham, Scott Pruett, and Scott Goodyear finished 2nd overall to a Nissan R91CP, while the Jaguar took 1st place in its GTP class. One month later, in March 1992, chassis 891 was campaigned in the 12 Hours of Sebring. Jones and Brabham completed 338 laps to finish 4th overall.

Understood to have been retained by Tom Walkinshaw Racing after its last race, the Jaguar was acquired by its consignor in 2017. The consigning owner has enjoyed the XJR-12 in historic events, notably setting the fastest lap and combined qualifying time in the Group C category at the 2018 Le Mans Classic. Benefitting from a newly completed engine rebuild and a replacement fuel cell, the Jaguar is offered with entry to the Group C race at this year’s Le Mans Classic provided by the consigning owner.

An important piece of Jaguar’s endurance racing heritage, this hugely desirable Group C legend offers its next owner the rare opportunity to experience a flat-out run along the Mulsanne Straight, and the potential of a calendar filled with the many historic racing events for which it is eligible.

1991 Jaguar XJR-12 LM 891 Results       RaceDateEntrantRace NumberDriverQualifyingOverall FinishClass Finish24 Hours of Le Mans22/23 June 1991Silk Cut Jaguar33Warwick/Nielson/Wallace18th4th4th24 Hours of Daytona1/2 February 1992Jaguar Racing2Brabham/Goodyear/Jones/Pruett10th2nd1st12 Hours of Sebring21 March 1992Jaguar Racing2Brabham/Jones6th4th4th

Please note this lot has entered the EU on a temporary import bond, which must be cancelled either by exporting the lot outside of the EU on an approved Bill of Lading with supporting customs documentation or by paying the applicable VAT and import duties to have the lot remain in the EU.

Veuillez noter que ce lot a été introduit dans l'UE avec un cautionnement d'importation temporaire, qui devra être soldé par réexportation hors de l'UE avec un connaissement (bon de chargement) accompagné de ses documents douaniers, ou par paiement de la TVA et des droits de douane applicables s'il doit demeurer dans l'UE.

To view this car and others currently consigned to this auction, please visit the RM website at rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/lm23.