Pewter Model Of Mike Hawthorn/Ivor Bueb 1955 Le Mans-winning Jaguar D-Type
Pewter Model Of Mike Hawthorn/Ivor Bueb 1955 Le Mans-winning Jaguar D-Type
27956
1955 Le Mans-winning #6 Jaguar "D" Type By Compulsion Gallery.
The iconic 1950's Jaguar "D" Type sports car is crafted by an innovative process, quite unique to Compulsion Gallery. Their sculptures are all hand cast in a special high density resin material which is then thermal plated with lead-free pewter. Each individual piece is hand polished by skilled craftsmen and lacquered to preserve the brilliant metal finish. The beautiful metallic models have the look, weight and cold feel of solid metal. The company was dissolved around 2017 and only produced these exceptional products for 10 to 15 years. Although missing its label we have seen others that read 'Compulsion Gallery, no cleaning required, British Giftware Association Member'.
This chrome looking model is of the 1955 Le Mans-winning Jaguar "D" Type driven by Hawthorn and his team mate Ivor Bueb.
The Jaguar D-Type was designed specifically to win the Le Mans 24-hour race, the slippery D-Type was produced by Jaguar Cars Ltd. between 1954 and 1957. Sharing the straight-6 XK engine and many mechanical components with its C-Type predecessor, its structure however was radically different with an innovative monocoque construction, aerodynamic efficiency and integrated aviation technology. The car had a cover above the passenger space, a fin behind the driver's head and a higher windscreen with the 1955 cars having a modified bonnet (seven inches longer than the standard model, hence the name "Long nose D-Type") and engines uprated with larger valves.
The 1955 Le Mans race was always set to be a memorable one with Ferrari, Jaguar and Mercedes-Benz competing in the race. Practice times had been front-page news; everything was in place for an epic event but unfortunately the race was overshadowed by the worst accident in the history of motor sport. Mike Hawthorn's D-Type had a narrow lead over Juan Manuel Fangio's Mercedes after the lead Ferrari, driven by Eugenio Castellotti's, was forced into an error. Fangio and Hawthorn began an epic battle, the two traded places on numerous occasions, reset the lap record ten times with the average lap times being lower than the record lap of the previous year. Speeds along the Mulsanne straight were approaching 190mph. The Mercedes had a more powerful eight-cylinder engine and boasted a pioneering hand-operated air brake, the Jaguar had proven disc brakes and being aerodynamically superior the two cars were near-perfectly matched for time over a lap. Unfortunately on the home straight another Mercedes team car, driven by Pierre Levegh, was involved in the most catastrophic accident in motorsport history, more than 80 spectators lost their lives as well as Levegh, whilst many more were injured. The race wasn't stopped in order to prevent departing spectators from crowding onto the roads and obstructing the approaching ambulances. Hawthorn and Fangio's epic battle continued, but by the small hours, Fangio's car was 1½ laps ahead of Hawthorn's, although the Mercedes brakes were weakening and Hawthorn was gaining. Initial reports of the scale of the tragedy had filtered back to Stuttgart and the team principal was given orders to withdraw Fangio's car and the other remaining Silver Arrow from the race. Jaguar chose not to withdraw and the D-Type driven by Hawthorn and Ivor Bueb went on to win the race which had achieved a record average speed of 107 miles/hour (172.3 km/h). 3:45pm saw Bueb handed over to Hawthorn so Jaguar's star man could take the chequered flag.
Dimensions:
1950-1999
Circa 1990's
Pewter
United Kingdom
There are a couple of places where the pewter has been rubbed off and has been touched up with paint. Mainly the bonnet and a small amount on the side, see images.
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![](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://sportantiques.co.uk/motoring-aviation-and-transport/automobilia/pewter-model-of-mike-hawthornivor-bueb-1955-le-mans-winning-jaguar-d-type&media=https://seek-unique-co.s3.amazonaws.com/sportantiques-64hFGwj3-uEHU73t22/stock/612fd22d05ee0_3_27956.jpg&description=1955 Le Mans-winning #6 Jaguar "D" Type By Compulsion Gallery.The iconic 1950's Jaguar "D" Type sports car is crafted by an innovative process, quite unique to Compulsion Gallery. Their sculptures are all hand cast in a special high density resin material which is then thermal plated with lead-free pewter. Each individual piece is hand polished by skilled craftsmen and lacquered to preserve the brilliant metal finish. The beautiful metallic models have the look, weight and cold feel of solid metal. The company was dissolved around 2017 and only produced these exceptional products for 10 to 15 years. Although missing its label we have seen others that read 'Compulsion Gallery, no cleaning required, British Giftware Association Member'.This chrome looking model is of the 1955 Le Mans-winning Jaguar "D" Type driven by Hawthorn and his team mate Ivor Bueb.The Jaguar D-Type was designed specifically to win the Le Mans 24-hour race, the slippery D-Type was produced by Jaguar Cars Ltd. between 1954 and 1957. Sharing the straight-6 XK engine and many mechanical components with its C-Type predecessor, its structure however was radically different with an innovative monocoque construction, aerodynamic efficiency and integrated aviation technology. The car had a cover above the passenger space, a fin behind the driver's head and a higher windscreen with the 1955 cars having a modified bonnet (seven inches longer than the standard model, hence the name "Long nose D-Type") and engines uprated with larger valves.The 1955 Le Mans race was always set to be a memorable one with Ferrari, Jaguar and Mercedes-Benz competing in the race. Practice times had been front-page news; everything was in place for an epic event but unfortunately the race was overshadowed by the worst accident in the history of motor sport. Mike Hawthorn's D-Type had a narrow lead over Juan Manuel Fangio's Mercedes after the lead Ferrari, driven by Eugenio Castellotti's, was forced into an error. Fangio and Hawthorn began an epic battle, the two traded places on numerous occasions, reset the lap record ten times with the average lap times being lower than the record lap of the previous year. Speeds along the Mulsanne straight were approaching 190mph. The Mercedes had a more powerful eight-cylinder engine and boasted a pioneering hand-operated air brake, the Jaguar had proven disc brakes and being aerodynamically superior the two cars were near-perfectly matched for time over a lap. Unfortunately on the home straight another Mercedes team car, driven by Pierre Levegh, was involved in the most catastrophic accident in motorsport history, more than 80 spectators lost their lives as well as Levegh, whilst many more were injured. The race wasn't stopped in order to prevent departing spectators from crowding onto the roads and obstructing the approaching ambulances. Hawthorn and Fangio's epic battle continued, but by the small hours, Fangio's car was 1½ laps ahead of Hawthorn's, although the Mercedes brakes were weakening and Hawthorn was gaining. Initial reports of the scale of the tragedy had filtered back to Stuttgart and the team principal was given orders to withdraw Fangio's car and the other remaining Silver Arrow from the race. Jaguar chose not to withdraw and the D-Type driven by Hawthorn and Ivor Bueb went on to win the race which had achieved a record average speed of 107 miles/hour (172.3 km/h). 3:45pm saw Bueb handed over to Hawthorn so Jaguar's star man could take the chequered flag.){kind=link}