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As speculation mounts over the future of Jaguar's troubled participation in Formula One, and with some reports even suggesting this, its fifth season, is also its final season, it is as well to remember a time when the mere mention of a Jaguar racing car struck fear into the heart of every rival competitor.
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| Goodwood venue for Jag drive |
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It started in 1951 with the debut of the racing version of the XK120, known as the XK120C (for competition) and very shortly thereafter simply as the C-type. It won Le Mans at its first attempt and, two years later, won again averaging over 100mph for the first time in the history of the race. The end came in 1990 when the monstrous, 7.4-litre XJR-12 won Jaguar's the most recent Le Mans of Jaguar's seven Le Mans wins. Between these poles, however, lay three generations of Jaguar racing cars, all beautiful, all sublimely fast, all phenomenally successful and at last weekend's Goodwood Festival of Speed, it fell to me to put them through their paces. Well, someone had to do it.
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