1965 Catman XJ13 Re-creation

• Faithful evocation of Jaguar's one-off sports prototype
• Full aluminium bodywork by Rod Jolley
• 5.3-litre Jaguar V12 engine
• Known ownership history
• Offered for sale by the late owner's family

The XJ13 developed from a program that started in the 1960s to develop a V-12 for Jaguar road cars. By 1964, a prototype quad-cam, 5.0-liter V-12 with SU carburetors had been fitted to a Mark X sedan for testing. From the beginning, engineers also worked on a race variant of the V-12 fitted with a newly developed Lucas mechanical fuel-injection system. Chief engineer Bill Heynes, wanted to get the factory back into racing and gained approval from Jaguar boss Sir William Lyons to build a Le Mans prototype around the new V-12.

This faithful re-creation of Jaguar's legendary - and unique - XJ13 sports-prototype is based on a Catman tubular spaceframe chassis, and is one of only two completed before the company folded. It was built over a six-year period by Chris Denton, who commissioned the all-alloy body from Rod Jolley, one of the most respected coachbuilders in the business (photos on file). Jaguar specialist Bryan Wingfield supplied the correct alloy wheels, while the MotoLita wood-rim steering wheel is a faithful copy of the original. The power unit is a Jaguar V12 fitted with Lucas fuel injection and a quadruple 3-into-1 exhaust system, but otherwise standard. Having enjoyed the XJ13 for a number of years, Chris Denton sold the car to Jaguar specialist Peter Hugo, owner of Winspeed Motorsport in Guildford, who sold the car to its next owner, Tim Waddingham. Another Jaguar specialist, Tim tragically died in February 2012 while attempting to rescue his dog from a frozen lake. The XJ13 has not moved since Tim's death and will require recommissioning before returning to the road. The story of this XJ13 was recounted in Octane magazine (No.129, March 2014, copy on file) by the magazine's international editor Robert Coucher, a friend of the late Tim Waddingham. Accompanying documentation consists of photographs of the build, some expired MoTs, and a V5C Registration Certificate (the car's registration identity is that of a 1965 Jaguar S-Type). Interested parties should note, this XJ13 is also supplied with a hardtop, making it eminently more useable. This unique Catman XJ13 is waiting for its new owner to fire up that V-12 and listen to its tantalising roar once more.