The last Jaguar to win at Le Mans–before it got disqualified

This Jaguar XJ220-C LM would have won its class at the 1993 Le Mans 24. Unfortunately, it wouldn’t go down in the record books as a victor, because ACO officials disqualified it.

During testing for the race, officials questioned the legality of the Jaguar’s exhaust, which had no catalytic converters, unlike the road car. It entered the race under IMSA GT rules, which did not require catalytic converters. The team ran the 24 Hours of Le Mans under appeal. After the race, though, ACO officials determined they filed the appeal too late, and disqualified the entry.

Various big names have raced and owned this historic race car. David Brabham, John Nielsen and David Coulthard (in his only Le Mans appearance) competed with the car in period. The Sultan of Brunei would purchase the car shortly after its ill-fated Le Mans showing.

Find this 1993 Jaguar XJ220-C LM for auction at RM Sotheby’s, with an estimated winning bid of $1,700,000-$2,350,000.

Kind of a jerk move to have them race the entire 24 hours before ruling judgment.

My tin foil hat theory is the final judgment call would have been different had the car not placed so well.

Not the first picayune mistake the ACO lawyers have made. Their non-car record goes back to the '50s.