It once raced around Le Mans at an average speed of 103mph and now the same Jaguar car has become the manufacturer's most expensive car after selling for more than $20m.
Three people battled it out for more than ten minutes to get their hands behind the wheel of the stunning 1953 C-Type.
It was the second of three factory lightweight works cars built by Jaguar for the 1953 motorsport season, which saw team Jaguar dominate the racing world.
Peter Whitehead and Ian Stewart drove the car - known as XKC 052 - to fourth place at Le Mans as Jaguar took first, second and fourth spot at Le Mans that year.
It further cemented the C-Type's position as one of the greatest race cars when it driven to victory eight times by drivers for the Ecurie Ecosse team in Edinburgh.
here was huge amounts of interest in the legendary vehicle, which was expected to be sold for an substantial figure
It was auctioned off for the record price by RM Sotheby's yesterday morning in Monterey, California.
With an initial estimate upwards of £5 million, a bidding war quickly ensued with the beautiful ending up being sold for a staggering $20.584,000.
It is now the most expensive Jaguar ever sold publicly, with only a small number of Ferraris, Mercedes and McLarens ever fetching more.
In a statement, RM Sotheby's said it was an 'exceptional result' for a car 'known as one of the most legendary in existence'. They wouldn't reveal the buyer.
The Jaguar is fitted with a 3.4-litre six-cylinder engine, giving it 220bhp and a top speed of more than 140mph.
After its fourth place finish at Le Mans, Jaguar sold the C-Type to the Ecurie Ecosse team based in Edinburgh.
Motorsport legends Jimmy Stewart and Roy Salvadori both won eight races in the car as well as picking up numerous podium places.
Ecurie Ecosse sold the C-Type to Peter Blond in 1954 and he painted the car British Racing Green and raced it around Europe. Blond later called the C-Type the most stimulating, spritely and exciting car he owned.
The car continued to be raced by its later owners and, in 2000, was bought by its current owner, a Californian collector.
He had the car restored by Pearsons Engineering in Northants, and had it returned to its Ecurie Ecosse configuration.
-Daily Mail