1995 Jaguar Xjs Base Coupe 2-door 4.0l on 2040-cars

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GM, Audi, Jaguar halt Russian sales amidst ruble's collapse

The value of Russia's ruble currency has sunk like a stone tossed in the Volga for much of the year, losing over 40 percent of its worth since June. The change is having bizarre effects on the auto industry there and leaving some automakers scrambling to adjust. According to Bloomberg, Russians are buying up luxury goods including automobiles at the moment to have a physical investment in case the ruble sinks further. However, with the money worth so little, the companies aren't making much from these transactions. Things are so dire that several automakers are temporarily ending deliveries until the situation stabilizes. According to Bloomberg, General Motors stopped sales on December 16 with no set date to start again. Audi did the same thing but with the intention to resume once it has adjusted model pricing. Jaguar Land Rover terminated business until December 19 to see how things changed. Toyota is increasing its pricing, as well, but keeping business open at the same time. Some automakers have subtly been reacting to the slumping Russian auto market all year. The moves have included Volkswagen cutting production by 30,000 units from its factory in Kaluga. Ford also got rid of 950 workers from two plants due to low demand. Some analysts have even speculated that the contracting industry and possibility of lower import duties into the country could cause companies to end their manufacturing in Russia completely.

1955 Jaguar D-Type that won Le Mans sets $21.78 million record price at auction

There's simply no denying that the Jaguar D-Type is one of the most noteworthy race cars ever devised. Jaguar pioneered the use of the monocoque chassis design, and D-Types won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1955, 1956, and 1957. And with its bodywork pulled taught over the wheels, engine, and passenger compartment, not to mention the massive fin behind the driver's headrest, the D-Type also one of the most stunning. The car you see above, Jaguar D-Type chassis number XKD 501, won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1956, narrowly defeating a team from Aston Martin. Along the way, this D-Type completed 2,507.19 miles at an average speed of 104.47 miles per hour, and a maximum speed of 156.868 mph on the Mulsanne Straight. It was entered by the non-factory team Ecurie Ecosse, and therefore painted in the team's traditional Scottish blue with a white cross. That kind of provenance, coupled with its pristine original race-winning condition, makes XKD 501 extremely valuable. In fact, it just sold at RM Sotheby's Monterey auction for $21.78 million (a $19.8 million bid plus auction fees), making it the most expensive British automobile ever sold at auction. Take a gander at our high-res image gallery above to soak up all its low-slung goodness. Related Video:

Jaguar E-Type 60 Collection celebrates 1961 launch and The Decade of the Cat

The night before the 1961 Geneva Motor Show, Jaguar PR man Bob Berry drove "flat out" from the English automaker's home base in Coventry to the city on the lake. Berry needed to be at the Parc des Eaux Vives in time to debut the car he was driving, a Jaguar E-Type coupe in Opalescent Gunmetal Grey with the number plate 9600 HP. Legend says he arrived at the Parc only minutes ahead of the appointed time for test drives. That morning hinted, and the decade of the 1960s would prove, that Berry also arrived driving a legend. The invited guests did so much clucking over the hardtop that Jaguar boss Sir William Lyons told famed company engineer Norman Dewis to "drop everything" and dispatch another cat to Geneva that very night. Dewis drove the roughly 700 miles in 11 hours to get a British Racing Green E-Type roadster with the number plate 77 RW to the show the following morning. To celebrate those two totems to Englishness and success, Jaguar Classic will build the E-Type 60 Collection — 12 cars sold only as six sets of two, with one coupe and one roadster in each set. All cars will be powered by rebuilt 3.8-liter straight-sixes with 265 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque. That motor took the show cars from zero to 60 miles per hour in 6.9 seconds, on to a top speed of 150 mph. The coupes will be painted Flat Out Grey, the roadsters in Drop Everything Green, unique colors reserved for the collection. The dozen cars will also get special design details penned by Jaguar design director Julian Thompson. Jaguar Classic already has the 12 E-Type Series 1 donor cars in its possession, and plans to begin restorations in March 2021. Jaguar hasn't mentioned pricing, and likely won't unless you intend to purchase. Seeing as a Jaguar Classic E-Type Reborn was priced at $355,000 three years ago, multiply that by two and add a touch for inflation and exclusivity for an approximate base price. If you're still interested, the E-Type 60 Collection is available to order now, so contact Jaguar Classic.