What's all this about?

As with many car manufacturers nowadays, simply making cars isn't enough. So Jaguar has brought out a range of clothing and accessories branded 'Heritage '57' to commemorate 60 years of the Jaguar D-Type.

Sixty years? '57? It's 2014, not 2017.

Ah, the D-Type arrived in 1954 but what Heritage '57 really marks is the No.3 Ecurie Ecosse racing car's victory in the 1957 Le Mans 24 Hours endurance event.

Ah, I see. So what can I enjoy?

Well, the range takes its inspiration from the blue-and-white colour scheme of No.3, which is used on a leather holdall, a men's leather jacket, a '24 Heures' T-shirt, a paddock shirt and plenty of smaller items, such as an iPad case, leather wallet, cufflinks and a racing children's bear.

This isn't gripping me, I must be honest.

Well, the star attraction is probably a 1:8 scale model of the car that won by completing 327 laps in the hands of Ron Flockhart and Ivor Bueb back in 1957. This thing is fully detailed inside, outside and under the bonnet, and each one takes 300 hours of hand-crafting and assembly to make.

Still not that sold on it all.

Ah well, at least we tried. We suppose you have to be a really big fan of historic racing to enjoy this 'branded merch' stuff. But if you do fancy a look, go to www.jaguar.co.uk/shop.

Matt Robinson - 4 Oct 2014