Le Mans Team Profile

Silk Cut Jaguar.

Two overall wins at Le Mans — and the pair that ended Porsche’s grip on the race.

Tom Walkinshaw Racing ran Jaguar’s Group C sports cars in the purple and white Silk Cut colours. In 1988 the XJR-9 won Le Mans for the first time since 1957, and it was the first year since 1980 that Porsche had not.

Entrant
Silk Cut Jaguar
Run by
Tom Walkinshaw Racing
Cars
Jaguar XJR-8, XJR-9, XJR-12
Le Mans wins
1988 and 1990
Colours
Silk Cut purple and white
Read the full history
2
Le Mans Wins
1988 and 1990
6
Wins in 1988
Including Le Mans
1988
Teams' Championship
World Sports-Prototype
1957
Jaguar's Previous Win
Thirty-one years earlier
Le Mans wins
1988 1990
Overview

What Was Silk Cut Jaguar?

Silk Cut Jaguar was the name Jaguar’s works sports-car programme raced under in the second half of the 1980s, run by Tom Walkinshaw Racing and turned out in the purple and white of its cigarette sponsor.

Its Group C cars were the XJR-8, the XJR-9 and the XJR-12. In 1988 the XJR-9 took six victories including the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and Silk Cut Jaguar won the World Sports-Prototype Teams’ Championship. That Le Mans win was Jaguar’s first since 1957 and the first year since 1980 in which Porsche had not won the race.

A second overall win followed in 1990 with the XJR-12, for Martin Brundle, Price Cobb and John Nielsen. The Silk Cut colours disappeared after 1991 when tobacco sponsorship arrangements changed.

Era 01 · 1986—1987

Building the Group C Car

Jaguar came back to sports-car racing with Tom Walkinshaw Racing running the programme and Silk Cut paying for it. The XJR-6 gave way to the XJR-8, and the purple and white cars became quick enough to worry Porsche, which had won Le Mans every year since 1981.

The wins came in the championship. Le Mans did not — yet.

Silk Cut Jaguar XJR-8 sports prototype in the purple and white livery on museum display Jaguar XJR-8 · learning to beat Porsche
Era 02 · 1988—1990

Two Wins at Le Mans

The XJR-9 took six victories in 1988, one of them the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and Silk Cut Jaguar won the World Sports-Prototype Teams' Championship. It was Jaguar's first Le Mans win since 1957 and the first year since 1980 that Porsche had not won it.

Two years later the XJR-12 did it again, Martin Brundle sharing with Price Cobb and John Nielsen.

Silk Cut Jaguar XJR-9 number 3 in purple and white racing on track during the Le Mans 24 Hours Jaguar XJR-9 · the win that broke the run
Era 03 · 1991

The Colours Go

The Silk Cut name came off the cars after 1991. Jaguar's sports-car programme wound down with it, and the marque has not won Le Mans since.

What survived is the livery. More of this team's merchandise sells on the strength of that purple than on either of the two wins.

Silk Cut Jaguar XJR-12 number 35 in purple livery running at a historic motorsport meeting The last season in purple
Team Timeline

Silk Cut Jaguar at Le Mans

1986

Silk Cut Backs Jaguar

Jaguar's Group C programme runs under the Silk Cut name, operated by Tom Walkinshaw Racing.

1987

The XJR-8

The car that made Jaguar a championship threat, without yet winning Le Mans.

1988

Le Mans Won

The XJR-9 wins the 24 Hours for Johnny Dumfries, Jan Lammers and Andy Wallace — Jaguar's first since 1957.

1988

Teams' Champions

Six wins across the season give Silk Cut Jaguar the World Sports-Prototype Teams' Championship.

1990

Second Win

The XJR-12 wins Le Mans for Martin Brundle, Price Cobb and John Nielsen.

1991

Final Season

The Silk Cut colours come off the cars.

By the Numbers

Le Mans Wins

Every overall win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans entered as Silk Cut Jaguar, the car, the winning crew, and whether the team also took the World Sports-Prototype Teams' Championship that year.
Year,Car,Winning Drivers,Also World Champions Car Drivers' champion Double
1988 Jaguar XJR-9 LM Johnny Dumfries · Jan Lammers · Andy Wallace Double
1990 Jaguar XJR-12 LM Martin Brundle · Price Cobb · John Nielsen Le Mans only

These are the wins entered under the name Silk Cut Jaguar. Jaguar the marque has seven overall Le Mans wins: the other five went to Jaguar Cars Ltd in 1953 and 1955, to Ecurie Ecosse in 1956 and 1957, and to a private entry in 1951 — different entrants running Jaguar cars, which is not the same thing. Entrant names read from the winners table. Figures verified 14 August 2026.

Sources

  1. List of 24 Hours of Le Mans winners · Wikipedia — winning entrants, crews and cars read from the entrant column
  2. Jaguar XJR-9 · Wikipedia — the 1988 season, six wins and the Teams' Championship
  3. Photo — Jaguar XJR-8 · MrWalkr via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · cropped and resized
  4. Photo — Silk Cut TWR Jaguar XJR-9 · Ben Sutherland from Forest Hill, London, European Union via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0 · cropped and resized
  5. Photo — Jaguar XJR-12 · David Merrett from Daventry, England via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0 · cropped and resized
  6. Photo — Jaguar XJR-8 in Silk Cut colours · Iain Wanless from England, uploaded by Micap via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0 · cropped and resized
  7. Photo — Silk Cut Jaguar XJR-9 · David Merrett via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0 · cropped and resized
  8. Photo — Jaguar XJR-12 in Silk Cut colours · Brian Snelson via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0 · cropped and resized
Machinery

Three Cars That Made Silk Cut Jaguar

1987 Jaguar XJR-8 Group C sports prototype in Silk Cut purple and white, side view

Jaguar XJR-8

The car that made Jaguar a championship contender and put Porsche under pressure for the first time in years, without quite taking Le Mans.

1988 Silk Cut TWR Jaguar XJR-9 in purple and white on display at the Coventry Motor Museum

Jaguar XJR-9

Six wins in 1988, one of them the 24 Hours of Le Mans — Jaguar's first win there since 1957 and the end of Porsche's run since 1980.

1990 Jaguar XJR-12 Group C car in Silk Cut purple, front three-quarter view

Jaguar XJR-12

The second Le Mans win, for Martin Brundle, Price Cobb and John Nielsen, and the last time a Jaguar won the race.

Le Mans Winners
JD
Johnny Dumfries
1988 winner
JL
Jan Lammers
1988 winner
AW
Andy Wallace
1988 winner
MB
Martin Brundle
1990 winner
PC
Price Cobb
1990 winner
JN
John Nielsen
1990 winner
Frequently Asked

Frequently Asked Questions

How many times did Silk Cut Jaguar win Le Mans?
Twice — in 1988 with the Jaguar XJR-9 and in 1990 with the XJR-12.
Why was the 1988 win significant?
It was Jaguar's first Le Mans victory since 1957, and the first year since 1980 in which Porsche had not won the race.
Who ran the team?
Tom Walkinshaw Racing operated Jaguar's sports-car programme; Silk Cut was the sponsor whose colours the cars carried.
Has Jaguar won Le Mans more than twice?
Jaguar the marque has seven overall wins, but the other five were entered by different teams — Jaguar Cars Ltd in 1953 and 1955, Ecurie Ecosse in 1956 and 1957, and a private entry in 1951.
What cars did the team race?
The Group C Jaguar XJR-8, XJR-9 and XJR-12, all powered by a Jaguar V12.
Why is the purple livery so well known?
Silk Cut's purple and white is one of the most distinctive liveries in endurance racing, and it is what most of this team's merchandise is bought for.
When did the team stop?
The Silk Cut colours came off after 1991 and Jaguar has not won Le Mans since 1990.
The Collection

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