Here’s a brief but excellent video history of one of the most successful—and most beautiful—sports racing cars in history: The Jaguar D-Type. 

This little video is only four minutes long, but it still manages to catch all the key points of one of the great stories in motorsports: the Jaguar D-Type. Lighter, faster, better than the Jaguar C-Type it replaced, the D-Type employed advanced monocoque construction and sleek, feline bodywork designed by aircraft engineer Malcolm Saylor.

After finishing second at Le Mans in 1954, the D-Type dominated the 24-hour classic for the next three years, winning comfortably in 1955 and 1956 and, in privateer hands, sweeping five of the top six places in 1957. Of course, it’s not just the stellar race record that makes the car so compelling and coveted today. The D-Type is also celebrated as one of the most beautiful sports racing cars ever built. Video below.