2013-01-20 15:32:55 | XK Data writes:

The record was updated:

2012-06-30 14:06:30 | pauls writes:

Car to be at auction 8/12
www.russoandsteele.com/collector-car/1951-Jaguar-XK-120/24871

Auction description:
1951 Jaguar XK 120

Monterey 2012
Consignment # 2117
VIN: 671391

Vehicle to be offered for Auction sale August 16th- 18th, 2012 at Russo and Steele's 12th Annual Monterey California Auction.

This is a 2 seat Roadster, with rear wheel covers, and white side-walls. The car was totally restored in 1993-1994 at White Post Restoration in VA, where they put in over 1600 hours of labor. Soon after restoration, on June 26,1994, it took first place at the British Car Day in Bowie, MD.

2012-12-23 19:38:53 | pauls writes:

Car to return to auction 1/13
www.russoandsteele.com/collector-car/1951-Jaguar-XK120/28831

Auction description:
1951 Jaguar XK120 Roadster

Scottsdale 2013
Consignment # 3132
VIN: 671391
Vehicle to be offered for Auction sale January 16th-20th, 2013 at Russo and Steele's 13th Annual Scottsdale Arizona Auction.

The 1951 Jaguar XK120 presented was bought new by a wealthy rancher in Reno, Nevada. He drove it regularly until it needed major servicing; e.g., new fan belt, filters, clutch, etc. He decided it would be a good "project car'' for his son who had enlisted in the Army so the Jag was put under a tarp in his garage. Sadly, the son did not make it back from Vietnam, so Dad sold the car to a professor at the University of California. He soon advertised the Jaguar for sale at a bargain price (to help finance a pending divorce).

The consignor bought the Jaguar in 1995 and drove it to my home in Annapolis, Maryland and sent it went to a well-known car restorer, White Post Restorations in nearby Virginia. His chief metal worker pointed out two thin spots in the right door caused no doubt by the knees of a spectator leaning into the cockpit to read the dials on the dash. His completed aluminum door was a thing of beauty that fitted perfectly.

The work went well, but there were always tough spots. For example, the Jag was missing the thumb button on the emergency brake. The seller scouted parts suppliers all over the U.S., including Welch's in Ohio, who has acres of old Jaguars, but no success. Finally he went to the massive car flea market in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. One long- time dealer in Jaguar parts said come back in an hour while he searched through all the bins in his van. He found my button and sold it to me for $6. Sometimes you luck out.

His most difficult search was for the front grill. The one on the car had been repaired rather crudely, and promised doubtful strength. Then a company in Mexico promised a high quality grill. Looked great at first inspection but did not fit the curvature of the bonnet. Back it went.

When the seller was Director of Advanced Projects at Rocketdyne, he helped developed rocket engines that later took our Astronauts to the Moon. Each thrust chamber was assembled from a bundle of thin-walled tubes held together with silver solder. Each chamber generated 1,500,000 pounds of thrust. Surely that design could hold the vanes in his Jag's grill. He had a shop in Baltimore build a grill using that design. It worked fine.

He has done little with the top and side curtains. The reason is that he thinks they detract from the beauty of the car, which is graceful, while the top is bulbous. The side curtains will look pretty good after a scrubbing, but the top will need new fabric. He avoids driving in the rain. In a driving rain some drops will eventually start to penetrate the seams between the top and the curtains. When on a tour and it threatens to rain he pulls over to a motel for the night. he can put up the top and curtains but prefer to just zip up the tonneau cover, which keeps the cockpit nice and dry.

When the restoration was nearly complete he entered my car in Maryland's British Car Show of over 200 cars. It easily won the top prize. He also won a number of trophies in rallies and at Concours d'Elegance.

2013-01-28 13:45:22 | pauls writes:

Sold: $71,500