2010-01-02 15:03:07 | John Summers writes:

Originally registered PAT 111, first owner appears to have sold in Sept 1962 to a man in Hailey, Oxon. From here sold to a man in London NW6 in Nov 73. Gent needed money and sold registration, replacement a London reg and retains buff log book detailing change, so sort of part of the story.

Sold to owner before me (Oldham) in 1992, car in a poor state and restored to high standard over 2 year period. Has since featured in "XK120 in detail" and Quentin Wilson's "The ultimate Classic Car Book". When sold in 1992 had been fitted with Mk2 engine, this replaced with S type. I bought the car in June 2008, have since replaced chrome wires with BRG painted, also steering wheel from 18" to a copy at 16" so can fit in! Have replaced engine with a tuned XK140 unit and 2" SUs. Have original gearbox but has been fitted with a 5 speed Jaguar unit.

2015-01-17 16:50:47 | John ball writes:

I purchased this car in October 2014. Now I have contacted the original owner and have exchanged photographs with his family. The car was raced in the 50's at Goodwood and Silverstone. He owned it until 1962. The original colour was in fact a cream over British racing green. This was presumably a special order colour as it does not appear in any of the authority books. I have an original photo in that colour.

2015-04-16 14:12:27 | John Ball writes:

I have received a seven page letter from the original first owner of the car who is in early 80's. He was employed by Lockheed/Girling and the car had several different brake setups and due to the gearbox constantly breaking he had different ones fitted including other types such as a David Brown. it was used as some sort of unofficial test car. He told me that if I looked under the car I might still see the different mounting points? The car was used for some races/sprints and Rallyes, thus the large spot lights on the front and the rare cut away rear spats but with disc wheels which appear in an original early photo of the car that the family sent me. He had quite a big accident in the car at Spa, when a Marshall ran across the track in front of him when he was driving the car as a pace car for a touring sports car race in about 1957. The Marshall was badly injured with two broken legs. He himself was injured, because he was not wearing a seat belt as he was not racing !! and the blumel steering wheel broke and punctured his ribs. He tells me he still has the scars! Interestingly, he tells me that his father in law told him not to race it, but he did under the names of Paddy Alan or Pat Bell. Reading between the lines, maybe his father in law had paid for the car, as he was only 20 when he bought it. Although he may have had a discount due to his employer? The car was sold in 1962 to the second owner, as by this time he had one son and twin daughters. One of those twin daughters told me that their mother used put them in carry cots together in the back of the replacement car being an E-Type Jaguar without seat belts ! The original registration was PAT 111 and the family also owned PAT 1& 11 !.

Since I have owned the car, it has had five new Blockley tyres, a better free flowing Hayward and Scott exhaust, various tuning changes to the carburettors.

I would really like to find out more early history of the car and any photos.

2018-05-20 16:04:06 | pauls writes:

Car seen at Brooklands 5/20/18