2020-05-10 14:36:37 | pauls writes:

Car to be at auction 5/20

silverstoneauctions.com/events/2020-auctions/the-may-live-auction/the-may-live-a ...

Auction description:

Year of manufacture: 1951

Make: Jaguar

Chassis number: 6715546

Transmission: Manual

Engine capacity: 3442

Body colour: Silver

LHD/RHD: Left-hand Drive

Registration number: GSJ 781

Model: XK120 3.4 Roadster

Engine number: W36558

Interior colour: Red

Odometer Reading: 18659 miles

From 27-years loving ownership by our charming vendor

Body-off restoration by the owner and his pal over a number of years

Chassis shot-blasted. Smart red leather interior by Don Trimming

A photographic record of the restoration accompanies the car

Good history file containing numerous invoices and the Heritage Certificate

Home-restored with no attempt at Concours quality and appropriately guided

According to its Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust Certificate, this particular XK120 OTS LHD was built on 13/09/1951 and was fitted with a manual gearbox, and finished in Silver with 'Duo Blue' trim and a Gunmetal soft top. It was despatched on 26/09/1951 to legendary California Jaguar importer, Max Hoffman. We understand that it returned to the UK around 1990, still in left-hand drive, and was purchased by our vendor as an unfinished project in1993.

Supplied with the car are a couple of articles from the Jaguar Enthusiasts Club about John Bayliss and his XK120 and it's probably better if we quote from there;

"Originally Silver Grey, it has been painted in other colours but it's now finished in non-Jaguar silver, the owner's preference. It's fitted with the Jaguar 3.4-litre XK engine mated with a correct but not matching gearbox. In fact, no numbers on this vehicle match, but it's driving "the legend" which matters, not counting the numbers. The wire wheels, not original, are fitted ostensibly to aid brake cooling, but really because the owner thinks they look rather good. The drum brakes are original - it's not intended to drive the car beyond their stopping capacity.

Restoration commenced in 1994 by stripping the body and all components from the chassis and removing various modifications which might indicate earlier attempts to turn it into a stock car racer. The chassis was shot blasted, found completely sound, and primed by GB Engineering of Kidlington (for £90). The front wings and rear inner wings needed repair as did the headlamp pods and these were sourced from Classic Panels (England). Keeping strictly to his budget, only the components that needed work were stripped and repaired. New shocks were a must after evidence of bodged repairs were found and the only extravagance was the fitting of wire wheels and hubs. Don Trimming of Birmingham made the hood and tonneau cover. All work on the body and chassis, including lead loading and spraying in two-pack acrylic, was done at home by the owner and his good friend Ken who just happens to be a panel-beater and bodywork man.

The aim was to produce an enjoyable and practical motor car which is not quite run-of-the-mill at an affordable cost. No attempt has been made towards Concours or even near-Concours preparation as this was not remotely possible within realistic financial constraints. Now the car is used regularly throughout the year and proves that with diligence, patience and research it is possible to rebuild such a car on a budget."

Supplied with the car are a number of invoices and receipts, the Heritage Certificate, correspondence from the JEC, the V5C and photographs of the car's restoration.

We know that it might sound a bit of a cliche but this is a completely 'useable' classic. It's not a Concours restoration or a 'trailer queen' that you have to keep one eye on all day, running up the mileage doesn't matter at all and you can park it, top-down and unlocked in the corner of a field when you visit a country show. Very simply it's a smart 70-year Jaguar that might just bring back a few memories of your first ever sports car.