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672282

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 672282 11 June 1952
 W5086-8 
 F4926 
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 May 1952 United States
 
 1952 Battleship Grey
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United KingdomMDU420

Jaguar XK120, XK140 & XK150 photo

59 more photos below

Record Creation: Entered on 21 April 2023.

Database Updates: Show dataplate edits

 

Heritage Notes

UK rego MDU420

Photos of 672282

Click slide for larger image. This car has 60 photos. (Dates are when image was uploaded.)

Exterior Photos (6)

Uploaded April 2023:

2023-04-20
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Uploaded September 2022:

2022-09-22
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Uploaded October 2012:

2012-10-15
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Action Photos (4)

Uploaded April 2023:

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Uploaded March 2023:

2023-03-16
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Details Photos: Exterior (21)

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Detail Photos: Interior (20)

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Detail Photos: Engine (6)

Uploaded April 2023:

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Detail Photos: Other (3)

Uploaded April 2023:

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Comments

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2006-09-04 21:50:48 | godfrey Miller writes:

this serial #corresponds to the # which was owned (bought new?) by Clark Gable

2008-10-24 05:10:47 | Jon Pollock writes:

This car was first owned by Gable, but he sold it in March of '54, was a '53 model, engine # W5086-8.

2011-10-27 19:29:32 | terry mcgrath writes:

This is clark gable's second XK120 his first being the well photographed alloy car.

He took delivery of this car painted Battleship grey in the UK whilst filming "---

The rego UK registration number was [MDU420] and various pics show it being unloaded off a lorry at the film site and clark gable sitting in the car.

The car had bonnett strap, luggage rack and a lourved bonnet and was presumably later fitted with cut out rear spats.

Possibly sold to International motors 18 dec 1953 when the car appeared to still be England and registered in California 22 jan 1954 and sold by them to Irving W Robbins on 1 feb 1954.

Robbins had owned an earlier XK120 670984 and possibly was the owner of an SS1DHC.

It will be interesting to see if this car turns up in years to come

2011-10-28 05:08:57 | Peter Ingram writes:

Terry. Was the first Gable car alloy 670003 0r 670032 ? Then there was the alleged 672282

Can anyone add more numbers claimed to be Ex Clark Gable ??

2012-10-19 10:58:43 | terry mcgrath writes:

There is no documentation I have see as to the exact chassis number of Gables first xK120 excepting it is of course a very early car.
670032 I do not believe was a Gable car Wittenburg from memory and certainly Wittenburg owned an alloy 120 which used in low key motoring events

2013-02-04 22:45:36 | pauls writes:

Car is said to be under restoration at Donni Classic Car

www.jaguarclassic.com

2013-07-30 08:59:01 | Georg Donni writes:

The Chassisplate and the record trace certificate shows body number F 4926.
The body plate and the crayon mark on the dash board says F4296

2013-07-30 19:27:19 | pauls writes:

Georg has a full page ad showing the restoration of the car in the August 2013 edition of the XK Gazette.

www.jaguarclassic.com

2013-07-31 07:10:53 | Peter Ingram writes:

Georg : The crayon mark F 4296 is sequentially correct for a May 1952 build which this is.

2014-04-12 11:44:07 | Anonymous writes:

MDU 420 had NOT louvred bonnet as in the well known Gable jaguar picture.

2014-04-15 03:58:24 | jag lover writes:

are we sure that MDU 420 is chassis 672282 ? the side vents doesn' t
appear in the picture, so we could say an earlier car with no side vents ( till Jan-Febr 1951) ?

2016-05-10 10:53:29 | Pekka T. writes:

Hi, if you click on the photo to see it in slightly larger format, you can see that indeed it has side vents.

Too bad I most likely will not make it to VdE this time, it sure would be nice to see this car live and chat with Georg again. ;)

I had the joy of driving #672343 last weekend in fantastic summer weather and small and curvy roads to an event and back. Man, we had a blast! (from the past)

2018-11-05 12:49:56 | pauls writes:

And Georg himself confirms it with several photos of the car with Clark in it, under restoration and after finished in the November 2018 edition of the XK Gazette.

2022-04-13 10:57:53 | pauls writes:

Georg Donni refers to an article written about the car by another writer:

www.watson.ch/spass/schweiz/315289428-wie-der-jaguar-eines-hollywood-stars-von-l ...

2023-04-20 07:32:49 | pauls writes:

Car to be at auction 5/23

rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/VE23/Villa-Erba/lots/r0059-1952-Jaguar-XK-120-Roadste ...

Auction description:

Villa Erba 20 May 2023

Lot 137

1952 Jaguar XK 120 Roadster

Delivered new to Clark Gable

€350,000 - €500,000 EUR 

Cernobbio, Italy

Chassis No. 672282

Engine No. W 5086-8

Body No. F 4926

Documents Swiss Carte Grise

One of the most famous XK 120s in the world

Delivered new to legendary Hollywood actor, Clark Gable

Specified by Gable with unique competition-inspired features

Subject of an extraordinary restoration; revealed at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este in 2016

Retains its matching-numbers body, chassis, and engine

Offered for the first time at public auction after 41 years of single-family ownership

The Jaguar XK 120 is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful cars ever created, and its popularity was further boosted by the model’s association with contemporary celebrities, the most famous of which was Clark Gable, the star of Gone with the Wind and many other major films. Despite passing away 62 years ago, Gable is still regarded as one of the greatest actors in film history and ordered this Jaguar during the twilight of his career.

Gable was a well-known fan of XK 120s as he is known to have owned at least two, and this is hardly surprising as William Lyons’ creation was the fastest production car in the world during an era of early post-war optimism. First registered “MDU 420”, chassis number 672282 was finished in the stunning colour combination of Battleship Grey over a Red interior and was delivered to during a much-publicised handover on the Cornish set of Never Let Me Go. Gable's love of sporting pursuits makes it fitting that his XK 120 boasted competition-inspired upgrades such as wire wheels and bonnet louvres, while a requirement for a custom luggage rack for his golf clubs was met by the factory.

During the next 18 months, Gable used “MDU 420’” to make journeys across the continent. One of these garnered the attention of the press as he toured with his rumoured fiancée, Suzanne Dadolle, making a very long trip to Rome via Paris, including a three-week stay at Villa d’Este. Upon discovering that Dadolle had spoken to the press about the engagement, he broke it off and returned with his XK 120 to the USA before the end of 1953.

Perhaps wishing to move on from the breakup, Gable sold his XK 120 soon after it was registered in California to Irving Robbins Jnr. Between 1954 and 1982 it is known that this XK 120 was exported to South Africa where eventually it was bought by a Swiss resident. Shortly after in 1982, it was purchased by the consignor’s father and enjoyed on the roads of St Gallen. By 2011 this XK 120’s age was catching up with it and the consignor contacted world-renowned Jaguar restorer Georg Donni, who discovered the significant early history and commenced a restoration. Donni conducted some research and its early life was revealed in its entirety. On the back of this revelation a full concours restoration commenced.

Today, “MDU 420” is presented as one of the finest XK 120s in existence thanks to a restoration that spanned nearly five years and cost over CHF 400,000, during which the originality of the matching-numbers body, chassis, engine was confirmed while the front offside wing was replaced with a carefully handcrafted panel due to a previous bad repair. It was returned to its stunning gloss Battleship Grey colour, while the interior was reupholstered in Red Connolly leather. This now presents as one of the most visually appealing XKs, correct with all of the features originally specified by Clark Gable.

The restoration was finished just in time for the 2016 edition of the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este where its re-emergence from years of obscurity was greatly lauded. Entered into the class "Cars of the Stars – From the Silver Screen to the Studio Lot", it lost out to the ex-Steve McQueen Ferrari 275 GTB/4 (which will offered at the RM Sotheby’s 2023 Monterey auction). Since "MDU 420" returned to the scene of Clark Gable’s three-week stay, this wonderful Jaguar has been featured in magazine articles, with driving being limited to regular jaunts around Swiss roads on dry weekends. Remarkably, it still presents as well as it did at the 2016 Concorso d’Eleganza and its condition underneath the exterior is equally astonishing.

Despite being one of the most famous XK 120s in existence, “MDU 420” could easily be enjoyed on a long trip across the European continent, just like Clark Gable did, or admired on any concours lawn for its outstanding condition and incredible beauty. Few cars can claim to combine such charm, originality, condition and screen legend provenance, and “MDU 420” will forever be one of them.

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