2009-06-19 08:13:16 | pauls writes:

Car is currently being offered at:
www.harwoodenterprises.com/vehicles.php
Victor, New York.

Sellers descrption:
1949 Jaguar XK120 Alloy OTS - Original and Extremely Rare!
The Jaguar XK 120 entered into production in 1949, and was instantly in high demand. The first 244 XK 120s—including the car on offer here—were clad entirely in aluminum with an ash frame. Originally, Jaguar did not intend a production run for the XK120. It was only after showing the alloy car that the demand for its performance and exquisite styling prompted the conversion to a steel body and the classic sports car we know today. Beginning with the 1950 model year, a production version had a steel pressed body with alloy doors, bonnet, and trunk skin. Harwood Enterprises is very excited to offer one of the last unrestored alloys in existence #670054! It is a matching numbers car with a Heritage Certificate to prove its authenticity. This car has been constructed to the traditional method of aluminum paneling over an ash and steel frame. This is a black plate California car which was registered and has been driven since its production. With solid wood and all the right places, this early alloy is complete. The car has had a re spray but other than that is all original. These cars represented the best of the best, with their advantageous power-to-weight ratio courtesy of the alloy body and the highly tunable, dual-overhead-cam XK engine. This engine was used in production Jaguars in successive stages of development through 1987.

2009-07-29 10:53:50 | terry mcgrath writes:

Oh no not another Clark Gable alloy 120 contender - how many did he have?
ref Bonham and Butterfield's Quail auction lot 299 a mere snip at a quarter of a million plus buyers commission!
then there's the restoration costs

2009-08-08 09:12:51 | pauls writes:

Bonhams auction 8/09
www.bonhams.com/cgi-bin/public.sh/pubweb/publicSite.r

Auction description:
Lot No: 299•
1950 Jaguar XK120 Alloy Roadster
Chassis no. 670054
Jaguars have been called “the greatest crumpet catchers of all time,” a British reference to the car’s appeal to the fair sex. Add the cache of American movie star legend Clark Gable behind the wheel and that phrase takes on historic proportions. Such is the purported provenance of the rare alloy body 1950 Jaguar XK-120 offered here.

While characterized in the press as “a very fast, tractable touring car and not a racer despite its looks,” the alloy-bodied XK-120 showed its teeth with great success in sports car events, notably the Production Car Race at Silverstone and during a speed test in Belgium clocked 126mph over a flying mile with stock windshield and side windows erected making it at the time the “fastest series production car in the world and yet displaying the flexibility and even the silkiness and smoothness of a mild-mannered saloon,” so reported the April 14th, 1950 issue of the British enthusiast magazine Autocar.

Jaguar thought they could probably sell 250 of the new cars, the total of the planned initial production run for the two-seater roadster. Delays in producing the steel body molds prompted the building of 240 hand-beaten aluminum bodied cars. This example is one of those few surviving alloy bodied cars. No two cars were alike. In fact the aluminum panels made for the for original run would not even fit on the later “mass produced” steel body 120’s further distinguishing them as unique machines…and in this case number 54 of the 240-car production run.

As mentioned, significant anecdotal evidence as well as referenced serial numbers purportedly indicates that the original owner of this car was Hollywood icon Clark Gable, an avowed high performance car enthusiast. The car, originally painted Suede Green from the factory, when shipped to California, took on a particular shade of silver gray as the result of a respray, the color of choice Gable preferred for all his cars including the Jaguar Mark V he had been driving prior to his acquisition of his new XK-120. In addition, an entry from the Classic Jaguar Association recorded some 15 years ago states that Gable is reportedly the first owner of chassis number 670054, the chassis number affixed to this particular XK-120.

As for his personal opinion about his car, Gable himself penned a special feature article titled “My Favorite Sports Car…” in a 1950 issue of Road and Track magazine that echoed those exact sentiments. Roger Barlow, the owner of the Hollywood, CA dealership that enjoyed Gable’s customer patronage, later wrote an article that appeared in the February 27, 1989 issue of Autoweek, which stated that Gable had requested that the first 120 to arrive be reserved for him as they were available only to the A-list and at a premium. However when the first of the new model Jag arrived it was intended for display purposes only, minus a crankshaft and thus not operable. However, as promised, Gable still got a first ride. Barlow attached a rope to the Jaguar, another to a truck, had Gable sit behind the wheel, and then hauled him out in the L.A. streets. At speed, the rope was released and Gable experienced his first “drive” including a crossed-up, four wheel slide across rain wet pavement as he maneuvered the car around a corner back into the dealership garage. Barlow reported, Gable was “grinning ear to ear…rolling to a stop at the shop door to cheers and applause.” Very soon thereafter Gable’s XK-120 arrived in the States, this one with a complete motor, the first of four he would own according to the records of the Classic Jaguar Association, two of which were alloy body cars.

This car, in the ownership for some 40 years of the late Joe Cotrofu of Rancho Palos Verdes, CA, has been described as the “most original unrestored alloy body XK-120 in existence.” As mentioned, while appearing now in green color, the “Gable Gray” color is evident beneath the repaint. The apparently original interior is also Suede Green and shows the patina of time. The original side curtains are tan in keeping with the tan roadster top although original specs indicated a black top. The car, showing no damage whatsoever, is in fully driveable condition complete with California black license plates (ITC843) as well as Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust certification of authenticity showing the car’s build date as January 5, 1949 and its U.S. West Coast distributor as Chas. Hornburg, Los Angeles. Offered on an Ohio Certificate of Title.

Estimate: $250,000 - 300,000

2009-08-12 05:06:35 | Pekka T. writes:

Picky yes, AFAIK the Clark Gable car he posed in was Red in the early 1950's, not Suede Green nor "silver grey" which it may of course have been repainted later. Also I have no information regarding his MKV which was available in (metallic) Gunmetal and the XK120 was of course also available from the factory in (metallic) Silver. I would not believe anything but hard evidence coming from JDHT, Hornburg or Gable's estate. Even more picky, wasn't Jaguar using beech at the time for all the frames like my MKV DHC vin# 647194 instead of "aluminum with an ash frame", although it may be called an ash frame regardless of the wood being used to actually make it.
Anyway the interior is DEFINITELY NOT suede green in ANY of the contemporary photos of Mr. Gable in his XK120. It is almost certainly "BISCUIT AND RED".

2009-08-18 23:12:44 | McNabb writes:

Seen at the Quail auction but went unsold. Claimed to be Clark Gable car.

2009-08-21 05:03:27 | terry mcgrath writes:

Possibly the reason that it went unsold is that somebody wanted to much for it!
as a matter of interest the other alloy 120 (restored) up for auction that weekend sold for $264,000

2009-08-21 15:22:39 | Peter Zobian writes:

I was at the Bonhams auction at Quail Lodge and spent significant time examining 670054 on Sunday following the auction. To describe it as a "scrufy" driver is to do it a great kindness. The weird green repaint was awful - looked like it was painted with a house paint sprayer, with house paint! The interior was really bad and the rear deck, above the trunk lid, was supported with wooden props. Neither the trunk lid nor the doors fit properly, but surprisingly they did close and latch. The engine compartment had been "washed" but not rinsed or othewise cleaned in any way. Famed car book writer Doug Nye was there at the same time and he remarked that it was too bad that the car had been so poorly repainted. In his opinion, if they had left it with the old paint, it might have been bid higher. Unfortunately, when the car was auctioned I was otherwise occupied and did not actually hear what the high bid was. Can anyone tell me what that was?

2009-10-01 17:52:59 | pauls writes:

Notes from the XK Gazette - Market Observer:
Bonhams & Butterfield Quail Lodge Resort Carmel California Aug 14 2009

670054 The Classic Jaguar Association says Gable owned 4 XK’s .two of which were Alloys. There is something special about LHD XK’s built in 1949. Of the 70 built 49 are known to survive.
This one is in driveable condition today and it wears California Black license plate ITC 843 but has an Ohio certificate of title Lot 299 Estimate $250 – 300,000 Not sold

2010-02-17 09:45:26 | NEWDL writes:

This car has now been purchased and will start a concours level restoration. All of the alloy bits are on the car and is a GREAT candidate for concours restoration.

2011-02-04 04:04:58 | EMW writes:

To Pekka T.
I have first hand experiance with Clark Gables red '49 alloy XK120. Yes biscuit and red interior. Now resides in Seattle.

2011-02-04 06:17:30 | terry mcgrath writes:

We have not established that clark gable had a red Alloy XK120! we are still trying to confirm whether he did or did not own 670003, he certainly did not own this car 670054, It has also been reported that he owned 670006 but the bottom line is no-one at this point of time can proove beyond a shadow of doubt as to any alloy XK120 owned by Clark Gable. Certainly any red car in Seattle cannot be a Clark Gable car what chassis no do you have on this one?
The only item that has been established is he did own one alloy XK120 and that it was registered in late december 1949 in california everything else is conjecture and wishful thinking
terry mcgrath

2011-05-12 14:35:51 | pauls writes:

Car now offered at:
www.dupontregistry.com/autos/Search/DRauSearchDetails.aspx

Sellers description:
1949 Jaguar XK 120. Own a piece of history with this 1949 XK 120 alloy Chassis # 670054. Matching numbers car originally owned by Clark Gable. Documented by Classic Jaguar association. This is probably one of the last un-restored XK 120 alloy left in the world that drives & is completely correct. Car has only had a re spray. A true museum piece. Asking $285,000. For more pictures and information, please visit www.performanceautorestoration.com Which lists the car as sold.

Price: $285,000

2014-07-22 08:13:45 | Newdl writes:

I retract my previous statement. Performance Auto Restoration ended up delivering a sub-par finished product, and that is being EXTREMELY nice. They cut corners, tried to hide temporary fixes to issues they are not capable of finishing correctly. Our car, that they feel is a completed restoration, has engine, body, interior, fit/finish, clutch, flywheel and brake issues (to name a few). This car will be worked on BY A PROFESSIONAL this time and will be done right. Please avoid Performance Auto Restoration in Columbus, Ohio AT ALL COSTS.

2015-12-22 22:03:30 | zdenko writes:

Hi, we hunt alloy car... Zdenko

2018-02-06 15:54:14 | miike may writes:

It appears the photos posted 2-5-18 were taken before the car was stripped and restored by Performance.
I downloaded many detailed photos of the restoration from their website several years ago.
They helped greatly in the restoration of my 2 alloy cars.