2009-08-19 10:07:31 | Lofty writes:

The trans. in the car is JL16153

2022-01-13 07:17:51 | pauls writes:

Car was at auction 1/22

www.mecum.com/lots/FL0122-499773/1953-jaguar-xk120/

Auction description:

Lot S294 Kissimmee 2022 Jan 6-16

1953 Jaguar XK120

No. 4 NASCAR Coupe Recreation

Color Red/White

Interior Black

Estimate $95,000 - $110,000 Not sold

XK120 No. 4 NASCAR Coupe Recreation

The no. 4 car was the first import manufactured car to win a NASCAR sanctioned race

Special 3.4L C-Type competition engine

New 5-speed manual gearbox

Salisbury rear differential

OMP competition/rally seats

TRW/Sabelt racing harnesses

Coker Firestone Racing tires

Stainless free flow exhaust

Locking outside fuel filter

NASCAR book and manual

Eligible for most rally road events such as Colorado Grand, CA Miglia and Copperstate 1000

Restoration with livery as raced in 1954

Sold on a North Carolina title

Shortly after the Jaguar XK120 made its sensational show-stopping debut in 1948, road tests quickly proved that 120 really did stand for 120 MPH, making it quite simply the fastest production car in the world. That was due in no small part to the famed 3.4L 6-cylinder twin-overhead-cam XK engine, which went on to power the space-framed competition XK120C, better known as the C-type, to famous victories at the Le Mans 24-Hour Race in 1951 and 1953. And the following year, the XK120 made waves in the U.S. racing scene as NASCAR’s Grand National series inaugurated its first road course at Linden, New Jersey.

With entries extended to foreign sports cars, NASCAR part-timer Al Keller qualified seventh in a Jaguar XK120 coupe owned by bandleader Paul Whiteman, took the lead just before halfway through the 100-mile race and finished half a mile ahead of the runner-up in a field of 43 cars. Though a notable win, it was never to be repeated, as the NASCAR Grand National series immediately banned foreign cars after the interloper’s victory. There’s no doubt the fact that Jaguars also placed fourth, fifth and sixth was a contributory factor.

Liveried in a striking white and red 1954 NASCAR color scheme and with Keller’s No. 4 race number, this 1953 XK120 coupe both pays tribute to this fleeting moment of NASCAR history and opens up a world of vintage racing. Correctly mounted on steel wheels, as was Keller’s car on that famous day in June 1954, this No. 4 recreation features a C-type-specification competition engine mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox and rides on Coker Firestone racing tires, along with competition accoutrements including a brace of OMP competition chairs, TRW/Sabelt racing harnesses and stainless steel free-flow exhaust.

The result of the restoration is a car that not only pays homage to NASCAR history but is also widely eligible for a host of road rally events. Or, perhaps you might try emulating the great Sir Stirling Moss, who was among a team of four drivers in 1954 that set a remarkable milestone in a Jaguar XK120 coupe by averaging 100.31 MPH over seven days and nights at the famous Montlhéry banked circuit just south of Paris.