XK120 Drop Head Coupe - RARE Right Hand Drive - 100% Numbers Matching Numbers

On offer through the Seven Gables Motor Garage Ltd :  An Extremely Rare (one of 294) - Genuine Right Hand Drive - XK120 Drop Head Coupe - Engine Runs - In Dry Storage Since 1972

A LITTLE ABOUT THE SEVEN GABLES MOTOR GARAGE LTD

Although operated on a small scale by the owner Gary Seraphinoff, he Seven Gables Motor Garage Ltd located in the Detroit suburb of Bloomfield Hills has a very large amount of vintage British motoring enthusiasm. Passionate for over a half century, ary carries a fair amount of experience in dealing with these motor-cars. Being a hobby as much as it is a small business, e sell vintage vehicles and the spares for these classics.  In addition to having a small collection of British motor-cars with the focus being Jaguar XK120's as well as his wife Kathy's, omeday to be on the road again, G-TD. Located at "Seven Gables", he family home, ary has sold vintage spares around the globe and offers unsurpassed care doing it. We can be reached by telephone at 248.594.5906. or by email at Gary@TheSevenGablesMotorGarage.com

1953 JAGUAR XK120 - DROP HEAD COUPE - GENUINE RIGHT HAND DRIVE - ALL NUMBERS MATCHING - ENGINE RUNS FINE

 Shown here on Ebay I am reluctantly offering this XK120 DHC.  Since it requires (and deserves) a proper restoration that I cannot provide at this time I am willing to sell it on. Of all my XK120's I treasure this the very most because it is a "proper" Right Hand Drive XK120.  Yes, know that the United States is a left hand drive country but, all me crazy, wish ALL of my British cars were RHD!  Regardless of my own personal preferences, he XK120 Drop Head Coupes were the rarest of the three variants produced and only a meager HANDFUL (294) RHD XK120 DHCs were produced.  Coupled with the fact that this is a 100% numbers matching example AND the engine even runs, ell, his is the one to have if you are looking for one to restore.  It is entirely possible that there may not even be another left with these qualifications in the world today.

 This XK120 is all original, early complete and all of the important items are present: the engine, earbo, hassis number stampings and body tag are all the same components it left Coventry with. To top it off, he original engine runs! It was beyond thrilling when my Jaguar master mechanic colleague David got it started after a slumber of nearly a half century.

 With the original Black exterior color and the Biscuit interior with Black hood (top), his example will be a stunning Black Beauty when restored. The spats (fender skirts) on this model enhance the elegance of the somewhat formal Drophead Coupé. While this example has the cutaway spats that came with it from the UK, ne could put full spats on it if desired. Imagine this perfectly restored with flawless Black paint and the light Biscuit interior. Include the gleaming, ook-matched burl walnut dash with its matching, urrounding wood cappings graced with the Black, ully padded and lined hood. Add its original UK registration plates of 478BMF to the front and rear you will have a breathtaking automotive icon worthy of Pebble Beach.

                        SCROLL DOWN TO SEE ALL OF THE IMAGES OF THIS JAGUAR

PROVENANCE OF THIS XK120 DHC

 This particular car has an interesting provenance.  Built 29 October 1953 it is the 119th RHD DHC built out of a total of 294. It was originally purchased by its first London owner at Henley's Ltd in London.

I correspond with the former Royal Navy Pilot airman in Scotland that owned it after the owner in London sold it and I have from him some anecdotes about the car that really make this car come alive with history and excitement. There may also be some 8mm movie footage of the car available from that long ago time period. Read this quote from him about this car: "I was 22 years old and had just arrived at the Royal Air Force Base outside York that was dedicated to training Navy pilots for their initial "Wings" Flying Training... and it so happened that another Lieutenant who had just passed out was about to get married, eeded cash and was looking for a buyer for his Powder Blue Jaguar XK120 with its leather strap over the bonnet (hood to you!)... bought for 520 pounds cash... and the rest was history. Together we did a lot of miles... and had unforgettable fun, xcitement... and scrapes that would appall a modern Policeman or Good Citizen. From downtown York to our base was ten miles of single carriageway, alf of it twisty lanes... but coming back from late nights out there were three places where we could exceed a Ton... though the last one required coming out of a sleepy Yorkshire village double hairpin turn at more than 45 mph with the foot hard down in second gear... which didn't exactly endear us or the exhaust to the locals...!!!"   Being a hopeless romantic, asked for and was given by the previous owner a detailed Google map of the route he took so I could re-live that route on the map. Can you imagine being a 22 year old Royal Navy Pilot and tearing up the lanes with this motor-car back in 1961?  By the way, here is an image below, aken in 1961, f him behind the wheel...

It was eventually sold on to an American airman stationed in England who then brought it here to the United States. It ended up in a garage in Virginia for almost 50 years and stayed there until it came to me in Michigan.

MECHANICAL CONDITION

 As stated before, he engine runs and when the Virginia owner took it apart in 1972 he said that the engine was to stay intact because it ran well.  Nearly all of the mechanical components are there and what is missing can be sourced.  Most importantly, ll of the mechanical components are the ones that the ones it left Coventry with.

COSMETIC CONDITION

 Way back when, his DHC was partially disassembled in Virginia with the high hopes of restoring it but the project stalled. Now the body has been loosely put back together and most of the original interior is back in the car. As far as the condition of the exterior sheet metal, will not kid you here: it will require a lot of work.  It looks like an XK120 that spent about ten years on the road in an East Coast state.  XK's rusted out quickly because there was little or no rustproofing measures like we see today.  It most definitely is not a rotted mess that has sat in a farmer's field for 50 years (been there, ought that!). I have seen far worse XK120 restoration projects that were successfully completed. It needs sills, boot floor and gas tank, xterior panel repairs, tc, n fact almost all of the usual repairs they need but, rankly, he extreme rarity of this car makes any amount of effort worthwhile. The body and chassis have not had major accident damage. Importantly, he chassis is really a strong point and is in wonderful condition wearing a fair amount of its original black paint. I know these cars intimately and this chassis and the components attached to it are in amazing condition. Included with the XK120 are some assorted boxes of loose parts that are original to the car to help complete it. Just a note: the PF770 headlamps that were fitted on the car when the images were taken are no longer available.

The Deposit:
Please be ready to place a $1,500 Paypal deposit within twenty-four 24 hours of auction's close. Cash, ashiers check or bank wire transfer must be paid within seven(7) days of the close of the auction.

Note: If the deposit is not received within twenty-four (24) hours or if the sale is not complete within seven (7) days of the close of the auction, e reserve the right to sell to the next highest bidder or to another qualified buyer.

Legally Binding Contract:
If you are the winning bidder of this auctions please follow through with the transaction. Remember, our winning bid is a legally binding contract to purchase.

Seller reserves the right to end this listing at anytime should the vehicle no longer be available for sale. Professional pre-purchase inspections are welcome but must be made before the auction ends. Please ask any question before bidding. We have described the above mentioned vehicle to the best of our ability. However, ith all pre-owned automobiles, he condition is subjective, o we recommend that the potential buyer fly out to inspect as well as test drive any of the vehicles before finalizing purchase. If your personal inspection is not possible, e will be glad to help facilitate an inspection by your chosen local independent service center.

All vehicles are sold in "AS IS" condition. Please be advised that no oral statements concerning any vehicle constitute a representation or warranty of the condition of said vehicle. Our goal is to provide you with the best service and the most comfortable buying experience on eBay. All inspections must be done prior to delivery.

All used vehicles should be assumed to have some degree of wear. Therefore, espite our best efforts to verify a vehicle's mechanical condition, e are not able to warranty a manufacturers workmanship or a previous owners diligence in care. It is for this reason that all vehicles are sold "AS IS" and there are no mechanical guarantees expressed or implied.

We reserve the right to end the auction at any time.

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