JAGUAR CLASSIC CREATES TAILOR-MADE XK120 FOR MALE MODEL DAVID GANDY

JAGUAR CLASSIC CREATES TAILOR-MADE XK120 FOR MALE MODEL DAVID GANDY

Jaguar Classic has completed a bespoke XK120 sports car restoration commissioned by renowned British male model and life-long Jaguar enthusiast David Gandy.

The 11-month project, which was a close collaboration between David Gandy and Jaguar Classic’s experts at its Classic Works facility in Warwickshire, took 2,700 hours to complete.

Following a brief to make it race-ready for classic motorsport events such as the Jaguar Classic Challenge, the car’s specification is inspired by the original XK120 Lightweight.

David Gandy said: “Having driven a Jaguar XK120 at the Mille Miglia in 2013 and 2014, I knew that I wanted to own one of these incredibly special cars. The team at Jaguar Classic have done such a remarkable job engineering this car and executing everything that I asked for and it was amazing to have such an in-depth involvement in its creation.”

Jaguar Classic’s dedicated sourcing team tracked-down a suitable 1954 base car in California, US, and has retained as much of the original car as possible.

The in-line six-cylinder unit was meticulously rebuilt over five and a half months, with the final objective to use the car for racing. The result is a performance upgrade from the original 180bhp output to 225bhp and enhanced durability for higher speeds, with items like the core plugs featuring steel bracing so they don’t dislodge during high-performance driving. An all-new, upgraded exhaust system features dual pipes instead of the usual single pipe.

Further improvements include the use of a faster-shifting racing-style gearbox which is more durable under high stresses and uprated brakes, with the front set-up now featuring disc brakes with four-pot callipers while the rear retains the original refurbished drum brakes. The suspension features fully adjustable dampers, allowing the Classic team to fine-tune the handling for specific events.

Calum McKechnie, Head of Jaguar Classic, said: “This unique XK120 showcases the expertise, skill and craftsmanship that Jaguar Classic makes available for all of its customers. Not only were we able to bring this iconic sports car back to life mechanically, but the attention to detail and the bespoke design of the interior sets David’s car apart.”

The design and finishing touches were created in collaboration with David, who chose the colour and materials at every step of the renovation. The exterior is finished in solid black, made up of 13 litres and four coats of paint, while additional exterior features include a racing-inspired flip-top fuel cap. The original split-screen windscreen has been replaced by twin aero screens, another feature synonymous with the XK120 Lightweight.

Inside, the car is just as unique. Finished in an Aged Saddle tan leather, the seats feature a bespoke lattice design with the seatbacks finished in aluminium rather than the usual fabric material. While two batteries would usually sit behind the driver’s seat, for this car the Classic team put a single battery behind the passenger seat to free up space behind the driver, to enhance comfort for 6ft 2inch tall David. This was also a consideration for the choice of steering wheel, which is smaller than normal to provide more legroom.

The finished car was handed over to its delighted owner, who intends to use it on road and in competition, ahead of last weekend’s Monaco E-Prix race.

For more details about Jaguar Classic go to www.jaguar.com/classic

AT MEF, THE “TIMELESS MASTERPIECES” EXHIBITION CREATES A DIALOGUE BETWEEN FERRARI CARS AND OTHER ICONS OF STYLE

AT MEF, THE “TIMELESS MASTERPIECES” EXHIBITION CREATES A DIALOGUE BETWEEN FERRARI CARS AND OTHER ICONS OF STYLE

Maranello, 21 March 2019 – The Enzo Ferrari Museum in Modena unveils a new exhibition, “Timeless Masterpieces”, with some of the most elegant cars in the history of the marque on display.

When selecting the models, the curators of this collection focused on Gran Turismo and sports models, both for their iconic value and for the important role they played in the stylistic revolution of the Ferrari brand, giving shape to the aesthetic vision of their respective eras and leaving their mark on the automotive industry and beyond.

The 166 Inter from 1948 and the 750 Monza from 1954 were chosen to open the exhibition, two seductive symbols of the post-war economic boom. The 250 California from 1957 continues this legendary series, followed by the 250 GTO from 1962 and the 365 GTS4 from 1969 to name just a few, as well as the more recent Ferrari California from 2008 and the GTC4Lusso from 2016. This extraordinary procession is brought to a close by the Ferrari Monza SP1, brought out last year, an innovative reinterpretation of the classic Barchetta cars of the fifties. These models eloquently demonstrate how a car can become a universal and eternal symbol of beauty.

The cars are presented alongside other iconic products from a number of different sectors, drawing attention to the links between them, from furniture to electronics and architecture accompanied by legends of music and cinema, in a refined to-and-fro of cross-references and mutual influences.

A series of cases display objects, works of art and images of famous faces in chronological order, revealing unexpected associations and unusual couplings with Ferrari cars from the various eras. The exhibition serves as an invitation to view automotive design from a different perspective, as an expression of broader creative and cultural movements, with a streamlined style that has been growing and developing since the thirties, in search of the degree of customisation that distinguishes today's luxury vehicle market.

"Timeless Masterpieces" establishes a dialogue between different worlds, helping visitors to understand how the various stylistic features and symbols of each era have developed, bringing the emotions that they have given us in the past to life once again.