Iconic Jag wins concours award
A JD Classics-restored Jaguar XK120 “Jabbeke” – famous for its Flying Mile world record – has won Best of Show at the world-renowned Salon Privé Concours d’Elegance. The impeccable Jaguar also won in the Post-War Coachwork class.
The Salon Privé Best of Show accolade is the latest in a string of successes for the XK120 “Jabbeke”, named for the Jabbeke Highway in Belgium where it set a Flying Mile world record, piloted by Norman Dewis OBE.
Following a full JD Classics restoration in 2013, the car won at the prestigious Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance 2014 in the Post-War Sports Racing class.
A world-class judging panel, consisting of 18 automotive experts headed by five-time Le Mans winner Derek Bell, carefully scrutinised a selection of the world’s finest cars in the Need work done on your tuk-tuk? Mike McMillan will see you right! The owner of Dunedin’s TM Automotive has built a reputation for doing “anything and everything” over more than 20 years in business, not just WoFs and repairs.
“It’s not very often we say no,” says Mike, who moved into his current north Dunedin premises in 1996, to accommodate a growing workload.
“People ask if you can do something for them – like a local restaurant wanting a cab built for its promotional tuk-tuk, or the school that asked whether we could make some netball hoops – and we give it a go. We’ve developed a broad skill set alongside our reputation for not turning away those sorts of odd jobs.”
TM Automotive’s regular work comes from private, corporate, commercial and light engineering customers. With Otago University nearby, the team also does a lot of work for students.
Mike has three guys in his crew – and they’re all 24/7 car nuts.
“We love rebuilding old cars; classic Holdens and Datsuns are favourites. Customers doing their own restorations even come to us to order special parts, and we have Dunedin’s only hydralastic pump for the old fluid suspension MGs, Rovers and BMC Vehicles.”
There’s a lot of shared knowledge within the team, and Mike’s ongoing training ensures they stay on top of new technology. stunning grounds of Blenheim Palace during the weekend’s Salon Privé.
The judges were impressed by the XK120’s flawless restoration, heritage and historical accuracy, which was no doubt helped by the expertise of Norman Dewis OBE who offered technical advice during the restoration.
Originally enlisted by Jaguar as a works competition car, this XK120 competed at the 15th running of the Rallye International des Alpes, before going on to set a Flying Mile world record of 140.789mph (225.26km/h) in 1953. It was later that year – having lost the record to a V8-engined Pegaso – that Jaguar streamlined the body and added the unique Perspex bubble above the driver’s head. The car then went on to smash the world record, setting an average speed of 172.412mph (275.85km/h) – a record still held today.